Cape Town
In South Africa, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom supports pioneering empirical research projects, publications and roundtable discussions that provide an alternative platform for debate and the free exchange of ideas.
These activities address the social and economic challenges facing South Africa as it continues to develop. They aim to offer practical policy recommendations and solutions.Well-researched studies and recommendations strengthen public awareness of issues concerning South Africa’s political and economic development.
An important part of the Foundation's work focuses on collaboration with the Democratic Alliance (DA) - South Africa's liberal voice.
News
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"You must understand your political competitor"
With South Africa being in a Government of National Unity (GNU), or essentially a coalition government, German Member of Parliament Carl-Julius Cronenberg from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) believes that much can be learned from Germany. Cronenberg visited South Africa for the first time last week, where he engaged with various stakeholders, including the German Embassy and Democratic Alliance (DA) Members of the South African Parliament. He spent a few days in Johannesburg, where coalitions are unstable, and a few days in the best-run metropolitan city in the country, Cape Town.
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“I want education to get back to basics”
Politics is a bumpy and sometimes uncertain road. The story of Ciska Jordaan is a testament to this. Following the May 2024 elections Jordaan was elected as a Member of Parliament and now serves as a member of the Basic Education Portfolio Committee.
However, her journey into politics began much earlier. During her days at the University of Pretoria, she noted how active student politics was, but at the time, she had no interest. -
“I would choose politics again”
Since a young age, Karabo Khakhau has always been a voice for those who cannot speak up for themselves. Today, she is a member of Parliament and the spokesperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA). Being a woman in the political arena is no easy job, but if she could choose again, she would still choose politics. Khakhau’s journey in politics began during her university days at the University of Cape Town under the Democratic Alliance Students Organization (DASO). However, she says her mother always reminds her that she has been an activist since childhood.
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"I want people to be heard"
"I want Parliament to be a place where people can voice their concerns, a place where they can be heard," says Dr Annelie Lotriet, Parliament's newly elected Deputy Speaker. We meet in her office in Africa House, within the Parliamentary buildings in Cape Town. It's clear she's still settling into the space, but her work to make Parliament a voice for the people has already begun. Lotriet’s political journey began while she was a lecturer, balancing her career with being a mother and wife. "It's no easy task. You need to be a multitasker,” she says.
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Getting young people into business
"When young people and young girls look at me, I want them to see what is possible," says Deidre Baartman, the Minister for Finance in South Africa's Western Cape Province. As I enter her office, her welcoming smile and confident demeanour immediately set the tone. Dressed in all black, she emanates a presence that speaks of both authority and approachability.
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Restoring dignity in the Eastern Cape
In South Africa and across the world, women make up the largest population group in society, yet women are not equally represented in structures like Parliament, Caucuses, Legislatures, or leadership in general. Annually, the 9th of August is dedicated to commemorating the struggle of women and celebrating their achievements across all sectors in South Africa. This month, the FNF in South Africa puts the spotlight on nine liberal women in politics, kicking off with Chantel King.
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Ahead of Germany's own elections, are there any lessons from the South African context?
Recent polls suggest the far-right populist party (AfD) will perform well in the autumn provincial elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg. This could complicate coalition-building, likely requiring a broad alliance to prevent an AfD-led government. South Africa’s 2024 Government of National Unity (GNU) offers a parallel, reintroduced after the ANC lost its majority, recalling the 1994 GNU under Nelson Mandela.
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Why the former archenemies could help the country move forward
South Africa already has experience with governments of national unity: the first democratically elected government in post-apartheid South Africa 30 years ago.
It was led by the African National Congress (ANC) under President Nelson Mandela and formed a coalition with the National Party (NP), which represented the interests of a right-wing conservative white population, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which fights for the Zulu ethnic group at a political level.
Now the time has come again. -
A new political era dawns
The election on May 29, 2024 marked a historic turning point in South Africa's young democracy: the African National Congress (ANC), the former party of freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years. In future, South Africa will be led by a government of national unity. The agreement signed in the early hours of June 14 by the ANC, the liberal Democratic Alliance (DA) and the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) laid the foundations for a coalition government committed to constitutional fidelity, the rule of law, social justice and the fight against poverty.
