Last Saturday, Julius Malema addressed a packed FNB stadium in Johannesburg to mark the 10th anniversary of the EFF. The scarlet-clad masses undulated to the rhythm of African music and the chanting of EFF slogans, while red and black balloons, confetti and streamers were discharged into the stadium. It was a cross between a rock concert, a soccer match and a religious revival.
Saturday 29 July was the 19th anniversary of the Constitutional Court’s judgement in Minister of Finance vs Van Heerden. It is a significant date because it marks a crucial point in the erosion of the foundational value of non-racialism and the unravelling of South Africa’s historic national accord.
On 26 May 2023, the Western Cape government introduced the Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill, which seeks to grant provincial and local authorities more autonomous political power. The Bill aims to empower capable provincial and local governments to address issues where the national government has failed to deliver services to Western Cape citizens.
Dave Steward, Chairman of the FW de Klerk Foundation, reviews Anthea Jeffery’s recently published book, ‘Countdown to Socialism’ – a meticulous study of the ANC/SACP’s National Democratic Revolution (NDR), an ideology that lies at the heart of the dysfunctionality and crises that beset South Africa.
On Wednesday 19 July, President Ramaphosa signed the South African Sign Language Act into law, a welcome step “to promote the rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing”.
On Sunday 23 July, eight Presidential Protection Services (PPS) police officers were arrested for brutally assaulting three off-duty members of the SANDF on the N1 highway in Gauteng. The incident, which was captured on video, shocked millions of South Africans.
On Friday, 14 July, the FW de Klerk Foundation, supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), hosted a conference on the topic of property rights at the Bryanston Country Club in Johannesburg.
“World Youth Skills Day” gives every nation the chance to evaluate how well its young are being prepared for the work environment of tomorrow. However, the basic education system in South Africa is not providing our young with a solid enough basis for future skill development.
On 23 May 2023, Parliament passed the Land Court Bill, which it believes will resolve “backlogs in land claims and dispute resolution mechanisms”, and ensure that “land reform in its entirety be accelerated in a lawful and equitable manner, guided by progressive jurisprudence”. The FW de Klerk Foundation remains deeply concerned that the Land Courts and the Land Appeal Court, which will be established by the Bill.
