Free SA Calls for a Renewed Commitment to True Non-Racialism on Human Rights Day
As South Africa prepares to commemorate Human Rights Day, Free SA is calling for urgent action to uphold non-racialism as a foundational principle of the Constitution, rather than allowing it to be reduced to mere rhetoric. In its latest report, Non-Racialism: Empty Filler or Constitutional Cornerstone?, Free SA highlights how racial classification and race-based policies continue […]
End the SAPO Bailouts – Open the Market for Better Service
The South African Post Office (SAPO) has failed. Since 2014, the SAPO has received a total of approximately R14.1 billion in government bailouts. This includes R7.9 billion between 2014 and 2019, an additional R2.4 billion in February 2023, and a further R3.8 billion allocated for its business rescue plan. Despite repeated bailouts, corruption scandals, and […]
Stop the financial collapse of healthcare – say NO to the NHI
The South African government has released its draft regulations for the National Health Insurance (NHI) Fund and is calling for public comment. These regulations outline how the government intends to control and finance healthcare under the NHI—but they fail to address the crippling costs, financial risks, and potential for corruption that come with this Fund, […]
Free SA calls for drastic reduction of cabinet
Government inefficiencies are on the spotlight as treasury is urged to look at alternative ways to cover the budget shortfall. Free SA has written to president Cyril Ramaphosa, asking him to start by trimming his cabinet. Watch the discussion on eNCA
Free SA ready to take the fight to court if ‘unlawful’ National Minimum Wage increase is not withdrawn
The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) has taken legal action against the Minister of Employment and Labour, Hon. Nomakhosazana Meth, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the unlawful 4.2% increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The wage hike, gazetted on 4 February 2025, was implemented without public consultation, parliamentary oversight, or […]
Cannabis edibles ban queried
The Foundation for the Rights of Expression and Equality (FreeSA) has given Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi 14 days to justify the ban on food items containing hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is an essential component of medicinal marijuana and is derived from the hemp plant. FreeSA is calling for transparency and public consultation on […]
Take a hike
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana’s proposed 2025 budget speech sparked strong opposition from various political parties. In Wednesday’s budget speech, Godongwana proposed that the country’s VAT rate will increase by 0.5 percentage points in both 2025 and 2026, bringing the VAT rate to 16% by 2026 and 2027. While the ANC argues that the budget […]
Government’s Ban on Hemp and CBD in Food Challenged: Free SA Demands Transparency and Public Consultation
Civil rights organisation Free SA has formally demanded answers from the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, regarding the recently published Regulations Relating to the Prohibition of the Sale, Importation and Manufacture of Foodstuffs Containing Any Part of the Plant or Component Derived from the Genus Cannabis Sativa L, Hemp, Hemp Seed Oil or Hemp Seed Flour(Government Gazette […]
Budget 2025 | Opposition united in fury over VAT hike and reform failures
The 2025 proposed budget presented by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday has sparked strong opposition from various political parties, each offering critical perspectives on the government’s fiscal policies. Read more on IOL
President Ramaphosa Must Make Drastic Cuts to Cabinet to Improve Governance and Slash Costs, says Free SA
Free SA has officially delivered a proposal to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, calling for a significant reduction of the country’s bloated cabinet from 77 to just 26 executive members. The current cabinet structure—one of the largest and most expensive in the world—costs taxpayers over R1 billion annually in salaries, […]