The FMF’s Khaya Lam (My Home) Land Reform project gained international recognition when, as one of only six finalists, FMF directors Eustace Davie and Temba Nolutshungu attended the presentation of the 2015 Templeton Freedom Award for Excellence, at a gala dinner held on 12 November in New York City.
This prestigious prize awarded by the Atlas Network for Promoting Liberty to celebrate the heroes of the freedom movement was awarded to the Acton Institute for its Poverty, Inc. documentary. Commenting at the presentation, Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips said, “This year’s finalists for the prestigious Templeton Freedom Award represent some of the very best organisations in the worldwide freedom movement. Their projects on property rights, poverty alleviation, regulatory reform, and other key policy areas rank among the most exciting and impactful work we’ve seen in years.”
The international exposure afforded by this award process will help the FMF to continue its programme of obtaining secure title for property owners and to push for wider policy reforms that would further entrench secure property rights for all South Africans. As South Africa is the most advanced economy in Africa, and is a leading voice among the BRICS nations, positive publicity from the Atlas Network will help to serve as a catalyst for property rights reform in many other developing nations.
“Reaching the shortlist is a prize on its own. Although disappointed at not winning this year’s award, to be among the final six of a group of such high quality and worthwhile projects from around the world, is a major achievement of which the FMF is very proud. The FMF’s Khaya Lam land reform project is helping the poorest black people of South Africa to achieve their first step on the road to true economic freedom, not just as individuals, but also for their families and dependents. It is a life changing opportunity for future generations. We thank the judges for their recognition and support for the FMF and Khaya Lam.”
For over forty years, the FMF has fought more resolutely and consistently than any other organisation for the unambiguous rights to property for all South Africans. By freeing the “dead capital” that has locked people in an economic straitjacket for far too long, the historic Khaya Lam land Reform Project secures property rights for people who were previously denied these rights under apartheid and in the process unleashes the full economic potential of their most valuable asset – their home.
In general, donor aid focusses traditionally on funding inputs such as medicines, water, and roads, and very little goes into changing institutions and securing property rights. The FMF’s Khaya Lam Land Reform Project is a concrete step towards creating a more positive, optimistic and freer society and economy. A title deed is a profound game changer for millions of South Africa’s poorest citizens: it is a tangible asset against which they can borrow money, earn rental income and begin to change their family’s socioeconomic circumstances.
Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honours his legacy by identifying and recognising the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of individual liberty, free enterprise, and public policies that encourage prosperity.
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About Atlas Network Washington-based Atlas Network is a non-profit organisation that strengthens the worldwide freedom movement by connecting 470 independent partners in 96 countries that share the vision of a free, prosperous, and peaceful world where limited governments defend the rule of law, private property, and free markets. AtlasNetwork.org