The bill, mandated by the post-apartheid constitution as a complement to the bill of rights, bans discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, color, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language, and birth. Under the legislation, "equality courts" will be formed to hear charges of discrimination.

Only the Democratic Party, African Christian Democratic Party, and Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging voted against the bill.

South African president Thabo Mbeki of the African National Congress announced in his February 4 state of the nation speech that he had signed the bill into law. "The government will act to ensure the observance of these laws as part of our common national offensive against all forms of inequality and discrimination," he said.

Mbeki emphasized in his speech that racism is far from dead in South Africa. To make the point, he quoted from an E-mail sent by an Illovo Sugar Company engineer to his colleagues. The engineer's diatribe said his goal was to "summarize what the kaffirs have done to stuff up this country since they came into power." The term "kaffir" is a racist epithet. The E-mail concluded: "All I am saying is that AIDS isn't working fast enough."

Members of the Food and Allied Workers Union obtained the E-mail and launched protests at the sugar plant. The engineer was subsequently fired.  
 
 
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