FW de Klerk Foundation

On 12 July, the FW de Klerk Foundation, in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa, held a compelling conference on the Coalition Government in Johannesburg.

The conference looked at the opportunities and challenges the coalition government faces from different angles - economic, political, international etc.

The Foundation wishes to express its gratitude to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, guest speakers, panellists and attendees for making this event a success.

Visit bit.ly/4fdkDna to learn more.

The FW de Klerk Foundation is currently accepting applications from local and international students (and graduates) of law, political science, sociology and economics for both the Constitutional Rights and the Constitutional Advancement internship programmes.

The Foundation's internship programmes allow students to gain significant exposure to the workings of a constitutional advocacy NGO and allows them to further develop their writing skills.

Visit bit.ly/3Wr7Lm7 to learn more about the Foundation's internship programmes.

Yesterday, 17 July, Christo van der Rheede (the FW de Klerk Foundation's Executive Director) spoke to pupils of Hoërskool Martin Oosthuizen about teamwork.

Image ©️ Hoërskool Martin Oosthuizen

In recognition of Mandela Day, Christo van der Rheede (Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation) penned the article "A South African case study for international dialogue and solidarity for justice and lasting peace" for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's New York Office.

Within the article, Christo highlights lessons from the Roman Empire, the British Empire, Mandela's legacy, and FW de Klerk's legacy, while also outlining the importance of championing South Africa's Constitution and the hope the government of national unity (GNU) has inspired.

Visit bit.ly/3WcpgoM to read the article.

Christo van de Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, discusses the need for national dialogue (called the new "CODESA" by some) and what the outcomes and aims of such an initiative should be in a conversation with RSG.

Visit bit.ly/3LwkqO9 to listen to the conversation.

Our highly-anticipated conference on the Coalition Government, held in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa, will be kicking off at 10:00 today!

Visit bit.ly/3zxNcLX to join the live stream and learn from the all-star lineup of expert speakers.

We can't wait to learn from the incredible lineup of expert speakers at the FW de Klerk Foundation Conference on the Coalition Government on Friday!

Presented in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa, the Conference will, along with individual presentations, include a panel discussion facilitated by Prof JJ Tabane.

Prof Theo Venter, Prof Chris Landsberg, Prof William Gumede, Prof Dirk Kotze & Christo van der Rheede will take part in the panel and discuss strategies for effective coalition governance to make the Constitution a lived reality for all South Africans.

Join us virtually by visiting bit.ly/3zxNcLX to save the live stream link.

Yesterday, Christo van der Rheede, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Executive Director, shared his thoughts on the state of South Africa's political economy with MBA students and academic staff at a think tank formed as a part of the MBA winter study school of the NWU - North-West University Business School.

Christo touched on a number of aspects of South Africa's economy including: The fiscal issues cemented in state expenditure surpassing state income; the prioritisation of social expenditure over economic expenditure resulting in poor service delivery; as well as South Africa's dual economy with one of the highest and most persistent inequality rates in the world.

Christo also recognised the 2024 elections and the establishment of a government of national unity as a potential catalyst for positive change. He stated, "New ministers and deputy ministers can bring about positive change. However, the path ahead remains a politically challenging one and is critically dependent on productive conflict resolution mechanisms to resolve disputes between GNU members in order to positively affect the government's ability to deliver on socio economic challenges."

Christo went further to say, "South Africa can no longer afford factionalism, corruption, low economic growth, high unemployment and all the social ills that arise from it. Failing to focus on the task at hand of turning around the fortunes of the country will set us on a path of demise, similar to that of the Roman empire. Sleaze politics must make way for clean politics."

To end off his presentation, Christo called on South Africans to take hold of our country's future by being active citizens. He stated, "As the public we must take co-responsibility for our democratic future. Continuing to abscond our responsibility is a mistake, which we can ill-afford to repeat. The next five years of GNU rule will be make or break for South Africa."

The programme for the Coalition Government Conference, hosted by the FW de Klerk Foundation in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa, is teeming with a host of brilliant speakers…

Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, an author, broadcaster, podcaster and lecturer in the International Relations Department at the University of Witwatersrand, will begin the presentations by sharing his thoughts on the election results and the voter dynamics facing the coalition government.

Following Dr Mpofu-Walsh, Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), will discuss the economic dynamics facing the coalition government and the steps the government must take.

Prof Chris Landsberg, South African National NRF Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy and Senior Associate at the School of Leadership at the University of Johannesburg, will then take centre stage to discuss international dynamics facing the coalition government and the impact of foreign policy.

Following Prof Landsberg’s presentation, Prof William Gumede, Chair of Multi-Party Charter For South Africa (formerly known as the Moonshot Pact), will share his thoughts on the domestic dynamics facing the coalition government.

