On the 1st of August, the real estate development company Kanton launched the new campus development project of Akademia in Pretoria as part of the Toekomsbouer (future builder) campaign. This campus project is the largest development project in the history of the Afrikaans language and culture communities and represents a major historical turning point to ensure the sustainability of higher education in Afrikaans.
Akademia has been using interim infrastructure solutions since 2012. The full-time campus model started in 2021 and expanded so that there now are two campuses, four residences, two day houses as well as the administrative head office – currently situated at various sites in Centurion. The new comprehensive residential campus in the east of Pretoria will offer the institution the opportunity to consolidate its growth over the past decade and to give its future campus students a fixed address where they can experience an active and exciting student life.
“The new campus is the realisation of a big dream. This requires the strength of an aligned community that can achieve the seemingly impossible through unity and cooperation,” Marthinus Visser, managing director of Akademia, said. “In light of this, the Toekomsbouer campaign is a call on the community to become part of an incredible opportunity – something the Afrikaans language and culture communities have not experienced for quite some time. It offers an opportunity where hope and a legacy will be physically established.”
Project scope
The development will be located in Pretoria, eight kilometres from Solomon Mahlangu Drive on the Boschkop Road in the east of Pretoria. The new campus offers Akademia the opportunity to make available a complete and extensive academic programme offering across all its faculties that will meet the comprehensive demand of prospective students. This campus will also cater for 5 000 full-time undergraduate students and nearly 1 500 postgraduate students. Four men’s and four women’s residences will accommodate 1 500 students on campus.
“Phase one of the project will amount to approximately R1,8 billion and will be completed on 1 January 2028, while the total development cost will be more than R3 billion. The second phase involves the completion of the academic campus and residences, followed by the sports facilities, chapel and auditorium,” Henk Schalekamp, managing director of Kanton, explained.
“We are going to build a giant monument for Afrikaans higher education. These include office blocks, lecture halls, laboratories, an auditorium, dedicated research halls, a cafeteria, restaurants, coffee shops, a student centre, library, residences, staff accommodation and world-class sports facilities for rugby, cricket, netball, tennis, athletics, hockey, swimming, including indoor sports,” Schalekamp added. “There is also an experimental farm planned for the Faculties Natural Sciences and Agriculture.”
Marthinus Visser (left) and Henk Schalekamp (right)
Project partners and financing
Kanton serves as a vehicle for financing the development of the new Akademia campus. Kanton was born from an innovative new approach for supporting Afrikaans cultural institutions. “Our business model is based on a partnership between culture and capital that promotes the objectives of community institutions by providing access to the necessary living spaces, but also as a full-fledged real estate investment company to offer both a financial and cultural return to its investors,” Schalekamp explained.
“Kanton’s success is confirmed by the Sol-Tech Campus, which was delivered on time and within budget. By developing projects such as a residence for Sol-Tech and now a campus for Akademia, Kanton proves its ability to grow and manage portfolios profitably. This while external investors will also be offered the opportunity to be part of this unique opportunity,” Schalekamp said.
To ensure that the structure and investment platform supports the goals of Kanton, the planning and structuring of the company was done in collaboration with Pallidus. The latter specialises in independent corporate financial advice, investment banking and investment management to enable the growth and expansion of Kanton in the various phases. The funding model has the characteristics of normal real estate and infrastructure models and is used to provide investment opportunities.
Kanton will initially approach institutions and wealthy individuals to get involved through an investment. When a critical amount of funds is raised for the project to continue, an opportunity will be offered to the community to get involved through smaller investments.
For now, to everyone together who are excited about the project, the call is simple: Dream together by becoming a future builder (toekomsbouer) and follow the progress of this great project at www.toekomsbouer.co.za. Further information for individual investments will be made available to campaign participants shortly.
