CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARY AND EVENTS
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
ARTICLE: PRESIDENT ZUMA’S SONA RESPONSE
Many South Africans were charmed by the more conciliatory tone that President Zuma adopted in his response last week during to the State of the Nation (SONA) Debate.
ARTICLE: INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY 2015 – INCLUSION IN AND THROUGH EDUCATION: LANGUAGE COUNTS
International Mother Language Day, proclaimed in 1999 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), is the occasion to celebrate linguistic diversity.
STATEMENT: FORMER PRESIDENT FW DE KLERK ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NELSON MANDELA’S RELEASE FROM PRISON
11 February 1990 was certainly one of the turning points in South Africa’s modern history.
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STATEMENT: CONGRATULATIONS AND “STERKTE” MR PRESIDENT!
The FW de Klerk Foundation wishes to congratulate Mr Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa on being elected unopposed as President of the Republic of South Africa. We have, in the beginning of his tenure as President, often stated that we will support him in his endeavours to re-instate clean government, eradicate State capture and corruption, and rejuvenate the economy. We have also stated that in this, we will watch him closely.
We therefore welcome his first statements after his election as President, inter alia that he will serve all the people of South Africa, and not just the ANC; that he will (as Madiba), not lose touch with the needs of ordinary South Africans, and that he will collaborate constructively with leaders of opposition parties to find and implement solutions for our predicament. These are the words of a statesman and stand in stark contrast to the views and actions of his predecessor.
ARTICLE: POST 2019 ELECTIONS: TIME FOR ELECTORAL REFORM AND DUSTING OFF THE VAN ZYL SLABBERT REPORT
In the aftermath of a highly-contested national and provincial election, questions must be asked why only 65.99% of registered voters turned out to vote, compared with 89.3% in 1999. There might be many factors contributing to this low turnout, such as voter disillusionment following State capture, corruption, lack of accountability and an ailing economy. However, there are other possible explanations: it may be that voters do not feel that they are properly represented by the people who sit in Parliament; and that Parliament has simply become a rubber stamp in the hands of the Executive.
The real problem may be the lack of a proper relationship between voters and their representatives in Parliament – the root of which, may lie in our electoral system itself.
ARTICLE: IS CYRIL WINNING? FACTORS IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE NEW CABINET
On 22 May, Cyril Ramaphosa will be elected by the National Assembly as President of democratic South Africa, with his inauguration on May 25. According to available information, the Cabinet will be announced on 27 May.
It is therefore too early to speculate on exactly who will be included in the Cabinet and who not. The lists currently doing the rounds have probably been released by various factions to determine which way the wind is blowing – and perhaps influence the wind’s direction.
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