The Solidarity Movement is deeply concerned that the American government’s growing frustration with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC could result in further punitive tariffs against South Africa.
During the Solidarity Movement’s recent visit to Washington, it became evident that there is growing frustration within the US government over South Africa’s lack of political will to reach an agreement. This is despite claims that apparent progress is being made in negotiations.
While the Solidarity Movement, of which AfriForum and Solidarity form part, is doing everything in its power to restore diplomatic and bilateral relations with the US, the ANC continues its attacks on the world’s largest economy. The Solidarity Movement warns that this could have disastrous consequences for South Africa and its citizens.
“Our country is bleeding. A wave of retrenchments has already hit South Africa, and we cannot dismiss this as mere statistics: these are people losing their jobs and homes; these are children going to bed hungry. We simply cannot afford further damage to our economy,” said Flip Buys, Chairperson of the Solidarity Movement.
The local economy has already suffered severe damage since the US imposed 30% trade tariffs against South Africa in August this year. This will only worsen if a positive trade agreement with the US is not reached urgently.
According to Buys, it is also highly reckless of the ANC to actively antagonise the US, which is South Africa’s second largest trading partner.
“As the world’s largest economy, it is irresponsible for any country not to maintain excellent bilateral relations with the United States. As ANC president, Ramaphosa has attempted to shift the blame for the current diplomatic crisis with the US. The harsh reality, however, is that the ANC itself has solely caused this crisis and the resulting economic harm,” said Buys.
When the US first announced tariffs on 2 April 2025, the ANC-led government took more than a month before beginning to engage with the US. After disastrous talks, the ANC simply ignored the problem.
President Ramaphosa’s conduct at the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the end of last month certainly did not win South Africa any favour either. During his address, he claimed that “…trade is now being used as a weapon against various countries in the world” and that “…geopolitical shocks and unprecedented trade policy” are destabilising the world economy.
That UN meeting was precisely the platform where negotiations towards an agreement should have taken place. Instead of holding constructive sideline talks, the president further criticised the US from the podium. Although he did not mention President Trump by name, his comments were clearly directed at Trump’s tariffs.
The Solidarity Movement remains willing to assist the South African government in efforts to secure a positive trade agreement. The organisation has now sent an urgent letter to President Ramaphosa, once again offering its assistance to help facilitate such an agreement with the US.
“From our initial talks with the American administration, the Solidarity Movement has aimed to repair the diplomatic and economic damage caused by the ANC over decades,” said Buys.
“In this regard, we have repeatedly reached out to the ANC-led government to work together. These efforts have consistently been rejected and met with intimidation and radical racial rhetoric.
“The ANC may not need a trade agreement with the US, but South Africa certainly does. Because we love our country, we are once again reaching out to the government to try and facilitate a positive trade agreement with the United States.”
The Solidarity Movement expresses its deepest condolences following the tragic assassination of the conservative American political activist, Charlie Kirk (31).
Charlie, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Turning Point USA, an influential conservative youth organisation, was shot and killed on stage during an event at Utah Valley University.
We extend our sincere and heartfelt sympathy to his family, friends, and all who loved him. Millions of people around the world are mourning this unexpected and tragic loss.
Charlie was a friend of the Afrikaner – a strong advocate for cooperation, dialogue, and political engagement. In this dark time, we are reminded of how precious political tolerance is; that differences must be treated with respect, and that a peaceful society should never be taken for granted.
May his family find comfort and strength and may we all continue to build on the example of tolerance and humanity that Charlie stood for.
The Solidarity Movement stands united with all those who are mourning in this difficult time.
While the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum and Solidarity believe, in principle, in engagement and dialogue, it is clear that the so-called National Dialogue has been hijacked by the ANC. Therefore, these organisations will not participate in the first conference of the National Dialogue on Friday. The institutions also support organisations such as the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, which has taken the same decision.
According to Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, national discussions to find solutions to the country’s pressing crises are essential, but all indications are that the National Dialogue at this stage will result in yet more fruitless discussions instead of action.
“The reason is that it appears that the ANC wants to hijack the intended National Dialogue to try to win back lost support, rather than to find answers to the crises,” says Buys.
“That is why the Solidarity Movement supports the various foundations that have decided not to attend the dialogue on Friday, and we will also not be there. There is no sense in placing the party responsible for the country’s decline in charge of a National Dialogue.”
Buys says the ANC is now emphasising the necessity of participating in the National Dialogue, while over the past decades the party has not been willing to engage in good faith with other stakeholders or listen to their proposals.
“The experience is that the ANC would rather conduct an ANC monologue than participate in national dialogues. The ANC has dominated all previous talks, using them merely as forums to try to sell its policies, rather than forums where they could listen to suggestions on how to adapt their unworkable policies. In addition, agreements that were reached have often been broken shortly thereafter by the ANC, only for them to stumble along alone in its socialist dead-end street, dragging the country along with it.”
Buys says the Solidarity Movement will therefore adopt a wait-and-see approach to the National Dialogue.
“We are too busy trying to address the consequences of failed ANC policies, and do not have the time to listen to their outdated blame politics and a repetition of unimaginative ideas for weeks and months on end. Our experience is that ‘community dialogues’ can bear more fruit than a state dialogue, and that discussions between communities yield more practical results. That is why we plan, in co-operation with other cultural communities, to submit a position on the country’s pressing issues to the National Dialogue, but we will not participate on Friday.”
