19 March
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
As South Africa approaches Human Rights Day on 21 March, the Free Market Foundation (FMF) has called on government to replace hollow commemorations with tangible reforms that actually protect the rights and dignity enshrined in the Constitution.
“Human Rights Day honours the victims of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre and the struggle for freedom,” says Martin van Staden, FMF Head of Policy. “Yet the government fails its most basic duties while engaging in foreign-policy contradictions that mock the very principles it claims to uphold.”
The state’s inability to fulfil its core mandate – protecting public order and safety – remains the most glaring failure. Violent crime continues to devastate communities, with statistics indicating 70 murders daily and five reported rapes every hour. Instead of confronting these threats, authorities devote disproportionate resources to policing peaceful, voluntary conduct by ordinary citizens and small enterprises.
“This over-criminalisation has left victims unprotected and eroded trust in institutions,” says Van Staden.
The FMF’s Section 12 Initiative provides clear, practical solutions.
The project demands that criminal law be accurately scoped to target only genuine violence, that police, prosecutorial, and prison capacity be urgently expanded, that criminal justice be substantially decentralised to empower provinces, municipalities, communities, and private security providers, and that all non-violent voluntary activities be decriminalised.
“By focusing on violent criminals rather than harassing law-abiding South Africans, we can restore safety in our homes-turned-warzone,” explains Van Staden.
Equally urgent is the economic reality confronting millions.
Policy choices in 2026 continue to impose crushing regulatory burdens, making a dignified life almost unattainable for the unemployed and small business owners.
South Africa’s dirigiste labour laws, licensing requirements, and state economic interference stifle job creation and entrepreneurship. The result is persistent poverty and despair – precisely the opposite of the constitutional promise of dignity for all.
The FMF’s Liberty First policy agenda offers the antidote.
The initiative champions free markets, secure property rights, and limited government as the only sustainable path to prosperity. Freedom fuels prosperity.
By removing regulatory obstacles and empowering individuals, families, businesses, and communities, government could ignite the growth that will lift South Africans out of dependency.
Finally, while South Africa would do well to adopt a genuinely non-aligned status in foreign affairs, it cannot credibly commemorate Sharpeville while celebrating or aligning with regimes, such as that in Iran, that have in recent times openly killed protesters. Human Rights Day is meant to remember state violence against unarmed civilians. Selective outrage abroad undermines the moral authority of domestic remembrance.
“South Africa’s Human Rights Day must be defined by deeds, not rhetoric,” concludes Van Staden. “The FMF’s Section 12 and Liberty First projects deliver concrete, evidence-based solutions to crime, poverty, and policy inconsistency. The Government of National Unity is operating on borrowed time, and must now choose liberty and accountability over continued failure. Only then will Human Rights Day truly honour its name.”
Ends.
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Suid-Afrika moet Menseregtedag vier met hervorming, nie retoriek nie, sê Vryemarkstigting
19 Maart
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Suid-Afrika nader Menseregtedag op 21 Maart, en die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) het ‘n beroep op die regering gedoen om leë vierings te vervang met konkrete hervormings wat werklik die regte en waardigheid beskerm wat in die Grondwet beoog is.
“Menseregtedag eer die slagoffers van die Sharpeville-slagting van 1960 en die stryd vir vryheid,” sê Martin van Staden, FMF Beleidshoof. “Tog versuim die regering sy mees basiese pligte terwyl dit betrokke raak by buitelandse-beleid-teenstrydighede wat juis die beginsels wat dit voorgee om te handhaaf, bespot.”
Die staat se onvermoë om sy kernmandaat – die beskerming van openbare orde en veiligheid – na te kom, bly die mees opvallende versaking. Geweldsmisdaad verwoes steeds gemeenskappe, met statistieke wat aandui dat daar daagliks 70 moorde plaasvind en vyf aangemelde verkragtings elke uur voorkom. In plaas daarvan om hierdie bedreigings aan te pak, wy die owerhede buitensporige hulpbronne aan die polisiëring van vreedsame, vrywillige gedrag deur gewone burgers en klein ondernemings.
“Hierdie oorkriminalisering het daartoe gelei dat slagoffers onbeskerm bly en vertroue in instellings ondermyn word,” sê Van Staden.
Die FMF se Section 12-inisiatief bied duidelike, praktiese oplossings.
Die projek vereis dat die strafreg akkuraat begrens word sodat dit slegs werklike geweld teiken, dat polisie-, vervolging-, en gevangeniskapasiteit dringend uitgebrei word, dat die strafregstelsel wesenlik gedesentraliseer word om provinsies, munisipaliteite, gemeenskappe, en privaat-sekuriteitsverskaffers te bemagtig, en dat alle nie-gewelddadige vrywillige aktiwiteite gedekriminaliseer word.
“Deur te fokus op gewelddadige misdadigers eerder as om wetgehoorsame Suid-Afrikaners te teister, kan ons veiligheid herstel in ons tuistes wat in oorlogsones verander het,” verduidelik Van Staden.
Ewe dringend is die ekonomiese werklikheid waarmee miljoene mense gekonfronteer word.
Beleidskeuses in 2026 plaas steeds verpletterende regulatoriese laste op burgers, wat ‘n waardige bestaan byna onbereikbaar maak vir die werklooses en kleinsakemanne.
Suid-Afrika se dirigistiese arbeidsregulasies, lisensievereistes, en staatlike ekonomiese inmenging smoor werkskepping en ondernemerskap. Die gevolg is aanhoudende armoede en wanhoop – presies die teenoorgestelde van die grondwetlike belofte van waardigheid vir almal.
Die FMF se Liberty First-beleidsagenda bied die teenmiddel.
Dié inisiatief staan vir vrye markte, veilige eiendomsregte, en beperkte staatsmag as die enigste volhoubare pad na voorspoed. Vryheid voed voorspoed.
Deur regulatoriese hindernisse te verwyder en individue, gesinne, besighede, en gemeenskappe te bemagtig, kan die regering die groei aanwakker wat Suid-Afrikaners uit afhanklikheid sal lig.
Laastens: hoewel Suid-Afrika baat sou vind by die aanvaarding van ‘n opreg nie-verbonde-status in buitelandse sake, kan dit nie geloofwaardig Sharpeville herdenk terwyl dit regimes soos dié in Iran vier of daarmee saamwerk nie – regimes wat onlangs nog openlik betogers doodgemaak het. Menseregtedag is bedoel om staatsgeweld teen ongewapende burgers te gedenk. Selektiewe verontwaardiging in die buiteland ondermyn die morele gesag van binnelandse herdenking.
“Suid-Afrika se Menseregtedag moet deur dade gedefinieer word, nie deur retoriek nie,” sluit Van Staden af. “Die FMF se Section 12– en Liberty First-projekte lewer konkrete, bewysgebaseerde oplossings vir misdaad, armoede, en beleidsinkonsekwentheid. Die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid werk op geleende tyd, en moet nou kies vir vryheid en aanspreeklikheid bo voortgesette mislukking. Eers dan sal Menseregtedag werklik sy naam gestand doen.”
Einde.
