Having recently become a non-racial democracy, South Africa is privileged to have a sound basic constitution, which includes a comprehensive bill of rights, and a government that has observed all the essential democratic formalities. The government is also impressive in its sophistication and grasp of the complexities of the global economy. However, there are aspects of governance in a one-party dominated society that give rise to concern among liberal democrats. 

These aspects include a drive for comprehensive economic regulation and state control of society.  Combating the legacy of racial inequality is essential, but it is being engineered in ways that create new inequalities and weaken trust, economic vitality and governmental capacity. An unrelenting emphasis on the legacy of apartheid has generated a pervasive political correctness that inhibits free political expression and often negates the richness of South Africa’s cultural diversity. Many South Africans feel that government is not sufficiently focused on issues such as the alarmingly high levels of poverty, unemployment, crime and endemic disease, including HIV/Aids.

The Helen Suzman Foundation unhesitatingly acknowledges the need for fundamental reforms to redress the inequalities of the past. But we strongly believe that this goal cannot be achieved by persistent state intervention that further disempowers the poor, leaves them dependent on state transfers and reduces their self-reliance and pride in individual effort.

Against this background, the mission of The Helen Suzman Foundation is to:

 
In pursuit of these objectives, the Foundation is building on the example set by Helen Suzman, who was for many years the sole MP in the South African parliament to oppose the entire edifice of apartheid and to champion the rights of those who were unjustly silenced.

 
Notes on Definitions of Liberalism

The Helen Suzman Foundation supports and promotes liberal democratic policies and ideals in the South African political situation. Views such as these are very similar to those held by liberals in Europe and certain countries in the East, where liberals are non-racial in their views, support free enterprise and are generally sympathetic to individualism, although their views on, and support for, welfare policies vary both within countries and between countries.

As we understand it, in the United States of America, however, the way in which "liberals" are defined differs from the South African and European definition. Liberals in the United States include many people who hold "progressive" views in the sense that they are less sympathetic to free enterprise and individualism and more consistently supportive of public welfare. In Europe and South Africa such people are very likely to regard themselves as "social democrats" or socialists, which are less familiar categories in the United States.

American visitors to this website should bear these differences in mind when reading about The Helen Suzman Foundation and its mission.