Akademia is a Christian, classical and independent higher education institution from and for Afrikaans language and culture communities. Akademia strives to be an academic home where the mind and heart are shaped with a view to a free future. Students have a choice between an after-hours distance learning over a nationwide network of centres or via e-learning and full-time studies at two interim campuses in Centurion. The after-hour distance model is ideal for students who want to work or pursue other interests while studying. Since 2021, the full-time campus model has offered a safe home for Fonties (Akademia students) who attend class during the day and participate in a vibrant student life. Click here for more information about Akademia.
The international community is increasingly becoming aware of the challenges confronting minorities such as the Afrikaners in South Africa, as well as the kind of solutions the institutions of the Solidarity Movement come up with to address these challenges. This is the overall observation of the representatives of the Afrikaner Foundation and AfriForum who have recently returned from a support-raising tour to the USA.
During this visit, Ernst Roux, executive director of the Afrikaner Foundation, and Ernst van Zyl, head of public relations at AfriForum, participated in various conferences, functions and networking discussions. Two highlights of the visit were the NatCon conference in Washington, D.C. (also known as NatCon 4), at which Roets was a speaker, and the launch of the Afrikaner Foundation in New York at an event hosted by the New York Young Republicans. On both occasions Roets referred to the South African government’s reckless policy framework and the solutions that Afrikaners come up with under these circumstances to create a free, safe and prosperous future at the southern tip of Africa. In this regard, the emphasis fell on the establishment of a network of community institutions.
Ernst Roets at an event of the New York Young Republicans
Roets stated that it is necessary to bring the kinds of problems that minorities such as the Afrikaners in South Africa are confronted with to the attention of the international community, especially because there has been a perception for some time that the South African political dispensation has become a kind of gold standard that should be followed by the rest of the world, while the opposite is true in many respects. “However, it is far more important to talk about solutions than to talk about problems. We have experienced that it is especially through our approach to solutions and our optimism about the future that Afrikaners are being rediscovered by the international community, but in the Western world in particular,” he added.
Van Zyl said the sincere interest in and admiration for Afrikaners’ state-resistant solutions have increased dramatically abroad, especially among Americans and Europeans. “The saying ‘’n boer maak ‘n plan’ (which literally means a farmer makes a plan) has expanded from being a local saying about Afrikaners’ ability to come up with a plan for everything, to an international saying. It is encouraging to know that our successes and what we are building not only inspire and give our people in South Africa hope, but also do so for people abroad,” Van Zyl concluded.
The Afrikaner Foundation is a new institution in the broader Solidarity Movement and is focused on mobilising international support.
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.
What is news in South Africa this week (28 June 2024)? From waiting in suspense for the announcement of the new cabinet to racial and political incidents to newspapers closing down. If you are interested in South Africa, here are some impacting headlines in this week’s news.
The suspension of DA Member of Parliament raises concerns of unfairness in the management of racial issues
Old skeletons have been rediscovered in politicians’ closets after being sworn in as members of parliament. A video of Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Renaldo Gouws taken 14 years ago was spread on social media.
In the video, Gouws expresses his concern about the rise of racism, hate speech and double standards in the condemnations thereof in South Africa. Gouws specifically refers to the song Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF’s) leader Julius Malema and his followers sing, “Dubula amabhunu. This song translates as “Shoot the Boer”.
Per illustration, Gouws starts off by using grotesque discriminatory language towards black people and talks about killing them. Then Gouws stops and says that this is not his opinion. He then asks the viewers to reflect on how they felt after hearing this.
Gouws made this video to illustrate “how white people feel” when the EFF sings their controversial song. Gouws further explains that South Africans should be consistent in their condemnation of racism.
Three years after posting the video, Gouws took it down with an apology. After the video resurfaced, Gouws apologised again unconditionally, but he was temporarily suspended as a member of the DA. He lost his position as member of parliament, and an investigation is pending against him. The Human Rights Commission also filed a complaint, challenging him in a court case.
Why is this unfair?
Shortly after Gouws’ suspension, another video, this time of Member of Parliament and uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) Party member Andile Mngxitama, resurfaced calling for the genocide of white people. In the video Mngxitama encourages his followers to kill five white persons for every black person killed.
