Latest news with #FWdeKlerkFoundation
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Race classifications won't fix the injustices of the past, De Klerk Foundation tells Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has clarified the government's position on race classification. Image: GCIS President Cyril Ramaphosa's clarifying of government's position on race-based terminology in official records has ignited debate over the country's progress in redressing the injustices of the past. He said that while the long-term goal was to create a society where people were not divided by historical race, the use of such classifications remained a difficult but necessary part of the country's transition from its apartheid past to a future of equality. The President was responding to questions from members of the National Assembly, particularly the Patriotic Alliance's Marlon Daniels, who asked why coloured, Indian, Khoisan and white people were not classified as African. In a statement released on Tuesday night, the FW de Klerk Foundation said Ramaphosa's utterances in Parliament raised questions about his commitment to the National Constitution's vision of a non-racial society. 'The continued use of race classification in various laws promulgated over time, serves no purpose other than using it for political patronage and electoral support purposes,' the foundation said. 'The outcome of chasing ethnic or racial targets at the expense of expertise has had disastrous consequences at all levels of government, state-owned enterprises, and especially on service delivery at municipal level, in schools, hospitals and so many other public institutions,' it added. 'And it is the poorest of the poor, the black majority, that suffers.' Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, said that alternative ways of overcoming the legacies of the past should be explored, and that government should devise a new system balancing the need for redress with merit. He suggested using a diverse and data-driven range of instruments to determine the social status of citizens. Government should also prioritise mentoring and learnership programs that primarily target economically and educationally disadvantaged people. Furthermore, skills, expertise, and the ability to deliver should be the determining factors in appointing people to critical government positions. 'Reverting back to outdated, divisive and humiliating race-classifications and the use of employment equity targets do not help at all to overcome the injustices of the past. In fact, the past thirty years have proved that such blunt instruments do more harm than good,' Van der Rheede said. 'Any society that builds a future on ethnicity or skin colour is doomed to fail.' He added that the country was currently bleeding talent, which if leveraged, could have greatly contributed to overcoming the legacies of the past. In Parliament, Ramaphosa said that until South Africa had reached its goal of equality for all people, there would be circumstances when we need to use such terminology. He said the country's national statistics agency, Stats SA, continues to use racial categories such as Black African, Coloured, Indian/Asian, and White in the census and other reporting. 'Our responsibility is to ensure that these terms ultimately make the differences they refer to less and less important, until they are rendered meaningless and no longer serve any purpose,' Ramaphosa said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL Politics
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Ramaphosa and Trump: A pivotal meeting welcomed by the De Klerk Foundation
The FW de Klerk Foundation expressed support for the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump, expected to take place on Wednesday. Image: Se-Anne Rall The FW de Klerk Foundation has expressed strong support for the upcoming meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump, saying both leaders are expected to deal with significant challenges facing the world. Ramaphosa arrived in Washington on Monday evening and his meeting with Trump is expected to take place on Wednesday. The foundation said the meeting should be welcomed and supported, having already advocated for constructive dialogue between the Union Buildings and the White House in an open letter released earlier this year. Trump has taken aim at South Africa after he was elected for the second term, citing disapproval of its land reform policy and the country's genocide case against US ally, Israel, before the International Court of Justice. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ His administration cut funding to the country in February and last week granted refugee status to a group of White Afrikaners it said were facing racial discrimination and persecution - a claim the government has denied. Upon his arrival in the US, the Presidency said the purpose of the visit was to reset and retrieve bilateral relations between SA and the US. 'In this regard, the visit will focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations,' read a statement. FW de Klerk Foundation believes that matters that benefit both South Africa and the US should be focused on, rather than trivial domestic issues. The foundation said the spotlight should be particularly focused on trade and matters related to strategic geo-political cooperation. South Africa remains the US's largest trading partner in Africa, with trade between the two countries amounting to more than $20 billion. Approximately 600 US companies are operating in South Africa and they employ up to 200,000 people. The US also imports several important minerals from SA, these include platinum, gold, chromium, manganese and various other ores and slag. According to the Minerals Council, platinum group metals form a significant part of SA's exports to the US, such as iron and steel. 'These exports amounted to approximately US$10.94 million in 2024. The Trump administration has also exempted these minerals from his tariff hikes,' said the foundation. The foundation said Ramaphosa also plays a highly strategic role behind the scenes. It said Ramaphosa's ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as the fact he has the ear of Iran and Hamas, puts him in a unique position to work with the US to help peace to conflict-torn parts of the world. 'He has already touched on these issues in an earlier telephone conversation with President Trump. In addition, let's not forget his good relationship with President Xi Jinping of China,' said the foundation, adding that Ramaphosa should use these 'trump' cards to help promote world peace and to help negotiate a global trade regime. 'The world faces significant challenges. Poverty, underdevelopment, famine, crime, international drug cartels and terrorist groups pose major risks to world peace and stability. Statesmanship and visionary leadership are needed to tackle these challenges together. This is what both South Africans and Americans expect from their political leaders.' Ramaphosa will be accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, as well as Mcebisi Jonas, who is the Special Envoy to the US.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Ramaphosa-Trump meeting: FW de Klerk Foundation calls for trade focus
