Eric Naki

The influential ANC Youth League says Chinese "are not black" and only Africans, coloureds and Indians qualify.

In one of its resolutions taken at the organisation's 23rd national congress held at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg at the weekend, the league said it was important to affirm the ANC's resolve that the term black should be limited to the African majority, coloureds and Indians.

The league's resolution comes against the recent landmark judgment by the Pretoria high court which ruled Chinese South Africans fall within the ambit of "black people" - defined in terms of the law.

The court said the Chinese automatically qualified for full benefits enjoyed by blacks under employment equity.

The judgment also placed the Chinese as beneficiaries of the Black Economic Empowerment Act which requires that blacks "should be affirmed" in terms of employment and business opportunities.

The court ruling followed last year's application submitted by the Chinese Association of South Africa which sought clarity on the status of Chinese South Africans under the act.