29 September 2026
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
The Free Market Foundation (FMF) has presented the Don Caldwell Memorandum on Socialism and Racial Engineering in “Post-Apartheid” South Africa to American policymakers and influencers during a working visit to Washington DC and New York City.
The memorandum is authored by FMF Head of Policy Dr Martin van Staden with FMF Chief Executive Officer David Ansara. It is intended to give policymakers and influencers a more rounded picture of what is happening in South Africa, and guide American foreign policy away from penalising ordinary South Africans, their businesses, or the economy, for the misconduct of partisan political actors in Pretoria.
The FMF handed the document to federal officials at the Department of State and the White House. The FMF also briefed highly placed individuals in the academic, business, and policy advocacy communities, and made formal presentations and handovers to Americans for Tax Reform and its international Property Rights Alliance network, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Atlas Network, and the Cato Institute.
The memorandum is named in honour of Donald Caldwell, an American journalist, author, and defender of liberty, who worked with the FMF during the transition out of Apartheid and passed away in a car accident in 1992.
The memorandum describes why South Africa remains of American interest – as a commercial partner hosting more than 500 United States firms, as the holder of a strategic position on the Cape sea route, as a supplier of minerals that are not readily replaceable from other sources, and as the southern magnet of African migration. The memorandum highlights why American interests would only be served if people and firms can own property, trade without enforced racial restrictions, and expect equal protection under the law.
The document then sets out the official paradigm that still organises much of South African public policy: the persistence of race as a legal criterion in economic life; the insecurity of title under the Expropriation Act and related measures; the uneven protection offered by institutions that were meant to end racial classification; and Pretoria’s alignment with regimes that define themselves against the United States and the values of the South African Constitution. It records, equally, that independent South African civil society is already doing the work of reform on the ground.
“The American interest in South Africa and the interest of ordinary South Africans are aligned,” says Dr Van Staden. “Both require a country in which title is secure, commercial decisions are not racially conditioned, and the Constitution is applied as written. That is the condition on which South Africa remains a useful partner to the United States, and the condition on which South Africans can prosper.”
The FMF’s recommendations to American counterparts are therefore targeted. Pressure should attach to named confiscatory and racial statutes and to the those who administer them. It should not treat the South African population, export industries, or the firms already employing hundreds of thousands of people as a proxy for the political elite responsible for the rupture in relations.
“The FMF’s overriding goal is simple,” says Ansara. “It is to realign South Africa with its own Constitution and with the constitutional promise of the 1990s: individual liberty, private property, free enterprise, non-racialism, and limited government. American engagement that distinguishes Pretoria’s racial-socialist policy programme from the people and firms who still believe in that promise would serve both countries.”
Click here to read the Don Caldwell Memorandum on Socialism and Racial Engineering in “Post-Apartheid” South Africa.
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Vryemarkstigting lê Don Caldwell-memorandum aan VSA-beleidmakers in Washington en New York voor
29 September 2026
Scroll up for English version.
Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) het die Don Caldwell Memorandum on Socialism and Racial Engineering in “Post-Apartheid” South Africa tydens ’n werkbesoek aan Washington DC en New York City aan Amerikaanse beleidmakers en beïnvloedersvoorgelê.
Die memorandum is geskryf deur die FMF se Beleidshoof, dr. Martin van Staden, saam met die FMF se Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte, David Ansara. Dit is bedoel om beleidmakers en beïnvloeders ’n voller beeld te gee van wat in Suid-Afrika aan die gang is, en om Amerikaanse buitelandse beleid weg te stuur van die bestraffing van gewone Suid-Afrikaners, hul ondernemings, of die ekonomie vir die wangedrag van partydige politieke rolspelers in Pretoria.
Die FMF het die dokument aan federale amptenare by die Departement van Buitelandse Sake en die Withuis oorhandig. Die FMF het ook hooggeplaaste individue in die akademiese, sake- en beleidsvoorspraakgemeenskappe ingelig, en formeleaanbiedings en oorhandigings gedoen aan Americans for Tax Reform en sy internasionale Property Rights Alliance-netwerk, die Competitive Enterprise Institute, die Atlas Network, en die Cato Institute.
Die memorandum is genoem ter ere van Donald Caldwell, ’n Amerikaanse joernalis, skrywer, en voorstander van vryheid, wat tydens die oorgang uit Apartheid saam met die FMF gewerk het en in 1992 in ’n motorongeluk oorlede is.
Die memorandum beskryf waarom Suid-Afrika van Amerikaanse belang bly – as ’n kommersiële vennoot wat meer as 500 ondernemings van die Verenigde State huisves, as die houer van ’n strategiese posisie op die Kaapse seeroete, as ’n verskaffervan minerale wat nie geredelik uit ander bronne vervang kan word nie, en as die suidelike magneet van Afrikamigrasie. Die memorandum belig waarom Amerikaanse belange slegs gedien sou word indien mense en firmas eiendom kan besit, sonderafgedwonge rasbeperkings kan handel, en gelyke beskerming onder die reg kan verwag.
Die dokument sit daarna die amptelike paradigma uiteen wat steeds ’n groot deel van Suid-Afrikaanse openbare beleid organiseer: die volgehoue gebruik van ras as ’n regsmaatstaf in die ekonomiese lewe; die onsekerheid van titel onder die Onteieningswet en verwante maatreëls; die ongelyke beskerming wat gebied word deur instellings wat rasseklassifikasie moes beëindig; en Pretoria se belyning met regimes wat hulself teen die Verenigde State en die waardes van die Suid-AfrikaanseGrondwet definieer. Dit teken eweneens aan dat onafhanklike Suid-Afrikaanse burgerlike samelewing die werk van hervorming reeds op die grond doen.
“Die Amerikaanse belang in Suid-Afrika en die belang van gewone Suid-Afrikaners is belyn,” sê dr. Van Staden. “Albei vereis ’n land waarin eiendom veilig is, kommersiële besluite nie rassegewys gekondisioneer word nie, en die Grondwet toegepasword soos dit geskryf is. Dít is die voorwaarde waarop Suid-Afrika ’n nuttige vennoot van die Verenigde State bly, en die voorwaarde waarop Suid-Afrikaners kan floreer.”
Die FMF se aanbevelings aan Amerikaanse eweknieë is derhalwe geteiken. Druk behoort te kleef aan benoemde konfiskerende en rasgebaseerde statute en aan diegene wat dit administreer. Dit behoort nie die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking, uitvoerbedrywe, of die firmas wat reeds honderdduisende mense in diens het as ’n plaasvervanger vir die politieke elite wat vir die breuk in betrekkinge verantwoordelik is, te behandel nie.
“Die FMF se oorkoepelende doel is eenvoudig,” sê Ansara. “Dit is om Suid-Afrika weer in lyn te bring met sy eie Grondwet en met die grondwetlike belofte van die 1990’s: individuele vryheid, privaateiendom, vrye onderneming, nierrassigheid, enbeperkte staatsmag. Amerikaanse betrokkenheid wat Pretoria se rassesosialistiese beleidsprogram onderskei van die mense en firmas wat steeds in daardie belofte glo, sou albei lande dien.”
Klik hier om die Don Caldwell Memorandum on Socialism and Racial Engineering in “Post-Apartheid” South Africa in Engels te lees.
Einde.