The ANC has in the meantime given no indication that it intends to reconsider failed policy directions. The clearest signs are that since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), it continues to govern as if it is alone in power, and that it would rather make the country a target of US sanctions than implement policy adjustments in the national interest.
“The country needs new and fresh ideas because the old ANC ideas have failed, and it will be of no use to simply recycle them. Millions of people have suffered long enough under the ANC’s leadership,” says Buys.
People want to talk about a different dispensation
Dr Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity, says the National Dialogue has become a state dialogue, because the government is not genuinely willing to take part in an open dialogue but is pursuing its own agenda.
“People talk at workplaces, around the braai, at sporting events, and in churches about a yearning for a different dispensation. The state hears this and wants to hijack that spontaneous community dialogue.
“It was conceived in the Union Buildings by the President. The moment that happened, the National Dialogue was stillborn.”
According to Hermann, the need for dialogue came from the community itself.
“Some of the foundations were central to it. It is precisely because of a deep rift with the government that people want to talk about a different kind of dispensation. The government feels threatened by this type of dialogue and has decided to hijack it,” says Hermann.
He emphasises that the institutions’ non-participation in the National Dialogue is not against dialogue, but for dialogue.
“The voice of the people cannot be silenced by trying to regulate it. Solidarity and the broader Solidarity Movement welcomes dialogue. We will talk to trade unions, foundations, cultural communities, and other civil society organisations. We will talk about the wider community’s frustration with the ANC-led government, and our discussions will not be hijacked. We will participate in community dialogue, but not state dialogue,” says Hermann.
ANC cannot be trusted with the process
Kallie Kriel, chief executive of AfriForum, says the crisis the country is currently in is due to the ANC’s failed policy directions, mismanagement, and corruption.
“They are the cause of the problems, and therefore they cannot be trusted to lead the process of finding solutions.”
Kriel emphasises that president Cyril Ramaphosa and his ANC-led government’s hijacking of the preparations for the National Dialogue has resulted in the dialogue degenerating into a government-driven national monologue.
Kriel further says the presidency’s ignoring of the justified concerns of the various former leaders’ foundations about the state’s hijacking of the talks is an indication that there is no interest in genuine dialogue, but that the intended talks are merely meant to serve as a platform for the president and the ANC’s political agenda.
“If the presidency is not serious about the necessity of genuine dialogue with communities, that does not mean that AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement are also not serious about it.
“We are, in fact, serious about dialogue, and that is why AfriForum has accelerated its existing programme of concluding agreements with numerous cultural communities. This effort has already led to meaningful dialogue between communities, which has brought about practical agricultural and other projects at grassroots level,” says Kriel.
“It is essential that we talk to find solutions. AfriForum therefore emphasises that the National Dialogue should shift from a state-driven process to a citizen-driven process. In the meantime, we are proceeding at full steam with discussions with other cultural communities for genuine dialogue, as well as for joint projects.”
Buys further says that it is urgently necessary for sincere discussions on national issues to take place and to lead to agreements and the essential reforms needed to prevent a slide towards a Zimbabwe-scenario.
“The ANC is responsible for most of the crises and cannot solve them alone. Therefore, we are prepared, in the national interest, to talk together about solutions, but it must not be an ANC-led process that will simply end up in another cul-de-sac. Our children deserve better,” concludes Buys.
Political considerations outweigh economic factors when it comes to US tariffs. Senior ANC leaders such as Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary-General, and Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, continue to hurl insults at the US instead of working to strengthen diplomatic relations.
This despite clear warnings from US leaders that “you’re not going to insult America for free”.
Their overt political animosity towards the US government is deepening South Africa’s economic woes and driving up unemployment. Their efforts to solve the ANC’s political problems are poised to lead to economic crises that will mostly affect their voters.
Meanwhile, the ANC refuses to take the US’s insistence on necessary political reforms seriously and treats it simply as an economic issue.
The ANC is clearly stuck in the Cold War era. They continue to cling to the anti-Western political policies and alliances of the past, despite the economic crisis they are causing.
Their narrow-minded racial policy is much more about their historical anti-Western stance than about redress. Their hostility extends to bullying white citizens of South Africa as part of their deep-seated resentment at the West.
The ANC is trying in vain to resist the winds of change, clinging to the illusion that they are still the darling of the world. That is why they are constantly and unnecessarily picking fights with a superpower. This approach is bound to have grave consequences, and they will be dragged kicking and screaming into the future.
Sooner or later, the ANC will realise: The past will not return, the present cannot be ignored, and the future will not fix itself.
The Solidarity Movement believes that national discussions to find solutions to the country’s pressing crises are essential, but it seems as if the National Dialogue will only result in even more useless discussions instead of action. The reason for this is that it appears that the ANC wants to hijack the intended National Dialogue to try to win back lost support, rather than find answers to the crises.
At present, the ANC is very vocal about the necessity to participate in the National Dialogue, but over the past number of decades it has not been willing hold discussions with other stakeholders in good faith and to listen to their proposals. The experience is that the ANC would rather conduct an ANC monologue than participate in national dialogues.
The ANC has dominated all previous discussions, using them merely as forums to try to sell its policies, rather than forums where they could listen to proposals on how to adjust their unworkable policies.
Added to this is the experience that agreements that had been reached were broken by the ANC shortly afterwards, only for them to continue staggering forward alone on their socialist road to nowhere while dragging the country along with them.