At this stage, no action was taken against Mr Mngxitama in contrast to the drastic action taken against Mr Gouws.
Photos of Ian Cameron, also a DA Member of Parliament, have been spread on social media. These photo’s were taken with his face painted black when he partook in protest action against racism 18 years ago.
Watch this video of Ernst Roets, head of policy at the Solidarity Movement, explaining the details of the event: https://fb.watch/s_720DaWOY/
Renaldo Gouws made the news this week for being suspended from the DA.
President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the cabinet this week; crisis arose as the president went back on a promise
With the new cabinet expected to be announced soon, President Cyril Ramaphosa caused a crisis in the new Government of National Unity (GNU) when he retracted a promise he made to the DA during the negotiations. President Ramaphosa promised the DA the key ministerial position of Trade and Industry. On Wednesday 27, June he retracted the offer and proposed the alternative portfolio of Tourism.
DA leader John Steenhuisen was disappointed by the decision. The position of Trade and Industry was part of the negotiation process. The DA saw it as an opportunity to make a real difference in the country’s economy and growth.
President Ramaphosa’s decision came after a meeting with the ANC structures. The ANC promised the DA six ministerial potions. The DA tried to negotiate for eleven cabinet positions out of the 30 positions available.
With the stability of the GNU coming under threat as the DA might reconsider its cooperation, the value of the rand weakened by 1,27%. This shows that a GNU with the DA is necessary for South Africa’s economy.
Fortunately for South Africa, John Steenhuisen and President Cyril Ramaphosa found a way to work around this issue. There is now stability in the negotiations on cabinet positions.
The DA was promised ministerial positions in public affairs, basic education, public works and infrastructure, and communication and digital technology, among others.
DA leader John Steenhuisen and president Cyril Ramaphosa were headlines in this weeks news.
Debate continues on the shutdown of the Afrikaans press while CEO walks away with millions
Leading news company Media24 announced that it will discontinue printing certain newspapers, among them well-known Afrikaans newspapers such as Beeld and Rapport. Citing financial reasons for the decision, Media24 announced these publications will only continue as digital publications. This decision means 400 employees will likely be retrenched.
This news came as a shock to the Afrikaans community who supported these newspapers throughout the years. While fiery debate on the matter continues, news came to light that Bob van Dijk, the CEO of Naspers which owns Media24, received compensation of R330 million in the previous financial year and will continue to receive R2,2 million for the next two months.
Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann says Van Dijk’s compensation alone will be able to cover the losses Media24 are facing. Solidary says it will stand by its members at Media 24 who are now facing retrenchment, and it will demand answers from these companies. Solidarity also submitted a request to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CMMA) to guide the process.
Thanks to AfriForum, midwife will appear in court for negligence causing the death and disability of babies
AfriForum, one of the institutions of the Solidarity Movement, is a civil rights organisation that frequently supports civilians in their court cases. Two women approached AfriForum to help them to open a case against a midwife guilty of malpractice, which tragically resulted in severe consequences for the babies of these women.
The one woman’s baby died nine days after birth, and the other’s baby was left disabled because the midwife neglected to call in medical assistance when needed after the birth.
The midwife will appear in court for the first time in July on charges of assault.
Solidarity won two cases for workers unfairly discriminated against in the workplace
Solidarity is an institution of the Solidarity Movement and it supports persons with work-related issues. Solidarity recently won two cases on behalf of persons unfairly discriminated against in their workplace based on their race.
In the first case, an employee was falsely accused of racism because of a fault in the company’s system, and the employee was discharged with immediate effect. The employee responsible for allocating parking spots accidentally and due to a fault in the system reallocated the parking spots of two black senior employees.
When realising this mistake, the employee immediately apologised and corrected the mistake. The two senior employees still decided to submit a formal complaint of racism. The court found that there was no proof of such action, that the employee made an honest mistake and corrected it immediately. The company has to pay the employee an amount of R150 000 in compensation.
