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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
WHY THE BRONKHORSTSPRUIT WATER CRISIS VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION
The FW de Klerk Foundation raises concern over the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, warning that contaminated drinking water threatens constitutional rights, public health and human dignity. The Foundation calls for transparency, accountability and urgent reforms to address systemic weaknesses in South Africa’s water governance and infrastructure management.
CULTURAL RIGHTS MUST HAVE MEANING IN PRACTICE
Cultural rights have meaning when they are realised in practice. The FW de Klerk Foundation’s CRL Report Card 2026 examines key developments affecting cultural, religious and linguistic communities, from Khoi and San recognition to cultural participation and customary practices.
PROTECTING FREEDOM OF BELIEF IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s Constitution strongly protects freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. Yet recent debates surrounding the CRL Rights Commission’s proposed self-regulatory framework for the religious sector have raised important questions about the relationship between accountability, religious autonomy and State involvement. This article examines the constitutional protections afforded to religious communities, the controversy surrounding the Section 22 process, and why safeguarding freedom of belief remains essential to South Africa’s democracy, diversity and human rights culture.