A banner declaring South Africa the “most race-regulated country in the world” has sparked a legal showdown between the trade union Solidarity and the City of Johannesburg, highlighting tensions between freedom of expression and government authority just weeks before the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero condemned the banner, accusing Solidarity of deliberately stirring racial tensions. “Our country’s laws are inclusive and aimed at protecting all citizens, regardless of race,” Morero said, defending the transformation policies underpinning employment equity and Black Economic Empowerment.
Solidarity, however, argues that the city overstepped its authority by removing the banner from the M1 without notice or explanation. Court papers filed against Johannesburg Metro Police and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi claim the action violated municipal by-laws and general principles of administrative justice, as well as a previous court ruling against the city.
“The government is now denying its own policy and removing the banner that refers to it,” said Solidarity CEO Dr. Dirk Hermann. “This has become a mirror of a government that takes the law into its own hands and undermines freedom of speech.”
Solidarity insists the banner was part of a legal and planned awareness campaign and that fees and permits were properly obtained. The organization is seeking an urgent court order to have the banner restored, while continuing to erect similar billboards across Gauteng.
The dispute comes at a sensitive time as Johannesburg prepares for the G20 summit, with the city investing in infrastructure, public safety, and service delivery. Observers note that the legal battle raises broader questions about how governments balance regulation, political messaging, and the right to free expression in the public space.