In another case, a police officer of the South African Police Service (SAPS) applied for promotion as Captain along with other candidates. After interviews, the reviewing team found that this SAPS officer was the best and most qualified candidate for this promotion.
The employee had 24 years of work experience at the SAPS. The department decided not to promote this employee but instead to adhere to the Employment Equity Act, and consequently no-one was appointed in the position.
Solidarity supported the employee with further action under the guidance of the CCMA. The CCMA found that the employee should have been promoted and was unfairly treated as no valid reason could be provided for the employee not being promoted, taking into consideration his long-term service in the SAPS.
Solidarity says these two cases should serve as a warning to institutions and employers that unfair labour practices will not be tolerated.
As the first sitting of parliament after the recent general election commenced on Friday 14 June, South Africans were still uncertain about the government of national unity as the relevant parties remained silent on the negotiating process between them.
Just after 12:00 a trusted source confirmed to the media that the ANC had signed an agreement for a government of national unity (GNU) with the DA and the IFP. Later on more parties joined in on the agreement.
The parliamentary sitting started at 10:00 on Friday morning and continued to approximately 18:00 the evening. President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as State President. Thoko Didiza (ANC) was elected as speaker and Annelie Lotriet (DA) as deputy speaker.
Here are the updates you need to know and a glimpse of what the new government means for South Africa and the community at large.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is inaugurated for his third term as president
On Wednesday 19 June President Cyril Ramaphosa was reinaugurated for his third term as the president of South Africa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Part of the agreement between the DA and ANC, was that the DA would support Ramaphosa in votes to stay in his position as president. Solidarity attended the ceremony as representatives of the Afrikaner.
In his address, President Ramaphosa underscored the significance of cooperation. He affirmed that the ANC wholeheartedly acknowledges the outcomes of the national election, recognizing the voice of the South African populace. He stressed that political parties should now adhere to these results through collaborative efforts.
President Cyril Ramaphosa during his presidential inauguration
The ANC, DA, IFP, GOOD and the PA are officially part of the GNU
For the first time in the history of South Africa, the government resembles a broader range of people and their different needs and governs with far more votes than the 50% needed.
After the ANC, DA and IF concluded an agreement before the parliamentary sitting, GOOD and the PA also agreed to join the Government of national unity.
It is crucial to emphasize that not all parties have the liberty to join the Government of National Unity at will. Only those parties willing to abide by the negotiated terms and sign an agreement can participate in the government. Parties such as the EFF and MK has shown no interest to join the GNU.
The negotiations will continue
The negotiations on the GNU are not over yet, on the contrary, it can now start. The president still has to appoint ministers in the cabinet and the parliamentary portfolio comities still needs to elect chairman in each portfolio.
The DA and ANC argued on the term “broad representation” that the DA suggested. If this concept is implemented, it would mean ministers and chairman are appointed according to the number of votes each party obtained in the election.
President Ramaphosa rejected this proposal during the initial round of negotiations.
What does the new government mean for South Africa? First of all, South Africa is at a better place than three weeks ago
Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity’s chief executive, says it is a positive development that the ANC no longer has free reins to govern the country on its own. This situation could signify positive implications for legislation such as the NHI Act and the BELA insofar as such legislation may now have to be revised, while it would not be possible to sign new laws without reaching consensus with the other parties in the GNU.
South Africa is still in an unstable position
A “better position” does not mean a stable position. According to Hermann, the political situation remains unstable, and many familiarities may be subjected to change. South Africans should not drop their guard and celebrate as if all has taken a turn for the good.
There may be more room for cultural development
According to Hermann, these election results show a rise in cultural groups voting for the same party, especially among the Zulu community. For the first time the political landscape might be ready to accommodate certain cultural communities to grow and build in their own communities. The Solidarity Movement will have more opportunity to advocate for “spaces” in communities for independent growth.
Time will tell what the immediate political future hold. There are reason for hope, but it is also important not to expect that change will happen over night. We will keep our readers informed.
After three decades of opposition, both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) are articulating their readiness and capability to collaborate within a framework of national unity governance.
