FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION LAUNCHES 2025 REPORT CARD ON CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND LANGUAGE RIGHTS

Issued by Daniela Ellerbeck on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 17/09/2025

The FW de Klerk Foundation, in celebration of Heritage Day, proudly launched its Cultural, Religious and Language Rights 2025 Report Card today. The report card is a tribute to the diverse cultures, beliefs and languages that make up South Africa.

“The report card assesses the degree to which the Constitution’s various cultural, religious and linguistic rights are enjoyed in practise. It hopes to gauge how far we, as a nation, have come (and still must go), to protect, promote and celebrate our diversity, because, as the Constitution’s Preamble reminds us: ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity’,” says Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the FW de Klerk Foundation’s Constitutional Rights Programmes Manager.

“Protecting diversity is one of the key characteristics of a free and open society and it is vital to note that the Constitution celebrates diversity as one of South Africa’s core assets. The Foundation hopes that the report card will stimulate debate on the roles that our religions, cultures and languages play – and should play – in promoting our rich and diverse national heritage,” states Christo van der Rheede, the Foundation’s Executive Director.