President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with Donald Trump takes place on Wednesday Image: Se-Anne Rall The FW de Klerk Foundation has welcomed the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump. Ramaphosa arrived in Washington on Tuesday morning. The meeting is expected to take place on Wednesday. In an open letter, the Foundation said it had already advocated for a constructive dialogue between the Union Building and the White House. 'The Foundation believes that matters that benefit both South Africa and the United States should be focused on, rather than trivial domestic issues," the Foundation said. "The spotlight should be particularly focused on trade and matters related to strategic geo-political cooperation. "On the trade front, South Africa remains the US's largest trading partner in Africa. Trade between the two countries already amounts to more than $20 billion." It said there are currently 600 US companies operating in South Africa, which employ approximately 200,000 people. The US imports several important minerals from South Africa, including platinum, gold, chromium, manganese, and various other ores and slag. According to the Minerals Council, platinum group metals form a significant part of South Africa's exports to the US, as do iron and steel. The Foundation said these exports amounted to approximately $10.94 million in 2024. The Trump administration exempted these minerals from its tariff hikes. 'On a geopolitical level, President Ramaphosa plays a highly strategic role behind the scenes. His ties with both Putin and Zelensky, as well as the fact that he has the ear of Iran and Hamas, put him in a unique position to work with the US to help bring peace to conflict-torn parts of the world.' 'He has already touched on these issues in an earlier telephone conversation with President Trump. In addition, let's not forget his good relationship with President Xi Jinping of China,' the Foundation said. It also called on Ramaphosa to use these 'trump' cards to help promote world peace and help negotiate a fairer global trade regime. 'The world faces significant challenges. Poverty, underdevelopment, famine, crime, international drug cartels, and terrorist groups pose major risks to world peace and stability. Statesmanship and visionary leadership are needed to tackle these challenges together. This is what both South Africans and Americans expect from their political leaders,' it said. The Foundation welcomed the clarification by cabinet members in the Government of National Unity (GNU) in terms of domestic policy issues, such as the Expropriation Act, and also disinformation campaigns related to genocide, persecution of Afrikaners, and confiscation of land from white farmers happening in South Africa. 'It is the responsibility of all cabinet members, especially those from opposition ranks such as the IFP, DA, FF-plus, and PA, to put South Africa's interests first. Their actions must be future-oriented, and the focus must be on strengthening a coalition of political moderates and pragmatists to take the country forward. A strong and united political front of moderates and pragmatists must be built to solve the many challenges we face,' it said. 'Animosity and squabbling over trivialities between GNU partners only provide ammunition to radical elements, which do not seek to promote South Africa's interests, but are rather hellbent on promoting their populist, unworkable, and divisive agendas,' the Foundation said. The Foundation wished the GNU representatives, led by President Ramaphosa, all the best in Washington. 'The majority of the people of South Africa have placed their trust in the GNU. Do not let us down!' [email protected] Weekend Argus
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
FW de Klerk Foundation on Ramaphosa-Trump talks: 'Focus should be on trade, not trivial domestic issues'
President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with Donald Trump takes place on Wednesday Image: Se-Anne Rall The FW de Klerk Foundation has welcomed the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump. Ramaphosa arrived in Washington on Tuesday morning. The meeting is expected to take place on Wednesday. In an open letter, the Foundation said it had already advocated for a constructive dialogue between the Union Building and the White House. 'The Foundation believes that matters that benefit both South Africa and the United States should be focused on, rather than trivial domestic issues," the Foundation said. "The spotlight should be particularly focused on trade and matters related to strategic geo-political cooperation. "On the trade front, South Africa remains the US's largest trading partner in Africa. Trade between the two countries already amounts to more than $20 billion." It said there are currently 600 US companies operating in South Africa, which employ approximately 200,000 people. The US imports several important minerals from South Africa, including platinum, gold, chromium, manganese, and various other ores and slag. According to the Minerals Council, platinum group metals form a significant part of South Africa's exports to the US, as do iron and steel. The Foundation said these exports amounted to approximately $10.94 million in 2024. The Trump administration exempted these minerals from its tariff hikes. 'On a geopolitical level, President Ramaphosa plays a highly strategic role behind the scenes. His ties with both Putin and Zelensky, as well as the fact that he has the ear of Iran and Hamas, put him in a unique position to work with the US to help bring peace to conflict-torn parts of the world.' 'He has already touched on these issues in an earlier telephone conversation with President Trump. In addition, let's not forget his good relationship with President Xi Jinping of China,' the Foundation said. It also called on Ramaphosa to use these 'trump' cards to help promote world peace and help negotiate a fairer global trade regime. 'The world faces significant challenges. Poverty, underdevelopment, famine, crime, international drug cartels, and terrorist groups pose major risks to world peace and stability. Statesmanship and visionary leadership are needed to tackle these challenges together. This is what both South Africans and Americans expect from their political leaders,' it said. The Foundation welcomed the clarification by cabinet members in the Government of National Unity (GNU) in terms of domestic policy issues, such as the Expropriation Act, and also disinformation campaigns related to genocide, persecution of Afrikaners, and confiscation of land from white farmers happening in South Africa. 'It is the responsibility of all cabinet members, especially those from opposition ranks such as the IFP, DA, FF-plus, and PA, to put South Africa's interests first. Their actions must be future-oriented, and the focus must be on strengthening a coalition of political moderates and pragmatists to take the country forward. A strong and united political front of moderates and pragmatists must be built to solve the many challenges we face,' it said. 'Animosity and squabbling over trivialities between GNU partners only provide ammunition to radical elements, which do not seek to promote South Africa's interests, but are rather hellbent on promoting their populist, unworkable, and divisive agendas,' the Foundation said. The Foundation wished the GNU representatives, led by President Ramaphosa, all the best in Washington. 'The majority of the people of South Africa have placed their trust in the GNU. Do not let us down!' [email protected] IOL Get your news on the go. Click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