This development is both surprising and welcomed, particularly in light of recent statistical findings indicating that the majority of supporters from both the DA and the ANC favour such a coalition agreement.
The Brenthurst Foundation published statistics showing both DA and ANC supporters would prefer a Government of National Unity where the ANC and DA are the biggest role-players.
Brenthurst Foundation statistics
40,2% of participants voted towards a DA-ANC agreement, 37,4% of ANC-supporters indicated they prefer an agreement with the DA rather than the MK or EFF.
A coalition or unity government with the DA would benefit the country in numerous ways, including protection of the Constitution and promising economic growth. The DA has also shown its competency in governing provinces where it has the majority votes, such as the Western Cape.
As the clock are ticking toward Friday, when the first national parliamentary meeting will take place, suspense and tension is rising. Will the DA and ANC be able to conclude their negotiations before then?
John Steenhuisen, party leader of the DA, says the announcement of the first parliamentary sitting on Friday complicates the negotiations for a unity government and if no agreement is reached before then, the DA will return to the parliament as the opposition again. Friday’s sitting will include the swearing in of the new president.
The negotiations between the DA and the ANC are still ongoing and far from reaching a resolution. According to Steenhuisen, urgent acceleration of the process is needed if they aspire to establish an alliance before the impending parliamentary sitting on Friday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) have openly voiced their disapproval of the ANC engaging in negotiations with the DA, resulting in their abstention from participation in the negotiations. Moreover, dissenting factions within the ANC, opposed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, are also voicing criticism against the negotiations with the DA. There is a possibility of protests led by MK supporters escalating in KwaZulu-Natal, reflecting a rejection of this collaborative endeavour.
Protests are however a small price to pay and easy resolvable, considering the alternative of the Constitution being compromised for outdated socialistic ideologies and the economy suffering as investors withdraws assets form the market.
The people of South Africa are placing their hopes on the DA and the ANC to reach an agreement before Friday and to formally declare their collaboration in the government of national unity.
The ANC (African National Congress), which has ruled South Africa with majority governments since 1994, lost its majority for the first time ever last week when the party’s support fell from 57% to 40%. The party also lost its majority in three provinces, Gauteng, the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, while the opposition Democratic Alliance retained control of the Western Cape. South Africa will henceforth be governed by coalitions or opposition parties at national level, as well as in four of the nine provinces.
It is clear that a large majority of South African voters are angry about the corruption, mismanagement and missed opportunities that have made South Africa a near-failing state with some of the highest unemployment, poverty and crime rates in the world. South Africa’s infrastructure is crumbling, there are large electricity shortages, the government’s debt is increasing sharply, the economy has completely stagnated and started to shrink again during the first quarter of 2024 and foreign investors are systematically withdrawing from the country.
A large majority of black South Africans have a historical bond with the ANC because they have always felt that this party deserves credit for ending Apartheid. However, these same black people are increasingly outraged at the enrichment of a small group of black leaders who use government contracts and corruption to enrich themselves at the expense of poor black communities.
While black voters sought other political destinations, many simply refused to vote. Over the past ten years, there has been a continuous decline in the voting percentage among black South Africans. It fell to a historic low in this year’s election. While less than two-thirds of eligible voters were registered to vote, only 58% of registered voters went to vote. This means that less than 40% of those entitled to vote participated in the election. Only one third of black voters went to vote.
The decision not to register as a voter or not to vote is a clear protest by black South Africans who still struggle to vote for a party other than the ANC. However, where other parties with black leaders came to the fore, voters did swing away from the ANC in large numbers.
In Kwazulu-Natal the ANC’s support dropped from 60% to less than 20%. It was a clear ethnic Zulu protest vote because a majority of Zulus feel that the ANC has turned its back on the Zulu population and that most Zulu leaders have been thrown out of the party. The former president Jacob Zuma’s new MK party, although dangerously radical, therefore tapped into this feeling of alienation from Zulu voters and was able to win 45% of the votes in the province and thus also become the third largest party nationally.
