THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION 2024 REPORT CARD ON CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND LANGUAGE RIGHTS

Issued by the FW de Klerk Foundation on 24/09/2024

In South Africa, September is celebrated as being Heritage Month, with Heritage Day on 24 September being an annual holiday. The FW de Klerk Foundation, in celebration of 2024 National Heritage Month and the diverse cultures, beliefs and languages that make up South Africa, assessed the health of these constitutionally enshrined rights in its Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Report Card (“the Report Card”). This report card is published annually on Heritage Day and is aimed at assessing how we, as a nation, are doing in protecting and promoting our diversity by looking at both positive and negative developments in realising the various cultural, religious and linguistic rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The Report Card assed the following constitutional rights:

Languages:

  • Section 6 (1) – Official Languages
  • Section 6 (2) – Development of Indigenous Languages
  • Section 6 (3)– Use of Official Languages by the State (i.e. Local, National and Provincial Governments)
  • Section 6 (4) – Regulation of Official Languages and Parity of Esteem
  • Section 6 (5) – The Pan-South African Language Board
  • Section 29 (2) – Education in the Official Language of Choice

 

Religious Freedom:

  • Section 15 – Freedom of Conscience, Religion, Thought, Belief and Opinion

 

Culture:

  • Section 18 – Freedom of Association
  • Section 30 – The Right to Use the Language and Participate in the Culture of Choice
  • Section 31 – The Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities
  • Section 185 – Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities
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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.

Read the full Report Card here.

The FW de Klerk Foundation Annual Conference

The FW de Klerk Foundation Annual Conference – hosted in conjunction with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – took place on 31 January 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is: “South Africa’s Position in the World Today”.
 

 Esteemed speakers include Ambassador Andreas Peschke (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany); Magda Wierzycka (CEO of Sygnia); Dr Harlan Cloete (Local Governance and Public Leadership – Research Fellow) and Johan “Rassie” Erasmus (Springbok Coach).