WHY DIVERSITY MATTERS
2026-09-30
Diversity can be a mechanism for nation-building, because it can strengthen social cohesion and opens up economic value chains.
Diversity can be a mechanism for nation-building, because it can strengthen social cohesion and opens up economic value chains.
South Africa’s cultural and linguistic heritage depends on public spaces where communities can learn, gather and pass traditions from one generation to the next. Municipalities have an important role in maintaining the local facilities and public spaces that help make these constitutional rights meaningful in everyday life. As Heritage Month and the local government elections approach, communities should demand clear accountability for how these spaces are maintained, funded and protected.
In a world currently defined by profound geopolitical changes, shifting markets, and global uncertainty, how can the agricultural sector adapt and thrive? The recent guest speaker address by the Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, offers a compelling and strategic roadmap for the South African olive industry.
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.
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 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
In this second instalment of the FW de Klerk Foundation’s Money Smart Week South Africa 2026 series, the focus shifts from personal income to the public money that determines how far it can stretch. When services fail, families pay twice: first through taxes, tariffs and charges, and again to replace essential services privately. The article explains why following the rand, demanding accountability and participating in public processes are essential acts of constitutional citizenship
In the first of its Money Smart Week South Africa 2026 articles, the FW de Klerk Foundation confronts a difficult truth: You cannot budget an income you do not have. Against the backdrop of a 47,4% youth unemployment rate, the article examines the real costs of finding work, building a side hustle and managing a first salary. It argues that genuine financial empowerment requires not only personal discipline, but also fair markets, capable government and wider access to economic opportunity.
Data from international indices—including the OECD, Eurostat, PwC, and the World Bank—demonstrate that South Africans are subjected to a double financial burden through high taxes and private service costs.