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ANC loses majority after 30 years
On May 29, 2024, South Africa held elections 30 years after the abolition of apartheid. For many older South Africans, 1994 marked the beginning of a new era: the path to political enfranchisement, the first participation in democratic elections, and the liberation of the black population from decades of oppression, made possible by the leadership of Nelson Mandela and his party, the African National Congress (ANC).
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New dawn for South Africa
Last week South Africans went out in their numbers to cast their votes. Out of the more than 27 million registered voters, over 16 million participated, seeking change. This led to the African National Congress (ANC), Africa's oldest liberation movement and the party of Nelson Mandela, losing its majority for the first time in 30 years. This historic shift means the ANC is no longer the dominant force in terms of parliamentary seats, compelling all parties to engage in coalition talks—a first for South Africa at national level.
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Fateful elections in South Africa
On May 29, 2024, South Africa will head to the polls to decide the future composition of both the national parliament and provincial governments. This election is historically significant as it marks the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections and occurs amidst substantial political and social upheavals. For the first time in three decades of democracy, polls suggest that the ruling ANC, once famously led by Nelson Mandela, could lose its majority after 30 years of uninterrupted power.
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Giving a voice to the Cape Flats
On Wednesday, the 15th of May, the Liberal Workshop, in collaboration with the organization Cape Flats Stories, hosted a political debate in Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats, Cape Town, in the run-up to the May 29th elections. The Cape Flats, located on the outskirts of the CBD of Cape Town, is commonly known as the dumping ground of Apartheid, a space where people of color were "dumped" during the oppressive regime.
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'Gauteng Can Work'
Last week the Daily Maverick kicked off its inaugural election debate at The Forum, in Johannesburg. The event sparked new hope among participants after an informative debate between candidates running for Premier in the province. The Gauteng premier candidates from the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, Rise Mzansi and Build One South Africa all agree that the province’s infrastructure has been neglected over the years, crime and corruption have festered, and ethically compromised people have been appointed to key positions.
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In search of a political match
South Africa goes to the polls on May 29, 2024, as part of the upcoming parliamentary/National and provincial elections. After 30 years of government by Nelson Mandela's party, the African National Congress (ANC), and at the same time, 30 years after the first democratic elections, the party landscape appears more diverse and dynamic. The result of the polls is more uncertain than ever before.
Social Media
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Participate, promote and include! Democracies are under threat from online mis- and disinformation, rising populism, the destabilising effects of the climate crisis, unresolved conflicts, financial turmoil and many other risk factors. To advance democracy, it is important that everyone is able to meaningfully participate in the decisions that affect their lives. An engaged, well-educated electorate is at the heart of strong democratic societies. #InternationalDayOfDemocracy #Democracy #UN
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A New Era of Collaboration: FNF Kenya 🇰🇪 , and Germany 🇩🇪 Leverage Technology to Address Labor Gaps - Friday, September 13, 2024 will be remembered as a historic moment for the Friedrich NaumannFoundation for Freedom as it marked the realisation of an innovative concept advocating for the exchange of labour and skills between the Global North and Global South. In Berlin, an MOU was signed between FNF, the Government of Kenya, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and QhalaTrust. This initiative was born out of the recognition that while the Baby Boomer generation in the Global North is rapidly retiring, creating significant labor shortages, many young, talented professionals in the Global South face a lack of job opportunities. The concept leverages technology to bridge these gaps, allowing skilled youth from the Global South to access remote job opportunities, benefiting both regions.
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The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with the German Embassy Freetown, Sierra Leone, recently organised a roundtable discussion titled "Strengthening Human Rights Reporting in Sierra Leone." This event, held alongside the recording of content for the popular Let’s Talk Human Rights podcast on transitional and restorative justice in post-conflict countries, brought together key stakeholders in journalism and government to address the challenges and opportunities in human rights reporting. Find out more about this gathering here: https://www.freiheit.org/sub-saharan-africa/strengthening-human-rights-reporting-sierra-leone
