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A VISIT TO THE CAPE TOWN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND
Issued by Christina Teichmann on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 06/07/2026
On Thursday, 2 July 2026, a delegation of the FW de Klerk Foundation comprising of Deputy Chairperson Christina Teichmann and Legacy Manager Brenda Steyn visited the Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB), a non-profit organisation offering education and training opportunities for Blind and Visually Impaired persons within a secure and supportive environment.
The CTSB is one of a few selected non-governmental organisations that received financial support from the FW de Klerk Foundation in recognition of the excellent work they are doing and the valuable contribution that they make towards fulfilling the constitutional rights of vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. The funds dispersed in 2026 to these organisations were raised through the 2025 Nedbank SA Charity Golf Day, a yearly event of which President De Klerk is a Life Patron.
Founded in 1929, the CTSB aims to uplift Blind and Visually Impaired Persons through education, access to assistive resources and career development programmes. Clients have a number of training courses to choose from, such as Soft Skills and Braille Training, Cane and Material Loom Weaving, Re-Caning, International Computer Driving Licence Training as well as End-User Computing. Call Centre Training is the latest addition to the CTSB’s vocational course programme. “Internships during the training phase provide clients with an opportunity to get first workplace experience and make contact with potential employers”, explains Judith Coetzee, CEO of the CTSB. The overall objective of the training courses is to find suitable and long-term employment, which allows clients to generate income, take actively part in the economy, become more self-confident and live a more independent life.
While the vocational training programme is focussing on working age adults, the Low Vision Clinic, which assesses the degree of the vision impairment, caters for all age groups. The causes for sight loss differ greatly and range from stroke and cataracts to accidents and gang-related injuries.
With the financial support to the Cape Town Society for the Blind, the FW de Klerk Foundation aims to raise awareness for the needs of persons with disabilities, especially the Blind and Visually Impaired. To “make the Constitution a reality for all” is the Foundation’s mission. This goal can only be achieved if all sectors and actors of society work together.
For more information on the Cape Town Society for the Blind visit their website www.capetownsocietyfortheblind.co.za
STATE CAPTURE IS HOLDING BACK SOUTH AFRICA
After Nelson Mandela was elected in 1994 his government abolished racially segregated local authorities, creating ostensibly integrated municipalities. Today these range in size from Johannesburg, the commercial capital, to units like Mpofana that comprise a small town and rural areas. All are supposed to fund themselves through property taxes, business rates and charges for water, electricity and waste collection. The poorest also get a grant from the central government to fill any gap between revenue and expenditure.
WHO WATCHES THE WATCHDOG? CURB ABUSE, NOT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
In this article, the FW de Klerk Foundation argues that South Africa must confront abuse in religious communities without placing lawful belief under state supervision. Existing criminal, tax and nonprofit laws should be enforced properly, while faith communities strengthen voluntary safeguards and accountability. Protecting congregants must never make the exercise of religious freedom dependent on official approval.
FREEDOM SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED
Freedom forms one of the most important cornerstones of South Africa’s constitutional democracy. The Constitution guarantees a series of fundamental freedoms that enable every citizen to reach their full potential. This includes, among others, freedom of belief and conviction, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration