The recent decision by the Legal Practice Council (“LPC”) to conduct all exams for candidate attorneys and pupil advocates exclusively in English has sparked significant controversy and discontent among various stakeholders.
The Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA Bill) was passed by Parliament’s first house, the National Assembly on 26 October 2023. It is now before the second house, the National Council of Provinces and is currently open for written submissions. The FW de Klerk Foundation expresses its concerns about the BELA Bill.
The statement highlights the revisions to the bill, specifically the removal of a contentious vetting clause for NGOs and religious bodies. Despite this positive change, the statement emphasizes persisting flaws, including vague definitions, threats to constitutional rights, and the absence of oversight mechanisms, indicating that GILAB continues to pose risks.
The FW de Klerk Foundation takes great pleasure in announcing that Khaya Lam, meaning “my home”, will be the recipient of its 2023 FW de Klerk Goodwill Award.
On 4 December, the Constitutional Court delivered a judgement that has far-reaching implications for the landscape of South African elections, particularly in relation to independent candidates.
On 26 October 2023, the National Assembly passed the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, which it believes will improve the quality of basic education received by the majority of South African learners by creating a more just and equitable education system.
Section 3 of the Constitution – ranking just after the rule of law and Constitutional supremacy – recognises the right of all citizens to citizenship. Its placement indicates its importance not only for equal entitlement to rights, privileges and benefits of citizenship, but also for the realisation of a “united and democratic South Africa.”
On 15 September, the FW de Klerk Foundation made a written submission to the National Council of Provinces on the National Health Insurance Bill. The Foundation analysed key failures of the NHI Bill with specific reference to the constitutional principle of the Rule of Law and rationality, the feasibility of the proposed system and governance concerns, coupled with the unfettered power of the Minister of Health (“the Minister”).
In a recent interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Dr. Mavuso Msimang, the Deputy President of the ANC’s Veteran’s League, took issue with Anthea Jeffery’s epic analysis of the ANC’s National Democratic Revolution. He said that “in summary, the NDR is not inherently part of the ANC’s framework”. The ANC was not committed to socialism and was “more likely to follow the example of the Scandinavian countries, which are capitalist economies with strong social safety nets.”
