According to the report, the arguments given in support of this ruling (that African people were at a greater disadvantage during apartheid - for example, by virtue of having to carry pass books) would appear to support a view that sets such strategies firmly in the "redress" rather than the "diversity" domain.
Interestingly, this case was heard in the Cape, which in the past was subject to a Coloured Labour Preference Act during apartheid. Whether or not a similar judgment would have been reached elsewhere under different circumstances - for example, in the case of an Indian complainant, in the Free State - would be interesting to see.
As it stands though, the effects could be "far reaching", as suggested by the trade union Solidarity. Selection committees here at UCT have often sought guidance on a "hierarchy of disadvantage", and such a ruling might indeed pave the way.