Former President F W De Klerk opened the offices of the newly formed FW de Klerk Foundation in Tygerberg Hills Park in Cape Town on Tuesday, a representative for the foundation said in a statement.
He told a small reception at the opening that the foundation aimed to promote dialogue between the government and civil society and promote the Constitution by supporting initiatives to help South Africans claim their rights.
The foundation would hold its first public conference on July 4 and 5 at Potchefstroom University in conjunction with the university’s law faculty and the National Human Rights Trust. The conference would debate the Bill of Rights, seven years after its adoption as part of the 1996 Constitution.
The conference will debate the Bill of Rights under four headings: equality and non-discrimination; cultural, religious, language and education rights; property rights, land reform and equitable access to natural resources; and social and economic
rights.
Constitutional Court president Judge Arthur Chaskalson will deliver the keynote speech. Other keynote speeches will be delivered by members of the government, academics and jurists. – Sapa