FMF tables Liberty First agenda as Parliament is set to open on 18 July

17 July 2024

The Free Market Foundation (FMF) is in the process of circulating its policy agenda for the current parliamentary term to ministers, portfolio committee chairs, and other members of Parliament, as a guide to developing policy conducive to economic and social prosperity. 

The document, titled Liberty First: A Policy Agenda for South Africa’s 2024-2029 Parliamentary Term, calls for a reduction in the size of government, the promotion of free trade and private property rights, greater protection of the domestic currency, and a significant decrease in regulation. 

According to the FMF, both historical as well as recent examples of transitions to new governments have clearly shown that the success of a new regime is ultimately determined by the degree to which a change in personnel is accompanied by meaningful policy reform. 

‘One need only to contrast the outcomes of the two previous regimes in our own country to see that a mere changing of the guard will do little to promote prosperity and flourishing in our country,’ says Martin van Staden, Head of Policy at the FMF. ‘In fact, whether examining economic growth, unemployment, inflation, or almost any other metric, it is evident that the previous Ramaphosa administration performed similarly – if not worse – than its Zuma predecessor.’

The FMF asserts that the path towards prosperity for countries is not only accessible, but is, in fact, charted. Moreover, the FMF urges policymakers to recognise their role as facilitators of freedom and economic growth rather than the creators thereof. 

‘Bad policy will always yield bad results, regardless of who the policymaker is – happily the same holds true for good policy. Policymakers must realise that it is their duty to facilitate South Africans pursuing their own goals and that such a duty necessitates lesser rather than greater interference by state actors,’ continues Van Staden. 

‘It is not desirable for statists that the power of the state be curbed, but if we are to succeed, we must reject statism in favour of policy prescriptions that have been universally shown to enable people to thrive,’ concludes Van Staden. 

Click here to read Liberty First.

Issued by Martin van Staden, Head of Policy, Free Market Foundation, 17 July 2024