Free SA Supports BELA Guidelines: Local accountability must triumph over centralised control
The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) has welcomed the Department of Basic Education’s newly published BELA implementation guidelines, which rightfully affirm the power of school governing bodies (SGBs) to determine their own language and admissions policies within a constitutional framework. Free SA strongly supports efforts that place meaningful decision-making power in […]
Protect Our Independence: Say No to SARB Capture
The government’s proposed amendments (such as the SARB Amendment Bill B26‑2018 and ANC’s push for nationalisation) aim to grant the state sweeping powers over the Reserve Bank—weakening its constitutionally mandated independence to control inflation and protect the rand. This campaign calls on South Africans to unite in defence of monetary stability and democratic oversight by […]
How civil society helped save SA school governance
South Africa for the past three decades has faced a stubborn one way ideological street of ever-expanding centralisation. It is therefore both rare and refreshing to observe a ministerial response that is measured, constitutional, and receptive to civic critique. Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube’s recently published Guidelines for the Implementation of the 2024 Amendments […]
Free SA Announces Winners of the 2025 Young Leaders Awards: Celebrating Youth Who Are Reshaping South Africa
Free SA proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Young Leaders Awards, honouring extraordinary young South Africans whose efforts are driving positive change in their communities and across the nation. Each category winner takes home a R7,500 prize in recognition of their outstanding contributions. These young changemakers exemplify courage, innovation, and service, living proof that […]
Free SA Welcomes Department’s New BELA Guidelines as a Victory for Constitutional Education Governance
Cape Town – Free SA today welcomes the Department of Basic Education’s newly issued Guidelines for the Implementation of the 2024 Amendments to the South African Schools Act. Just in time for Youth Day, these guidelines reflect a meaningful and commendable effort by Minister Siviwe Gwarube and her team to incorporate constitutional principles, public participation, […]
Privatise the SABC Entirely!
In politics, the phrase “too big to fail” often just means “too interconnected to be allowed to fail”. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is one such beast deemed to be too big to fail. Since 2009, the SABC has received the equivalent of nearly R9 billion in taxpayer-funded bailouts. That’s a staggering sum. It […]
Apologies in the stars: SA’s Satellite Policy and the perils of ideological rigidity
South Africa’s draft policy on satellite internet reads like a press release from a government at war with itself. On the one hand, it concedes—almost grudgingly—that access to fast, reliable internet is good for economic growth. On the other, it spends the better part of its pages convincing an imaginary inquisition that opening up the […]
Starlink coming to South Africa? Have your say and shape South Africa’s Digital Future
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has proposed a new policy direction that could reshape how Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is applied in the ICT sector. Instead of requiring 30% direct ownership by historically disadvantaged South Africans, foreign companies may soon be able to contribute through Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs)—supporting local suppliers, job […]
Re-Racialising the Economy? Oppose the Employment Equity Sectoral Targets!
Free SA condemns the Department of Employment and Labour’s recently gazetted Employment Equity sectoral targets as a misguided and unconstitutional attempt at demographic engineering. This policy will undermine economic growth, damage merit-based advancement, and erode the foundational principle of non-racialism enshrined in the Constitution. Make your voice heard More about this campaign In the media […]
Crime stats: time to bring safety home
Every hour in South Africa, nearly three people are murdered. Every day, over 500 people are assaulted with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. On average, 139 rapes occur daily. These aren’t abstract figures, but reflect the lived experiences of thousands of South Africans and are brutal reminders of lives lost, communities traumatised, and a […]