Submitter:

Name:Owen Ambur

Email:Owen.Ambur@verizon.net

Organization:

Name:Free Market Foundation

Acronym:FMF

Description:
The Free Market Foundation (Southern Africa) is an independent public benefit organisation founded in 1975 ... It is financed by membership subscriptions, donations and sponsorships... The FMF was established to counter the steadily increasing intervention in the economy by the government of the time. Protectionism, high inflation, price controls, bureaucracy and relentless enforcement of racial discrimination all escalated during the 1970's. In 1977 the FMF became a national body when it received the support of major institutions, including SACOB, AHI, NAFCOC, TUCSA, the National Black Consumer Union, and the National Consumer Union. Representatives of major companies played an active role in the reconstitution of the Foundation and commenced participation in its affairs.

Stakeholder(s):

• Leon Louw: Executive Director -- Leon Louw, Executive Director of the Free Market Foundation since 1978, has had a significant impact on policy-making in South Africa since joining the Foundation. He is a well-known public speaker who has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and co-author of South Africa: The Solution and Let the People Govern.


• Eustace Davie: Director -- Eustace Davie is a chartered accountant and was a businessman before becoming a full time Director of the FMF in 1981. He is a Director of the Health Policy Unit (a division of the FMF) and is responsible for the website and for all printed and electronic publications of the Foundation. He is author of Jobs for the Jobless and Unchain the Child.


• Temba Nolutshungu: Director -- Temba Nolutshungu became a Director of the Foundation in 1990 and is responsible for the FMF's parliamentary liaison office in Cape Town. He played a prominent role in the Black Consciousness Movement in his youth and was detained on two occasions.


• FMF Board of Non-Executive Directors


• Herman Mashaba: Chairman -- Herman Mashaba is a Non-Executive Director of Black Like Me (Pty) Ltd which he co-founded in 1985. He is Executive Chairman of Lephatsi Investments (Pty) Ltd, Leswikeng Group of Companies and Phatsima Group of Companies and holds several other directorships. In 2004 Herman won the FMF's Free Market Award for his exceptional contribution to the cause of economic freedom.


• Brand Pretorius: Deputy Chairman -- Brand Pretorius began his business career at Toyota South Africa in March 1973 and ended it as Chief Executive Officer of McCarthy and as an Executive Director of the Bidvest Group in March 2011. He currently serves as a non-executive director on several boards and as a member of the advisory board of the Motor Industry Ombudsman.


• Brian Benfield: Board member -- Brian Benfield is the founder and former Chairman of Clientele Life, and currently Chairman of SA Motor Loans, and Chairman of Prime Meridian Direct. He is Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at the University of the Witwatersrand and Chairman of the Board of Examiners of the Insurance Institute.


• Nic Frangos: Board member -- Nic Frangos is Chairman of investment companies Global Equities and Ashford International. He is a Director and Partner of Lephatsi Financial Services, Smartec, and US based Qorval, a corporate rejuvenation and renewal corporation.


• Eddie Keizan: Board member -- Eddie Keizan is the Non-Executive Chairman of TiAuto Investments Pty Ltd, founder of former Tiger Wheels Ltd group of companies, a Director of Aviation and Property companies, and was a motorsport competitor from 1967 to 1979.


• Ayanda Khumalo: Board member -- Ayanda Khumalo has extensive experience in financial management, auditing and corporate finance, with an interest in models of economic development for the developing world. He is a chartered accountant and has held executive positions in various commercial and professional entities. He became a member of the Executive Committee and Council of the FMF in 2002.


• Johanna Mcdowell: Board member -- Johanna Mcdowell is a marketing professional with more than 30 years' experience in advertising, public relations and marketing communications in South Africa and the UK. She has been a company director for more than 20 years and has sat on boards in both countries over those years including more than 10 years on the Institute of Directors board. For the past six years she has been Group Chief Executive of Mazole Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a group of marketing related companies, and is world President of the International Public Relations Association, a voluntary global organisation.


• Bronwyn Nielsen: Board member -- Bronwyn Nielsen has been with CNBC Africa since its launch in 2007. Bronwyn has over 14 years in the South African broadcasting industry and numerous accolades to her name including the 2006 Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year. She is best known for her weekday evening program Business Tonight where her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the UCT has given her credibility in a highly competitive arena. Bronwyn has recently been appointed Executive Director of the ABN Group which houses both the CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa brands.


• Don Ncube: Board member -- Don Ncube is an entrepreneur in the coal mining and energy sectors. He is the Executive Chairman of Badimo Gas (Pty) Ltd, Chief Operating Officer of Vula Mining Supplies (Pty) Ltd, and a Non-Executive Director of GoldFields Ltd.


• Jeremy Sampson: Board member -- Jeremy Sampson is Founder and Group Executive Chairman of Interbrand Sampson which has offices in over 20 countries. Interbrand Sampson was Finweek's branding and design agency of the year 2009 and 2010, and Jeremy is currently the Financial Mail's AdFocus Lifetime Achiever. He is a visiting Professor at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.


• SACOB


• AHI


• NAFCOC


• TUCSA


• National Black Consumer Union


• National Consumer Union


• Business Caucus: The FMF convened what became known as the "business caucus", through which business leaders negotiated successfully for the inclusion of property rights in the Bill of Rights. The FMF's submissions to Codesa and Parliamentary constitutional committees contributed, for instance, to the devolution of exclusive powers to local and regional tiers of government, the inclusion in the limitation clause of the requirement that limitations of rights must be "justifiable in an open and democratic society", and the inclusion of the administrative justice clause (33), the freedom of trade clause (22), and the rule of law as a justiciable provision in the Founding Provisions of the constitution.


• South Africa