Therefore, the Solidarity Movement will take a wait-and-see approach to the National Dialogue. We are too busy with work to try to address the consequences of failed ANC policies, and we do not have the time to listen for weeks and months on end to their outmoded blame politics and a repetition of unimaginative ideas.
Our experience is that “community dialogues” yield more fruit than a state dialogue, and that discussions between communities produce more practical results.
Therefore, in collaboration with other cultural communities, we plan to submit a position paper on the country’s pressing issues to the National Dialogue, and initially only send an observer to the Dialogue before we decide on participation.
The ANC has not yet given any indication that it will reconsider failed policies. The best indications are that since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), it has continued to act as if it were ruling alone, and that it would rather make the country the target of U.S. sanctions than make policy adjustments in the national interest. The country needs new and fresh ideas because the old ANC ideas have failed, and it will be of no use to simply recirculate these ideas. Millions of people have suffered long enough under the ANC’s leadership.
National Health Insurance (NHI), under state control, is proposed as the single purchaser of all healthcare in South Africa. One of the most notable problems with this proposition is that as soon as a specific service is covered by the NHI, it would become illegal to receive it through any means other than the NHI. The state would therefore not just be the single purchaser, but would effectively control which health services would be available in South Africa, as well as how and by whom those services may be provided.
In June last year the National Assembly agreed to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill making provision for the introduction of the NHI, and in December the Bill was also approved by the National Council of Provinces. Weeks before the national election in May 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill into law. This Act sets out to offer “free” healthcare to all citizens, including expensive medical procedures currently done in private hospitals. Although it seems like a noble notion, it is however important to note that the free healthcare the government already provides in state hospitals and clinics is already unsustainable and these facilities are in unthinkably awful conditions. The NHI is an unaffordable attempt from the state which would drastically cut the income of its citizens, as it would be mainly funded by a very small number of taxpayers.
The Minister of Finance did not budget for a reasonable amount for the implementation of the NHI, which implies that the Treasury does not foresee the actual implementation of the NHI in the near future. This was also the case with the previous submissions of the Bill, and now, with the Bill having been passed, the officials concerned still did not provide for this constitutional requirement.
Even so, the funding structure proposed in the NHI Bill makes provision for a new payroll tax, as well as for a surcharge on income tax. This is in addition to general tax revenue and a planned re-allocation of provincial budgets and conditional allocations, as well as from tax credits for medical schemes.
If the government projections made at that time are to be believed, the NHI will result in the budget deficit being further increased by about R32 billion. A more realistic calculation, as shown in a research report by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), shows a deficit of R295,93 billion as an absolute minimum. Treasury cannot afford a deficit of R32 billion, let alone a deficit of R295,93 billion.
Theoretically, R295,93 billion could be generated by abolishing the medical tax credit (about R30 billion) and levying the following taxes:
A 40% surcharge on income tax;
Increasing VAT from 15% to 22%;
A payroll tax of 13,4%;
Increasing corporate income tax from 27% to 45%; and
A combination of these.
In real terms, none of these is possible, because the South African taxpayer is overtaxed.
The theoretical examples given here above serve as illustration purposes only and to demonstrate the absurdity of the NHI.
The National Health Act and a victory in court
On 24 June 2024 Solidarity managed to have one of the major cornerstones of the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) pulled down by means of its legal action when the North Gauteng High Court declared sections 36 to 40 of the National Health Act unconstitutional. The court also granted a cost award against the respondents.
According to Solidarity, the state’s goal with these sections in the National Health Act clearly was to pave the way for the NHI.
“The government wants to change to a system in which health care is nationalised and health care practitioners become servants of the state so that the provision of all health care can be centrally controlled by the state. This victory thwarts those disastrous plans,” Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann said.
Sections 36 to 40 of the National Health Act provide that health care practitioners obtain a certificate of need (CoN) from the Department of Health before they can establish a practice in a specific area.
By declaring these sections unconstitutional, this court ruling will have an impact on the implementation of the NHI Act and will complicate the processes to implement it.
After the court ruling by the North Gauteng High Court, the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, denied that the ruling on the National Health Act made the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act vulnerable, denying any connection with the NHI Act while accusing pressure groups of spreading “toxic propaganda”.
However, his own department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, was quoted on multiple occasions in the past, reaching this exact conclusion that the two are connected when the sections were first declared invalid in 2022.
“The ruling has serious implications for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), and the Department of Health will request that the ruling be overturned and will contest the case in the Constitutional Court,” Mohale said at the time.
Hermann says that the government does not have a track record of “doing the right thing,” and Solidarity will therefore be ready to continue the fight in court.
What are the implications of the NHI for South Africa?
Dr Eugene Brink, strategic advisor for community affairs at AfriForum, also explored the implications of National Health Insurance in an article published on Solidarity’s platform. He writes that the NHI could be very dangerous if ever fully implemented.
In his article he quotes Bloom Financial Services, which stated that the NHI would destroy comprehensive medical schemes. “Once implemented, medical schemes won’t be able to offer any health services already offered by the NHI. Medical aid will only offer you extra services not covered by the NHI.”
Brink also pointed out that all healthcare funds would be centralised (actually nationalised) in a single state-controlled fund. Given what the government as curator of tax money has caused as a result of blatant corruption and abuse, this is a chilling thought.
