Joe Slovo Foundation Established
Following 12 months in preparation, the establishment of the Joe Slovo Foundation was confirmed today in time for the 16th anniversary of Slovo's death on Thursday 6th of January. An official celebration is planned to launch The Joe Slovo Foundation towards the end of May to coincide with what would have been Slovo's 85th Birthday .
In keeping with Slovo's legacy, the Foundation's mission will serve to commemorate his life's work as well as raise funds towards accelerating sustainable progress for quality education and housing, two issues that were close to his heart as well as provide legal and professional services to those in need
"We are launching the Foundation not only to commemorate his death, but also to celebrate his life's work," said Martin Dolny, fund-raiser for the foundation "Despite significant progress, education and housing remain urgent priorities for this country. We need to empower South Africans of all ages with education, skills and opportunities.
In support of Joe Slovo Right to Learn Campaign the Foundation will prioritise e-skills, an area where there is particularly short supply. Additionally, the Foundation will focus on hastening the pace at which South Africans, can access low cost, quality housing. The Foundation will give priority for supporting the expansion of housing co-operatives to expedite the housing delivery, as well as legal and professional services - after all people will remember Slovo was a lawyer
Dolny (brother-in-law of Slovo) who is organising the first fund-raising launch said, "The Foundation has already received tremendous support and commitment from comrades and colleagues of the late minister and ANC hero as well as political parties, labour and business. The Foundation's purpose will be to mobilise further resources and act as an enabling agent for donors and Non-Governmental Organisations as well as Community-Based Organisations and as a catalyst to strengthen coordination and improve spending & reporting in these two areas. It is quite rewarding that despite all the vilification he received from the apartheid regime earlier in his life Joe is held in such high regard and with deep affection by people from across the entire spectrum of our rainbow nation and internationally".
"The Foundation's business acumen and wide contacts will also seek to serve organisations having practical substance, popular support, and a useful mission, but which may have as yet have little admin/ legal / accounting expertise, or fund-raising capacity. We see valuable initiatives struggling for lack of the kind of support that the Foundation can assist with" commented Dolny
Joe Slovo, who became the first Minister of Housing in the democratic South Africa was instrumental in negotiating an agreement with South African banks to finance low-cost housing. This did not materialise during Slovo lifetime. However, through sustained campaigning various commercial banks now offer special rates to previously disadvantaged groups.
It was Slovo who first broached the famous "sunset clause" that paved the way for the Government of National Unity under President Nelson Mandela and it was Nelson Mandela who in 1994 conferred on Slovo the ANC's highest honour Isithwalandwe-Seaparankoe for his life-long and distinguished contribution to the struggle.
"We are in the process of inviting representatives of labour, small & large business, civil society as well as colleagues and family of Slovo to oversee how and where the funds are deployed. In addition the foundation will provide regular report backs so that donors may comply with their own legislative and stake-holder reporting requirements, further, as a Non Profit Organisation it will be independently audited.
During the launch celebration, a 10 day long on-line auction will commence .Various items that have been donated to the foundation and some of Slovo's memorabilia, including one of the last remaining pairs of his famous red socks and a 1920's art deco rare African Partridge Wood desk that Slovo used during his years in exile will be auctioned. The idea of on-line auction is to allow ordinary people to participate in supporting the foundation explained Dolny. Those interested in the foundation's forthcoming activities will also be able to go to www.facebook.com and sign up to the joe slovo foundation
Donations can be made through cheques, deposits and electronic transfers to:
The JS Foundation: FNB Rosebank - Branch Code 253-305. Account Number 6217598704
Statement issued by JS Foundation. Fundraising Organiser: Martin Dolny ([email protected]) January 5 2011
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