In Gauteng, ANC voters also defected to other parties, which dropped the party’s support from more than 50% to just 35%. In the Northern Cape, poor coloured voters, formerly ANC supporters, voted for the new populist Patriotic Alliance. In the Eastern Cape, the home of Xhosas and a heartland of the ANC, the party’s support also fell and small black parties such as the United Democratic Movement grew considerably.
The radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) of Julius Malema who are known for their singing of the song “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” have also lost support which is a good indicator that the space for racist, hateful parties is limited.
White voters went to vote in large numbers with the turnout among whites being over 80%. White voters also voted very strategically and mostly cast their vote for the liberal Democratic Alliance, which cost more conservative parties such as the Freedom Front Plus considerable support.
Various political parties will now have to work together to establish workable and stable governments at national level but also in provinces such as Gauteng, still the economic heartland of South Africa and Kwazulu-Natal, also a major economic centre.
South Africa is a country that is already in a multi-faceted and deep economic, political and social crisis. The country’s education, police service, infrastructure, fiscal policy and most other government services are in crisis. Foreign investors are leaving the country while the highly skilled are emigrating at an accelerating rate. Populist leaders threaten violence, uprisings and anarchy. Ultimately, wise leadership will be needed to put the country back on the winning track.
The Solidarity Movement, as the largest representative of minorities and in particular Afrikaners, gave its conditional support for a type of multi-party government, with the exclusion of radical parties, because the ANC cannot be trusted to govern alone. The Movement also said it will participate in a national dialogue to put South Africa on a new path, where everyone gels can enjoy equal treatment without racial laws.
The Movement, however, said its conditions for support include political space for cultural self-realization, the scrapping of the Bela draft law (which wants to nationalize education) and the NHI law (which places all health care with the government and seriously threatens private health care), and market-friendly economic policies that will promote growth, job security and job creation.
The political changes may be an opportunity for South Africa but it also create numerous risks. Only time will tell which way the country will go.
AfriForum’s Chief Executive for Strategy and International Liaison, Dr Ernst Roets has just been appointed Head of Policy for the Solidarity Movement. In his new capacity, Roets will henceforth be responsible for coordinating the policy and strategy among the institutions of the Solidarity Movement, and for promoting public buy-in for this strategy. This also entails that he will henceforth be an employee of the Solidarity Movement.
Roets said that he looks back on the past thirteen years that he has spent as an employee at AfriForum with great appreciation, but that he looks forward to the new task that lies ahead of him with great excitement. More information regarding this announcement will be made in the coming months.
Flip Buys, Chairperson of the Solidarity Movement said Roets’ appointment follows the urgent need to speed up the Movement’s protection and building projects due to the perpetually deteriorating condition of the country. Roets recently completed his doctorate in Law, which equips and enables him to give depth to the federal plans of the Movement that will be announced in early October.
The Solidarity Movement binds the more than 20 institutions of the Solidarity Movement together and coordinates their work. Flip Buys is the Chairperson, Werner Human the Head of Operations, and Jaco Kleynhans the Head of International Liaison. The 12 trustees forming part of this trust represents the biggest institutions in the federal movement. They include, among others, Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity, Kallie Kriel, Chief Executive of AfriForum, Henk Schalekamp of the Solidarity Investment Company, Prof Danie Goosen, Chairperson of the FAK, and Hannes Noëth, Executive Director of Solidarity Helping Hand.
The Solidarity Movement today appealed to the American government not to punish the country and its people for what the government is doing, and to rather aim their expected punitive measures at the government leaders themselves.
According to Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, the latest disaster which the government has brought upon South Africa by supplying arms to Russia, will cost the country and its people dearly. The USA has already imposed strict sanctions against many countries that have not sided with them in the war in Ukraine.
The US ambassador was probably instructed by Pres. Biden to take a stand in public. It is highly likely that the recent South African delegation to the USA, led by Mr Sidney Mufamadi, failed to set minds at ease in Washington.