The medical aid fund Discovery offers further criticism in this regard, also quoted in Brink’s article: “Our strong view is that limiting the role of medical schemes would be counterproductive to the NHI because there are simply insufficient resources to meet the needs of all South Africans. Limiting people from purchasing the medical scheme coverage they seek will seriously curtail the healthcare they expect and demand. It poses the risks of eroding sentiment and of denuding the country of critically needed skills, and is impacting negatively on local and international investor sentiment and business confidence.”
Brink also refers to Prof. Nicola Theron and Dr Paula Armstrong of FTI Consulting who recently wrote that to insist that the only path to universal healthcare (UHC) is through a single pool of funds managed by the government and the erosion of the role of medical schemes as purchasers of medical services would probably contribute to the demise of a strong and well-functioning private healthcare section. It narrows consumer choice, erodes competition and may even lead to the same outcomes as recent examples of what has become of state-owned enterprises and funds. Read the full article here.
The National Health Insurance Act would be very dangerous is fully implemented
No end in sight for the fight against the NHI yet
“Solidarity is vehemently opposed to the NHI and is strongly in favour of a market approach, offering a choice to private service providers and to the public, while at the same time being in favour of an improved public healthcare system. NHI will ruin South Africa and Solidarity is preparing for a major court battle to ensure that the healthcare sector is free, safe and prosperous,” Brink concluded his article.
Die Solidariteit Beweging het ’n reeks skerp uitsprake gister deur die voorsitter van die Afrika-subkomitee in die Amerikaanse kongres in Washington DC, verwelkom. John James, ’n swart Republikein van Michigan, het tydens ’n openbare verhoor oor die verhouding tussen Suid-Afrika en die VSA gesê dat Suid-Afrika onder die ANC-regering in ’n slegte spiraal van korrupsie, staatskaping en toenemende regeringsafhanklikheid verval het en dat daar van die waardes wat in die 1990’s deur die ANC-regering voorgehou is, wegbeweeg is.
Die Solidariteit Beweging het verlede week tydens ’n besoek aan Washington verskeie dokumente aan James se beleidshoof oorhandig. Dit sluit in dokumente oor staatskaping, die voorgenome onteiening sonder vergoeding, sentralisering van mag, asook misdaadsyfers, insluitende dié van plaasmoorde. Volgens Werner Human, operasionele hoof van die Beweging, is verskeie van die Beweging se argumente tydens gister se verhore deur James en sy mede-kongreslede gebruik. “Dit is vir ons duidelik dat ’n baie sterk stem teen die ANC se misbruik van mag in die Amerikaanse kongres na vore tree. Ons verwelkom dit.”
Die Solidariteit Beweging is tans op ’n uitgebreide besoek aan die VSA waartydens inligting oor gebeure in Suid-Afrika aan beleidsmakers beskikbaar gestel word, asook konkrete voorstelle oor wat die VSA kan doen om die oppergesag van die reg in Suid-Afrika te help beskerm, en wat gedoen kan word om Suid-Afrika se toenemende sentralistiese en anti-Westerse beleidsrigtings te help stuit. Volgens Jaco Kleynhans, hoof van internasionale skakeling by die Solidariteit Beweging, is daar die afgelope maande voortdurend met lede van die Amerikaanse kongres, sowel as politici in verskeie Amerikaanse deelstate, hieroor geskakel.
“Ons verwag dat die druk op die ANC-regering oor die volgende maande wesenlik gaan toeneem. Terwyl gister se verhoor in Washington ʼn voorsmakie daarvan gebied het, verwag ons ook dat politici in verskeie deelstate binnekort sterk standpunt gaan inneem teen die sentralisasie van mag deur die ANC, nuwe diskriminasie teen minderhede in Suid-Afrika, die voortdurende staatskaping en korrupsie deur die ANC, die EFF en sommige ANC-politici se rassistiese retoriek asook teen die regering se beleid wat pro-China en pro-Rusland is en wat toenemend ook ʼn anti-Westerse kleurtjie kry.”
James was veral krities oor die ANC se beplande wetgewing oor onteiening sonder vergoeding en die agteruitgang van demokrasie in Suid-Afrika. “Geen land ter wêreld het demokraties gebly nadat weggedoen is met die bevolking se regte op privaat eiendom nie en ek bly bekommerd oor die ANC se wegdrywing van demokrasie en konstitusionele heerskappy, veral in die lig van die Verkiesingswysigingswet wat in April bekragtig is – wetgewing wat die fundamentele demokratiese beginsel van proporsionele verteenwoordiging ondermyn.”
Volgens Human het die Solidariteit Beweging verlede week sowel die voorgestelde wysiging van artikel 25 van die Grondwet, die sogenaamde eiendomsklousule, as die Onteieningswetsontwerp aan James se beleidshoof oorhandig. “Suid-Afrika, as ʼn veronderstelde grondwetlike demokrasie, het privaat eiendomsreg in 1996 in die Grondwet verskans, met ʼn noodsaaklike klousule wat bepaal dat geen eiendom sonder vergoeding onteien mag word nie. Die ANC is nou vasbeslote om dit te verander, en die roete van Venezuela en andere te volg om die demokratiese imperatief van eiendomsreg omver te werp. Die wetsontwerp oor die grondwetwysiging is hierby aangeheg. Ná ʼn eerste ronde van openbare verhore en insette het die proses tot ʼn stilstand gekom. Die kwessie kan egter op enige tydstip weer opvlam,” aldus Human.