Closing off the individual expert presentations, Prof Dirk Kotzé, Professor of Political Sciences at UNISA, will explore the opportunities faced by the coalition government in making the Constitution a lived reality for all South Africans.

Visit bit.ly/4eRd9Gn to view the Conference programme and bit.ly/3zxNcLX to save the live stream link for Friday!

Jan de Klerk, the son of President FW de Klerk, passed away on Saturday, 6 July 2024.

We would like to express our deepest condolences to his children, FW and Christelle, his sister Susan and to Elita de Klerk. You are in our prayers.

The FW de Klerk Foundation’s Coalition Government Conference, presented in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa, will take place in Johannesburg this Friday.

In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the Foundation’s Constitutional Programmes team launched their election series which aimed to provide insight into the intricate fabric of South Africa’s democracy.

Within the election series, the Constitutional Programmes analysed the constitutionality of political parties’ manifestos and conduct respectively. They also assessed electoral laws, the global rise of authoritarianism, the importance of cybersecurity in an AI-powered world, the possibility of the creation of a government of constitutional unity and recently welcomed President Ramaphosa’s announcement of the Government of National Unity.

As Christo van der Rheede stated, “We believe the Government of National Unity (GNU), because it is founded on respect for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights in its entirety, a united South Africa and the rule of law, is set up for success.”

Thus, it is only appropriate that we bring together experts from different fields to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by the coalition government in making our constitutional democracy a reality for all South Africans.

Visit bit.ly/4eRd9Gn to view the Conference programme, bit.ly/3zxNcLX to save the live stream link and bit.ly/4bgV0zs to read the Foundation’s election series.

The FW de Klerk Foundation welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the new Cabinet.

“The formation of the new Cabinet, under President Ramaphosa’s leadership, reflects a commitment to collaboration and the Constitution’s principles. The role of the Cabinet is to work together to approve governmental policies, ensure they align with national priorities and laws and monitor their implementation across the various ministries. This Cabinet formation acts as a crucial step in ensuring that the Government addresses the needs of all South Africans,” said Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Visit bit.ly/3VQmy8x to read the Foundation's full statement.

THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION WELCOMES THE NEW CABINET ANNOUNCEMENT BY PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA - FW de Klerk Foundation The FW de Klerk Foundation welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the new Cabinet.

This week, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Constitutional Programmes team attended the CRL Rights Commission’s 5th National Consultative Conference.

“The Foundation welcomes the raising of the issue of neglect of indigenous languages, especially in education, across the board, including by the COGTA Department’s Director-General, Mashwahle Diphofa,” says Ismail Joosub, Legal Officer of Constitutional Programmes at the Foundation.

"The Foundation calls upon the Commission to ensure that all official languages enjoy parity of esteem and are treated equitably,” says Daniela Ellerbeck, Manager of Constitutional Programmes at the Foundation.

Visit bit.ly/3W0lr7m to learn the other team takeaways from the Conference.

FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION AT CRL NCC NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL: HIGHLIGHTING LANGUAGE ELITISM - FW de Klerk Foundation The FW de Klerk Foundation Constitutional Programmes team is pleased to be in attendance at the CRL Rights Commission’s 5th National Consultative Conference.

In 2011, FW de Klerk and Thabo Mbeki were interviewed by Christian Lunde at the Oslo Center.

During the interview (and the subsequent question and answer segment), both Presidents discussed constitutional negotiations, efforts to facilitate change in Zimbabwe and South Sudan, governmental redistribution promises and results, as well as the origin of the “one man, one vote” policy and how sanctions affected change in South Africa before 1994.

Visit bit.ly/3VW0RoB to watch the interview.

Group interview with Mr. Lunde, Mr. De Klerk and Mr. Mbeki Frederik Willem de Klerk (born 18 March 1936), often known as F. W. de Klerk, was the seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving...

In our latest episode of The Constitution@Work, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Constitutional Programmes Team discusses the Government of National Unity with Prof Willem Fourie, who leads the Policy Innovation Lab at Stellenbosch University.

Visit bit.ly/3zl3MOY to watch the episode.

The Constitution@Work Presents: The Government of National Unity In this episode of The Constitution@Work, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Constitutional Programmes Team - Daniela Ellerbeck, Manager of Constitutional Programm...

In this article, the Foundation's Legal Officer, Ismail Joosub, looks at why formal coalition agreements are necessary in Government.

"As the country navigates through political instability and fragmented governance, formalising these agreements becomes crucial for ensuring stable and effective administration."

Visit bit.ly/3xkM3GL to learn more.

THE IMPERATIVE OF FORMALISING COALITION AGREEMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA - FW de Klerk Foundation Ismail Joosub takes a look at why South Africa’s coalition governments have been unstable. It also looks at the legislative efforts aimed at formalising these agreements and the necessity of detailed coalition agreements to secure coherent policy implementation.

