Author and legal expert Martin van Staden appointed to establish AfriForum’s federalism institute
Dr Martin van Staden, author, legal expert, and outgoing Head of Policy at the Free Market Foundation (FMF), has just been appointed as Head of AfriForum’s new Institute for Federalism (AIF). This institute will serve as the civil rights organisation’s general research and policy development centre, and as a vehicle for advancing the thought and research regarding federalism, self-determination, decentralisation, and community autonomy and participation.
Van Staden will, meanwhile, remain involved with the FMF in a senior advisory capacity and continue as editor-in-chief of the FMF’s online news platform, Rational Standard. He will also continue to serve on various executive boards of the FMF and remain a member of its board.
Van Staden obtained a doctorate in law (LLD) in May this year after completing a dissertation under the supervision of Professor Koos Malan at the University of Pretoria. The dissertation examined the phenomenon of transformationism within South African public law.
According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, Van Staden’s appointment will significantly enhance AfriForum’s policy development and research capacity regarding the practical application of community federalism as a viable alternative to the country’s failing centralised system. “AfriForum is already working across the country to build strong, self-reliant communities that take responsibility for their future. Van Staden and the newly established AIF will help lay a solid theoretical and practical foundation for AfriForum’s work in this regard. We look forward to welcoming him to the team as we work towards a better future,” Kriel emphasises.
While AfriForum and the FMF are independent institutions with different priorities and topics of emphasis and focus, the organisations have previously collaborated in areas of mutual interest.
Most recently, for instance, the FMF joined AfriForum’s legal challenge regarding the constitutionality of the Expropriation Act as an amicus curiae (friend of the court). The two organisations also share common ground in their thinking. For example, the approach of the FMF’s Khaya Lam (“My Home”) initiative – which aims to promote property ownership among individuals who live without formal title deeds – aligns with AfriForum’s work, which has been practically focused on protecting and expanding the freedoms of communities since 2006.
According to Van Staden, these common principles demonstrate that community building and individual freedom are not opposing forces but mutually reinforcing values. “There can be no community without the free and voluntary participation of individuals; likewise, there is no free individual without the substance of character, protection against state absolutism, and flourishing provided by social bonds.”
Meanwhile, Van Staden looks forward to applying his knowledge and experience at AfriForum, specifically regarding the establishment of the AIF and providing leadership in this area. “The tradition of constitutionalism, ordered liberty and federalism will guide my work at AfriForum; these principles are vital to promoting resilient community life – the foundation for a freer and more stable South Africa. Furthermore, the past two decades of practical application of community federalism by AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement provides a firm foundation on which to build further.”
David Ansara, Chief Executive of the FMF, maintains that Van Staden’s legal scholarship and advocacy for freedom have been a tremendous asset to the foundation for the better part of a decade. “We wish him all the best with this unique opportunity and look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with him in an advisory capacity.”
Van Staden was appointed as Head of Policy at the FMF in June 2023. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Head of Policy Research at the South African Institute of Race Relations and a legal fellow at Sakeliga. From 2017 to 2020, he also worked at the FMF – initially as a legal researcher and subsequently as Head of Legal Policy. He has been a member of AfriForum since 2018 and, in collaboration with the civil rights organisation, has conducted research on National Health Insurance (NHI) and race laws.
“I am very grateful to the FMF for the role it has played in my professional development and for its unapologetic advancement of the cause of freedom in the country. I look forward to continuing my contribution to the foundation’s work in the years to come,” concludes Van Staden.