Volgens Kleynhans beplan die Solidariteit Beweging om Suid-Afrika se beleidsrigting oor die volgende paar maande deur omvattende druk uit die VSA in die regte rigting te help stuur. “Ons het vandag weer ʼn beroep op politici gedoen om nie gewone mense in Suid-Afrika deur strenger handelsbeperkings en soortgelyke maatreëls te straf nie, maar om die ANC se korrupsie, wanbestuur, diskriminasie en ideologies-gedrewe buitelandse beleid feller te kritiseer en die ANC-regering verder te isoleer. Ons werk ook aan ʼn omvattende plan om steun in die VSA vir die burgerlike samelewing in Suid-Afrika te werf. Gister se verhoor in Washington help om momentum hiervoor te skep.”
’n Afvaardiging van die Solidariteit Beweging het gister en vandag in die Amerikaanse hoofstad, Washington DC, samesprekings gevoer met verteenwoordigers van die Buitelandse Sake-komitees van die Amerikaanse Senaat en Huis van Verteenwoordigers. Die Beweging het ’n versoek aan Amerikaanse politici gerig om Suid-Afrika se voortgesette deelname aan AGOA te steun, terwyl die komitee ook versoek is om sterker standpunt in te neem teen die ANC-regering se toenemende vriendskappe met outoritêre lande soos Rusland, China en Iran, asook teen staatskaping, korrupsie, misdaad, die verval van infrastruktuur en diskrimininasie teen minderhede in Suid-Afrika.
Volgens Jaco Kleynhans, hoof van Internasionale Skakeling by die Solidariteit Beweging, is daar tans in die Amerikaanse Kongres ’n nuwe belangstelling in die internasionale rol wat Suid-Afrika speel. “Dit is duidelik dat gebeure sedert die uitbreek van die oorlog in Oekraïne ernstige vrae in Washington DC laat ontstaan het oor Suid-Afrika se erns met sy onverbonde internasionale posisie. Die onlangse Brics-beraad is ook in Washington dopgehou omdat dit duidelik is dat China die septer binne Brics swaai en dat Suid-Afrika gemaklik daarmee saamgaan dat Brics vanaf volgende jaar deur outoritêre state gedomineer sal word. Ons boodskap aan Amerikaanse politici is egter om nie hoop op te gee met Suid-Afrika nie. Daar is tans ’n groot verval van demokrasie in verskeie Afrika-streke. Suid-Afrika bly steeds ’n demokratiese land en die VSA kan deur sy invloed ’n belangrike rol speel om dit in stand te hou.”
Die Solidariteit Beweging besoek oor die volgende drie weke meer as tien Amerikaanse deelstate en sal met politici op federale vlak en in verskeie deelstate vergader. “Ons wil verseker dat ons lede se belange beskerm word. Daarvoor is dit noodsaaklik dat Suid-Afrika die volgehoue voordeel van die AGOA-ooreenkoms moet geniet. In onder andere die landbou-, mynbou- en motorvervaardigingsbedryf en al die sekondêre bedrywe wat voordeel uit groei in hierdie bedrywe geniet, het ons ’n sterk mandaat van ons lede om alles moontlik te doen om Suid-Afrika se posisie binne AGOA te beskerm. Ons vra die Amerikaners egter nie net om Suid-Afrika binne AGOA te hou nie; ons vra ook dat dit gepaard moet gaan met skerper kritiek en druk op die SA regering. Dit is belangrik dat Amerikaanse politici standpunt inneem oor Suid-Afrika se buitelandse beleid en ook oor gebeure in Suid-Afrika.”
Die Solidariteit Beweging se huidige besoek aan die VSA het ten doel om Amerikaanse beleid jeens Suid-Afrika direk te beïnvloed. Volgens Kleynhans sal hulle ook gesprekke met politici van die Huis van Verteenwoordigers en beamptes in die Amerikaanse Departement van Buitelandse Sake voer. “Ons ontmoet ook met verskeie drukgroepe en Amerikaanse media om gebeure in Suid-Afrika te bespreek. Ons boodskap is nie net negatief nie. Ons boodskap is juis dat in ’n tyd waar die Afrika-kontinent tans groot onstabiliteit ervaar met militêre staatsgrepe, outokratiese regerings wat alles doen om hulle mag te behou, en groeiende interne konflik in tientalle Afrika-lande, Suid-Afrika steeds ’n bakermat van demokrasie en ’n vryemarkekonomie in Afrika kan wees. Om dit te verseker is politieke verandering in Suid-Afrika egter nodig en daarom moet die buiteland, insluitende die VSA, die burgerlike samelewing, die privaat sektor en instellings wat politieke verandering in Suid-Afrika bevorder, ondersteun.”
Ons versoek die Amerikaanse regering onder andere om die volgende te doen:
1. Verhoog die druk op die ANC-regering, veral in die lig van die gevaarlike belyning met lande soos China en Rusland en die risiko’s wat dit vir alle Suid-Afrikaners inhou.
2. Dit is ook nodig om openbare uitsprake te maak teen staatskaping, korrupsie, misdaad, die miskenning van minderheidsregte, die sentralisering van mag binne die ANC en nuwe rassisme soos vervat in uitsprake dat boere vermoor moet word. Dit is dus belangrik dat Amerikaanse leiers en instellings hulle sterk moet uitspreek oor wat in Suid-Afrika gebeur.
