Solidarity will challenge the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) in the High Court on 18 November after its banner was removed without prior notice or explanation.
Court papers were served on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the City of Johannesburg and other officials.
The banner, which read “Welcome to the most race-regulated country in the world,” formed part of Solidarity’s month-long awareness campaign on South Africa’s race laws, timed to coincide with the G20 Summit.
According to Solidarity, the banner was produced through a recognised agency and all fees were paid to ensure it met the city’s requirements.
Despite this, the signage was removed by city authorities on 10 November.
The organisation says no warnings, notices or requests for clarification were issued.
Shortly before and after the removal, Lesufi and several city officials encouraged and later applauded the action on social media, describing the banner as carrying an unacceptable political message.
Gone! pic.twitter.com/VGo8PQBmw7
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) November 10, 2025
You can mobilize your constituency as you wish that will not change your anti transformation agenda. I am not a product of cowards! Racists are mindless, useless and selfish. Bring it on! pic.twitter.com/Bqi8cr8WRl
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) November 10, 2025
Subsequently, a spokesperson for the Metro stated that Solidarity did not have permission to erect the banner.
[WATCH] Gauteng Government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says Solidarity’s banner on the M1 highway was erected without permission. He says its removal had nothing to do with the message on it. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/XF4RwRfR58
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 12, 2025
In its urgent application, Solidarity argues that the city’s actions were unlawful, arbitrary and politically motivated, and that municipal bylaws do not permit officials to remove advertisements without following due process.
The organisation also cites an August 2025 court ruling that found similar removals by the city to be unlawful.
Solidarity CEO Dr Dirk Hermann says the banner was intended to spark debate on the country’s racial policies.
“The government is now denying its own policy and removing the banner that refers to it. The banner has become a mirror of a government that takes the law into its own hands and undermines freedom of speech,” he said.
Solidarity is asking the court to declare the removal unlawful and to order that the banner either be reinstated immediately in the same location or returned to the organisation free of charge. In the meantime, Solidarity says it is continuing to erect similar billboards across Gauteng.
Een, twee, drie… Toe blok Lesufi dié een nou nie! pic.twitter.com/YzAiDQifsU
— Solidariteit (@solidariteit) November 13, 2025
There has been much debate over race-based laws in South Africa, with commentators on all sides of the political spectrum divided over how many such laws actually exist.
Commentators on the left maintain that the claim that there are over 140 active race-based laws is largely misleading, while those on the right maintain that all race discrimination must end.
