CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARY AND EVENTS
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
ARTICLE: IS DIALOGUE EXCLUSIVE OR INCLUSIVE?
The eight Foundations’ National Dialogue Initiative (NFDI) was successfully launched on 5 May in Johannesburg. The vast majority of the 300 people – from all walks of life and racial groups – who attended and participated in the group discussions, viewed it as successful. It was indeed a historic initiative and the spirit was one of shared and straightforward talk about our common future. The agenda of the future dialogues was determined by group discussions whereby topics that will be discussed nationwide over the next two years were identified. The next step is to have launch events at a provincial level.
The NFDI launch resulted in two coincidental reactions.
First, 40 EFF members (mostly young people), fuelled by a Tweet from one of their leaders that dialogue with FW de Klerk and his Foundation was unacceptable, stormed in after lunch after breaking through security. Initially they stood around because the NFDI was just dividing into small groups. The EFF members even accepted an invitation to form their own group and put their issues on the agenda. However, when they realised that their leader’s Tweet did not command cooperation and dialogue but rather, disruption, they refused to give feedback on their discussion.
STATEMENT: RECENT ATTACKS ON FW DE KLERK, THE CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION
The participation of former President FW de Klerk in the meeting of the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (NFDI) on Friday, 5 May elicited unwarranted and intemperate attacks on him by a number of political leaders, commentators and media personalities. The NFDI includes eight foundations associated with former South African leaders who have come together to initiate a dialogue between South Africans within the framework of the Constitution on the serious challenges that confront South Africa.
The general gist of the attacks – which included vitriolic and unfounded accusations – was that FW de Klerk should not be participating in the national debate because he was “the last apartheid president” and was guilty of gross violations of human rights.
Land and Property
The FW de Klerk Foundation, and its Centres for Constitutional Rights (CFCR) and Unity in Diversity (CUD) decided to make property and land a focus
PODCASTS
SUBMISSIONS
SPEECHES
EVENTS
STATEMENT: EFF RACISM AND INTIMIDATION – THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION LAYS A COMPLAINT WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The FW de Klerk Foundation condemns the racist attack and intimidation of innocent bystanders by EFF members at N1 City Shopping Centre on 9 September 2020.
In an incident yesterday, which was captured on video by bystanders and subsequently substantiated by media reports, protesting members of the EFF made racist statements and jostled white bystanders after they were evicted by security personnel from a shopping centre near Cape Town. Upon their exit from the shopping centre the EFF members shouted at bystanders “F**k you white people”. This was followed by numerous further racial outbursts – that included shouting at the bystanders that they were “white racists” and that they must “go back to Europe, you are here to steal our land”.
STATEMENT: APPOINTMENT OF ADV JACQUES DU PREEZ AS CEO OF THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION
The Board of Trustees of the FW de Klerk Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Adv Jacques du Preez as the Foundation’s new Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 September 2020. Adv Du Preez succeeds Dr Dayne Morkel – who left the Foundation in March to take up career opportunities in the United States.
Adv Du Preez (39) was educated at Centurion High School and holds an LLB degree from the University of Pretoria and a Master’s Degree (LLM) in Public Law from the University of Stellenbosch. He practised as an advocate and member of the Cape Bar from June 2007 until May 2011 – when he joined the Foundation’s Centre for Constitutional Rights as Operational Officer. During the following three years he made a valuable contribution to the CFCR’s activities – particularly in the areas of human rights monitoring, reporting and advocacy and in preparing submissions to Parliament and human rights bodies on draft legislation and human rights violations.
STATEMENT: DRAFT FILMS AND PUBLICATIONS AMENDMENT REGULATIONS
PROPOSED ONLINE CENSORSHIP OF SOUTH AFRICA: DRAFT FILMS AND PUBLICATIONS AMENDMENT REGULATIONS
The South African Film and Publication Board (SAFPB) recently published the Draft Films and Publications Amendment Regulations for public comment. The Regulations – which would be promulgated under the Films and Publications Amendment Act 11 of 2019 (the FPAA) – will be administered by the Board – and apply to the sale, hiring and streaming of content on the internet and various other digital platforms in South Africa.
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
- Equality
- Non-racialism
- Gender Rights
- The Constitution
- The Rule of Law
- Multiparty Democracy
- Personal Rights
- Cultural, Religious and Language Rights
- Freedom of Expression and Political Rights
- Social and Economic Rights
- Property Rights
- Education
- Access To The Courts, Information And Fair Adminstration