3. Handhaaf sterk ekonomiese bande met Suid-Afrika omdat sulke bande die private sektor en die burgerlike samelewing wat krities teenoor die ANC is, versterk. Dit sluit die behoud en uitbreiding van AGOA en voortgesette belegging in die private ekonomie in Suid-Afrika in.
4. Ondersteun burgerlike organisasies en die politieke opposisie deur morele, finansiële en ander ondersteuning. Skep ’n platform in die VSA om hierdie organisasies en leiers toegang te gee tot hulpbronne en ruimtes om die gesprek oor Suid-Afrika te bevorder – ook in die VSA.
5. Gebruik internasionale multilaterale organisasies om druk op die ANC-regering uit te oefen. Dit sluit reeds bestaande prosesse by die Verenigde Nasies in.
Die Solidariteit Beweging sal ook oor die volgende paar dae met politici in deelstate soos Texas, Michigan, Virginia en Suid-Carolina ontmoet om handel en ander vorms van samewerking te bespreek.
AfriForum se bestuurshoof vir strategie en internasionale skakeling, dr. Ernst Roets is pas as beleidshoof van die Solidariteit Beweging aangestel. In sy nuwe hoedanigheid sal Roets voortaan verantwoordelik wees om die beleid en strategie onder die instellings van die Solidariteit Beweging te koördineer, en om openbare inkoop vir hierdie strategie te bevorder. Dit behels ook dat hy voortaan ʼn werknemer van die Solidariteit Beweging sal wees.
Roets het gesê dat hy met groot waardering terugkyk op die afgelope dertien jaar wat hy as werknemer by AfriForum deurgebring het, maar dat hy terselfdertyd met groot opwinding vorentoe kyk op die nuwe taak wat vir hom voorlê. Meer inligting in hierdie verband sal in die komende maande bekendgemaak word.
Flip Buys, voorsitter van die Solidariteit Beweging het gesê Roets se aanstelling volg op die noodsaak om die Beweging se beskermings- en bouprojekte te versnel weens die ewigdurende verswakkende toestand in die land. Roets het onlangs sy doktorsgraad in Regsgeleerdheid voltooi, wat hom toerus en bekwaam om diepte te gee aan die federale planne van die Beweging wat vroeg in Oktober bekendgemaak sal word.
Die Solidariteit Beweging Trust bind die meer as 20 instellings van die Solidariteit Beweging saam en koördineer hulle werk. Flip Buys is voorsitter, Werner Human die operasionele hoof, en Jaco Kleynhans die hoof van internasionale skakeling by die Solidariteit Beweging. Die 12 trustees wat deel uitmaak van hierdie trust verteenwoordig die grootste instellings van die federale beweging. Hulle sluit onder meer in dr. Dirk Hermann, bestuurshoof van Solidariteit, Kallie Kriel, uitvoerende hoof van AfriForum, Henk Schalekamp van die Solidariteit Beleggingsmaatskappy, prof. Danie Goosen, voorsitter van die FAK, en Hannes Noëth, uitvoerende direkteur van Solidariteit Helpende Hand.
Die Solidariteit Beweging het vandag gevra dat die Amerikaanse regering nie die land en sy mense moet straf vir wat die regering aanvang nie, maar regeringsleiers self teiken met hul verwagte strafmaatreēls.
Volgens Flip Buys, voorsitter van die Solidariteit Beweging gaan die nuutste ramp wat die regering oor Suid-Afrika gebring het deur wapens aan Rusland te lewer, die land en sy mense duur te staan kom. Die VSA het reeds streng sanksies teen talle lande wat teen hulle kant gekies het in die oorlog in Oekraine.
Die Amerikaanse Ambassadeur het waarskynlik opdrag van President Biden gekry om in die openbaar standpunt in te neem. Dis hoogs waarskynlik dat die onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse afvaardiging na die VSA onder leiding van mnr Sidney Mufamadi misluk het om gemoedere in Washington te kalmeer.
Die regering se optrede is onverskoonbaar, omdat dit kom in ‘n tyd wat die land reeds diep in die moeilikheid is. Hierdie nuutste fout verseker bykans die kans op ‘n resessie, en die val in die rand verhoog allle landsburgers se reeds hoë lewenskostes.
Daarom is daar net een boodskap wat die Solidariteit Beweging aan die Amerikaners kan rig, en dit is dat hulle nie die land moet straf vir wat die regering aanvang nie. Hulle moet eerder die verantwoordelike regeringsleiers self teiken vir hul beoogde strafmaatreëls.
Hierdie optrede van die ANC is ‘n diplomatieke ramp. Suid-Afrika kan nie bekostig om in konflikte betrokke te raak waarby ons geen belang het en wat duisende kilometers van ons is nie. Die regering behoort in landsbelang op te tree, en nie vas te steek in die vergete Koue Oorlog era nie.
Die kanse vir ‘n 2023 resessie is nou deur die regering vergroot en die ANC se optrede verswak die rand so dat almal se lewenskostes verhoog. Die grootskaalse verkoop van SA baseerde aandele benadeel alle pensioenfondslede, en die ANC moet daarvoor verantwoording doen. Die regering se optrede kan ook duisende mense se werk kos omdat dit neerkom op ‘n verbreking van die gunstige (Afrika groei en geleenthede wet AGOA) handelsooreenkoms met die die VSA.