The ANC has laid out specific conditions for political parties to join its Government of National Unity.

In this article, the Foundation's Legal Officer, Ismail Joosub, explores how numerous parties (including the DA, IFP, Rise Mzansi, Patriotic Alliance, EFF and MK) responded to the ANC’s conditions.

Visit bit.ly/3VwEIvH to learn more.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL PARTY POSITIONS GOING INTO A GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY - FW de Klerk Foundation The ANC has laid out specific conditions for political parties interested in joining its GNU. Ismail Joosub explores how numerous parties have responded to the ANC’s conditions.

With the government of national unity talks in progress, the FW de Klerk Foundation advocates for the inclusion of the Patriotic Alliance.

This comes amid clashes between the DA and ANC over the interpretation of the GNU agreement. Helen Zille, in an interview with the SABC on Tuesday evening, commented that the DA had not been informed about the inclusion of the PA.

Christo van der Rheede, CEO of the Foundation, says that including the PA will provide a voice for the marginalised coloured community, which frequently feels left out from political decision-making that affects them directly.

Visit bit.ly/4bdFPGn to watch the interview.

"The emergence of AI-generated deepfakes poses grave risk to democracies, where voters hold the power."

In this article, one of the Foundation's interns, Shaun Kinnes, examines the importance of cybersecurity in the context of safeguarding democracy and ensuring free and fair elections.

Visit bit.ly/3xsmWld to read the article.

Also, visit bit.ly/3V7rZzs to support the work of the FW de Klerk Foundation - Making our constitutional democracy a reality for all South Africans!

CYBERSECURITY AND THE CHANGING ELECTORAL LANDSCAPE - FW de Klerk Foundation Shaun Kinnes examines the importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding voter data, ensuring confidence in the integrity of the election process and that voter perceptions are not externally manipulated.

In this article, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Constitutional Programmes team discuss municipalities (South Africa's form of local government). The article examines how the three spheres of government cooperate, how municipal councils are elected and composed, as well as coalitions' track records of service delivery in certain areas.

Visit bit.ly/4exnoPN to learn more.

COALITIONS IN FOCUS: LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE IN SOUTH AFRICA - FW de Klerk Foundation Daniela Ellerbeck and Ismail Joosub discuss South Africa's form of local government (municipalities) and how municipal councils are elected and composed, with consideration of the Constitution, the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, as well as coalitions' track record of service deliv...

South Africa’s 2024 General Elections have been marked as one of the most vital and controversial elections since the 1994 election that ushered in South Africa’s new dawn of democracy and freedom.

Not only were the elections hotly contested, but they were the first to feature independent candidates.

The inclusion of the independent candidates on the ballot increased representation and had the potential to increase accountability and civil society activity.

Visit bit.ly/4ciaBPC to learn more about independent candidate participation in the elections and the results.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES AND SOUTH AFRICA’S 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS - FW de Klerk Foundation South Africa’s 2024 General Elections have been marked as one of the most vital and controversial elections since the 1994 election that ushered in South Africa’s new dawn of democracy and freedom. Not only was the election hotly contested, but it was the first to feature independent candidates.

Christo van der Rheede, the FW de Klerk Foundation's Executive Director, discusses how the citizenry can take ownership of South Africa's democracy in an interview with Freek Robinson, at LitNet.

Throughout the discussion van der Rheede emphasises the importance of national dialogue for impact and participatory democracy at a local, provincial and national level.

Visit bit.ly/3zbG07V to watch the interview.

Also, visit bit.ly/3V7rZzs to support the work of the FW de Klerk Foundation - Making our constitutional democracy a reality for all South Africans!

The FW de Klerk Foundation congratulates President Cyril Ramaphosa on his inauguration as the President of South Africa today.

“The FW de Klerk Foundation wishes President Cyril Ramaphosa all the best with his term in office. We believe the Government of National Unity (“GNU”), because it is founded on respect for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights in its entirety, a united South Africa and the rule of law, is set up for success. The Foundation maintains that to safeguard our nation’s democracy, what is needed is a broad coalition of all parties loyal to the Constitution and committed to the Bill of Rights,” says Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Visit bit.ly/3ziOo5p to read the full statement.

THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ON HIS INAUGURATION, WISHES HIM WELL FOR ACHIEVING GNU’S BASIC MINIMUM PROGRAMME OF PRIORITIES - FW de Klerk Foundation The FW de Klerk Foundation congratulates President Cyril Ramaphosa on his inauguration as the President of South Africa today.

Elita de Klerk, Graça Machel and Josina Machel sit amongst the guests at the Union Buildings, in Pretoria, ahead of the President's inauguration, today.

The inauguration is set to be a prestigious event and a marker of renewed commitment by those democratically elected to serve the South African people.