The government’s action is inexcusable as it comes at a time at which the country is already in deep trouble. Given this latest blunder the chances of a recession are almost guaranteed and the drop in the value of the rand increases the already high living costs all citizens are already facing.
Therefore, there is only one message the Solidarity Movement can send to the Americans and that is not to punish the country for what the government is doing. The US should rather aim their intended punitive measures at the government leaders in question.
This action by the ANC government is a diplomatic disaster. South Africa cannot afford to become involved in a conflict in which we have no interest and in one that is taking place thousands of kilometres from us. The government should act in the country’s interests and should not remain stuck in the forgotten Cold War era.
The government has now increased the chances for a 2023 recession and the ANC’s actions have weakened the value of the rand to such an extent that everyone’s cost of living is getting higher. The large-scale selling of SA based shares will harm all members of pension funds and the ANC should be held accountable for this. The government’s actions could also cost thousands of people their jobs because of a breach of the favourable trade agreement with the USA.
It is clear that the government is acting directly against national interests, and according to legal experts the government leaders in question have also transgressed laws by supplying weapons to a country involved in a war.
It is common knowledge that the SAND is in a hopeless state and is unable to fulfil its basic duties as is evident from the state the air force, army and navy find themselves in.
Moreover, the government ran the country’s arms industry into the ground through its shameful destruction of Denel.
The country is also still holding its breath about prosecutions in the arms scandal which took place decades ago. Added to this, is the question of whether any corruption was involved in the supply of arms.
The government has already caused enough harm as is evident in the decay in the country in every conceivable area. The latest crisis could lead to the country once again becoming the skunk of the world and a target for diplomatic, economic and political punitive measures.
For this reason this corrupt and incompetent ANC government should resign. The county just cannot afford this government anymore.
The Solidarity Movement, including Solidarity and AfriForum, took a stand today by declaring that no further reasons exists for the current state of disaster, which has been in operation for about 22 months, to remain in force. This comes after the state of disaster was extended again by the government.
According to Solidarity Movement Chairperson Flip Buys, it seems that the pandemic is now entering an endemic phase. Furthermore, it appears that increased group immunity against Covid-19 can now be detected with the Omicron variant, resulting in less serious illness and fewer deaths. “The fact that the virus is now endemic means the virus won’t disappear, but we will have to learn to live with the virus. It also means that exceptional measures by the state, such as those that can be instituted under a state of disaster, are no longer necessary in an effort to control the virus,” Buys said.
According to Buys, the Movement is also very concerned about the state of schools in South Africa due to the restrictions that hamper education. “The fact that many schools are still unable to return to a normal way of functioning intensifies the concerns about the future of a whole generation of learners,” Buys said.
Both AfriForum and Solidarity will proceed with legal action in order to ask the courts to end the state of disaster.
According to Kallie Kriel, Chief Executive of AfriForum, the state of disaster poses a threat to freedom, as it gives the government extraordinary power to dramatically restrict civil liberties without subjecting such power to parliamentary oversight and decision-making in any way. “The fact that the state of disaster can be prolonged repeatedly without parliamentary approval is a serious violation of sound democratic principles,” Kriel said.
According to Solidarity CEO Dr Dirk Hermann, the current state of disaster creates major uncertainty for workers, companies and the economy in general, and it must therefore be terminated. “The state of disaster enables government to implement at short notice measures that affect the livelihood of businesses and workers. This sword hanging over the economy creates uncertainty that hampers capital formation and further expansion at a time when economic growth is crucially important,” Hermann said.
According to Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s campaign manager, the organisation will submit its court documents soon. “AfriForum has already taken on several of the government’s outrageous measures, including the curfew regulations, state quarantine camps and the ban on religious gatherings. The time has come for the state of disaster to be lifted in its entirety,” Broodryk said.
Hermann concluded by saying declarations that the state of disaster could not be terminated at short notice conveniently forget about the regulations that had been introduced and enforced “with immediate effect” under the state of disaster.
Further details regarding the proposed legal action will be announced soon.
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.