Dit is duidelik dat die regering lynreg teen die nasionale belang optree, en die betrokke regeringsleiers het volgens regslui ook wette oortree deur wapens te lewer aan ‘n land wat in ‘n oorlog betrokke is.
Dis algemene kennis dat die SANW in ‘n hopelose toestand is, en nie in staat is om sy basiese pligte uit te voer nie. Dit blyk uit die powere stand van die lugmag, leër én vloot.
Die regering het terselfdertyd die land se Verdedigingsbedryf tot op die grond afgebreek deur die skandelike vernietiging van Denel.
Die land wag nog ook in spanning vir vervolgings in die wapenskandaal wat dekades gelede al plaasgevind het. Daarby kom die vraag of daar enige korrupsie by die wapenverskaffing betrokke was.
Die regering het nou al genoeg skade aangerig, wat gesien kan word aan verval van die land op elke denkbare gebied. Die jongste krisis kan daartoe lei dat die land weer die Muishond van die wêreld word, en ‘n teiken van diplomatieke, ekonomiese en politieke strafmaatreëls.
Daarom behoort hierdie korrupte en onbevoegde ANC-regering te bedank. Die land kan hulle net nie meer bekostig nie.
Die Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK) is reeds in 1929 gestig. Vandag is die FAK steeds dié organisasie wat jou toelaat om kreatief te wees in jou taal en kultuur. Die FAK is ’n toekomsgerigte kultuurorganisasie wat ’n tuiste vir die Afrikaanse taal en kultuur bied en die trotse Afrikanergeskiedenis positief bevorder.
Solidariteit Helpende Hand fokus op maatskaplike welstand en dié organisasie se groter visie is om oplossings vir die hantering van Afrikanerarmoede te vind.
Solidariteit Helpende Hand se roeping is om armoede deur middel van gemeenskapsontwikkeling op te los. Solidariteit Helpende Hand glo dat mense ʼn verantwoordelikheid teenoor mekaar en teenoor die gemeenskap het.
Solidariteit Helpende Hand is geskoei op die idees van die Afrikaner-Helpmekaarbeweging van 1949 met ʼn besondere fokus op “help”, “saam” en “ons.”
AfriForumTV is ʼn digitale platform wat aanlyn en gratis is en visuele inhoud aan lede en nielede bied. Intekenaars kan verskeie kanale in die gemak van hul eie huis op hul televisiestel, rekenaar of selfoon verken deur van die AfriForumTV-app gebruik te maak. AfriForumTV is nóg ʼn kommunikasiestrategie om die publiek bewus te maak van AfriForum se nuus en gebeure, maar ook om vermaak deur films en fiksie- en realiteitsreekse te bied. Hierdie inhoud gaan verskaf word deur AfriForumTV self, instellings binne die Solidariteit Beweging en eksterne inhoudverskaffers.
AfriForum Uitgewers (voorheen bekend as Kraal Uitgewers) is die trotse uitgewershuis van die Solidariteit Beweging en is die tuiste van Afrikaanse niefiksie-, Afrikanergeskiedenis- én prima Afrikaanse produkte. Dié uitgewer het onlangs sy fokus verskuif en gaan voortaan slegs interne publikasies van die Solidariteit Beweging publiseer.
AfriForum Jeug is die amptelike jeugafdeling van AfriForum, die burgerregte-inisiatief wat deel van die Solidariteit Beweging vorm. AfriForum Jeug berus op Christelike beginsels en ons doel is om selfstandigheid onder jong Afrikaners te bevorder en die realiteite in Suid-Afrika te beïnvloed deur veldtogte aan te pak en aktief vir jongmense se burgerregte standpunt in te neem.
De Goede Hoop is ʼn moderne, privaat Afrikaanse studentekoshuis met hoë standaarde. Dit is in Pretoria geleë.
De Goede Hoop bied ʼn tuiste vir dinamiese studente met Christelike waardes en ʼn passie vir Afrikaans; ʼn tuiste waar jy as jongmens in gesonde studentetradisies kan deel en jou studentwees met selfvertroue in Afrikaans kan uitleef.
DIE HELPENDE HAND STUDIETRUST (HHST) is ʼn inisiatief van Solidariteit Helpende Hand en is ʼn geregistreerde openbare weldaadsorganisasie wat behoeftige Afrikaanse studente se studie moontlik maak deur middel van rentevrye studielenings.
Die HHST administreer tans meer as 200 onafhanklike studiefondse namens verskeie donateurs en het reeds meer as 6 300 behoeftige studente se studie moontlik gemaak met ʼn totaal van R238 miljoen se studiehulp wat verleen is.
Solidariteit se sentrum vir voortgesette leer is ʼn opleidingsinstelling wat voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling vir professionele persone aanbied. S-leer het ten doel om werkendes met die bereiking van hul loopbaandoelwitte by te staan deur die aanbieding van seminare, kortkursusse, gespreksgeleenthede en e-leer waarin relevante temas aangebied en bespreek word.
Solidariteit Jeug berei jongmense voor vir die arbeidsmark, staan op vir hul belange en skakel hulle in by die Netwerk van Werk. Solidariteit Jeug is ʼn instrument om jongmense te help met loopbaankeuses en is ʼn tuiskomplek vir jongmense.
Solidariteit Regsfonds
ʼn Fonds om die onregmatige toepassing van regstellende aksie teen te staan.
Solidariteit Boufonds
ʼn Fonds wat spesifiek ten doel het om Solidariteit se opleidingsinstellings te bou.
