Trade union Solidarity is heading to the Johannesburg High Court on an urgent basis on 18 November. This follows the removal of one of its campaign banners from a major Johannesburg highway. The banner, which read “Welcome to the most race-regulated country in the world”, formed part of a November 2025 awareness campaign. It focused on race laws linked to the upcoming G20 Summit.
According to court papers and statements from the organization, the Solidarity race banner legal action targets the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the Johannesburg Metro. Solidarity says it used a recognised advertising agency and paid all required fees. It also obtained approval before the banner went up on 10 November. The union alleges the banner was then removed by city authorities without notice. There was no explanation or due process.
Solidarity argues in its urgent application that the city council’s actions were unlawful and politically motivated. It adds that municipal by-laws do not give officials the power to unilaterally remove approved advertisements. It also points to an August 2025 court ruling. In that ruling, similar conduct by the city was found to be unlawful. The union wants the court to declare the removal illegal and to order that the banner be restored in the same position. Alternatively, it should be returned to Solidarity at no cost.
Clash Over Race Laws, Free Speech and G20 Summit Image
The banner was placed along the M1 South between Smit Street and Empire Road, a key route for visitors arriving for the G20 Summit. Solidarity says the campaign is aimed at using the global spotlight to highlight what it calls racial injustice. Additionally, they point to economic decline and governance failures in South Africa.
Solidarity chief executive Dr Dirk Hermann says the banner was intended to “hold up a mirror” to government policy. He argues that its removal shows a state “that takes the law into its own hands and that undermines freedom of speech”. Spokesperson Pieter Jordaan adds that, in the union’s view, the municipality’s actions were unlawful. He believes they were meant to suppress criticism of government.
Jordaan further claims that South Africa’s race laws discriminate against minority groups. He points specifically to white, coloured and Indian communities. Jordaan adds that this harms the wider economy. He cites studies which, according to Solidarity, suggest that B-BBEE policies are costing the economy up to R290 billion. Additionally, it may be costing 192 000 jobs per year. The union says it will raise these concerns directly with embassies of G20 countries. This is part of its broader campaign.
The Solidarity race banner legal action is therefore positioned by the union as both a test of municipal powers. It is also a broader fight over free speech and race-based policy.
Government and ANC response
The campaign has drawn strong criticism from senior government figures. On Monday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi wrote on X that “racists are loud and clear”. He accused the banner’s creators of trying to undermine efforts to build “an all-inclusive country that recognises the injustices of apartheid”. He called on supporters of transformation to “push them back”.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya dismissed Solidarity’s campaign as the work of a “tiny right-wing minority”. He called it “unimportant and mindless”. Government critics of the billboard argue that it misrepresents South Africa’s transformation agenda. Moreover, they believe it risks damaging the country’s image while hosting world leaders for the G20 Summit.
Solidarity, however, remains adamant that its message should be visible to local residents and international visitors. It states that the Solidarity race banner legal action will continue until the courts have ruled on the legality of the removal.