SFD is ʼn gemagtigde finansiëledienstemaatskappy wat deel is van die Solidariteit Beweging. Die instelling se visie is om die toekomstige finansiële welstand, finansiële sekerheid en volhoubaarheid van Afrikaanse individue en ondernemings te bevorder. SFD doen dit deur middel van mededingende finansiële dienste en produkte, in Afrikaans en met uitnemende diens vir ʼn groter doel aan te bied.
Die Gemeenskapstrukture-afdeling bestaan tans uit twee mediese ondersteuningsprojekte en drie gemeenskapsentrums, naamlik Ons Plek in die Strand, Derdepoort en Volksrust. Die drie gemeenskapsentrums is gestig om veilige kleuter- en/of naskoolversorging in die onderskeie gemeenskappe beskikbaar te stel. Tans akkommodeer die gemeenskapsentrums altesaam 158 kinders in die onderskeie naskoolsentrums, terwyl Ons Plek in die Strand 9 kleuters en Ons Plek in Volksrust 16 kleuters in die kleuterskool het.
Die Solidariteit Skoleondersteuningsentrum (SOS) se visie is om die toekoms van Christelike, Afrikaanse onderwys te (help) verseker deur gehalte onderrig wat reeds bestaan in stand te (help) hou, én waar nodig nuut te (help) bou.
Die SOS se doel is om elke skool in ons land waar onderrig in Afrikaans aangebied word, by te staan om in die toekoms steeds onderrig van wêreldgehalte te bly bied en wat tred hou met die nuutste navorsing en internasionale beste praktyke.
Sol-Tech is ʼn geakkrediteerde, privaat beroepsopleidingskollege wat op Christelike waardes gefundeer is en Afrikaans as onderrigmedium gebruik.
Sol-Tech fokus op beroepsopleiding wat tot die verwerwing van nasionaal erkende, bruikbare kwalifikasies lei. Sol-Tech het dus ten doel om jongmense se toekomsdrome met betrekking tot loopbaanontwikkeling deur doelspesifieke opleiding te verwesenlik.
Akademia is ’n Christelike hoëronderwysinstelling wat op ’n oop, onbevange en kritiese wyse ’n leidinggewende rol binne die hedendaagse universiteitswese speel.
Akademia streef daarna om ʼn akademiese tuiste te bied waar sowel die denke as die hart gevorm word met die oog op ʼn betekenisvolle en vrye toekoms.
AfriForum Uitgewers (previously known as Kraal Uitgewers) is the proud publishing house of the Solidarity Movement and is the home of Afrikaans non-fiction, products related to the Afrikaner’s history, as well as other prime Afrikaans products. The publisher recently shifted its focus and will only publish internal publications of the Solidarity Movement from now on.
Maroela Media is ʼn Afrikaanse internetkuierplek waar jy alles kan lees oor dit wat in jou wêreld saak maak – of jy nou in Suid-Afrika bly of iewers anders woon en deel van die Afrikaanse Maroela-gemeenskap wil wees. Maroela Media se Christelike karakter vorm die kern van sy redaksionele beleid.
Kanton Beleggingsmaatskappy
Kanton is ʼn beleggingsmaatskappy vir eiendom wat deur die Solidariteit Beweging gestig is. Die eiendomme van die Solidariteit Beweging dien as basis van die portefeulje wat verder deur ontwikkeling uitgebrei sal word.
Kanton is ʼn vennootskap tussen kultuur en kapitaal en fokus daarop om volhoubare eiendomsoplossings aan instellings in die Afrikaanse gemeenskap teen ʼn goeie opbrengs te voorsien sodat hulle hul doelwitte kan bereik.
Wolkskool is ʼn produk van die Skoleondersteuningsentrum (SOS), ʼn niewinsgewende organisasie met ʼn span onderwyskundiges wat ten doel het om gehalte- Afrikaanse onderrig te help verseker. Wolkskool bied ʼn platform waar leerders 24-uur toegang tot video-lesse, vraestelle, werkkaarte met memorandums en aanlyn assessering kan kry.
Die Begrond Instituut is ʼn Christelike navorsingsinstituut wat die Afrikaanse taal en kultuur gemeenskap bystaan om Bybelse antwoorde op belangrike lewensvrae te kry.
Ons Winkels is Solidariteit Helpende Hand se skenkingswinkels. Daar is bykans 120 winkels landwyd waar lede van die publiek skenkings van tweedehandse goedere – meubels, kombuisware, linne en klere – kan maak. Die winkels ontvang die skenkings en verkoop goeie kwaliteit items teen bekostigbare pryse aan die publiek.
AfriForum is ʼn burgerregte-organisasie wat Afrikaners, Afrikaanssprekende mense en ander minderheidsgroepe in Suid-Afrika mobiliseer en hul regte beskerm.
AfriForum is ʼn nieregeringsorganisasie wat as ʼn niewinsgewende onderneming geregistreer is met die doel om minderhede se regte te beskerm. Terwyl die organisasie volgens die internasionaal erkende beginsel van minderheidsbeskerming funksioneer, fokus AfriForum spesifiek op die regte van Afrikaners as ʼn gemeenskap wat aan die suidpunt van die vasteland woon. Lidmaatskap is nie eksklusief nie en enige persoon wat hom of haar met die inhoud van die organisasies se Burgerregte-manifes vereenselwig, kan by AfriForum aansluit.
