

Martin van Staden
http://www.martinvanstaden.com
Martin van Staden is the Head of Policy at the Free Market Foundation and former Deputy Head of Policy Research at the Institute of Race Relations (IRR). Martin also serves as the Editor of the IRR’s History Project and its Race Law Project, and is an advisor to the Free Speech Union SA. He is pursuing a doctorate in law at the University of Pretoria. For more information visit www.martinvanstaden.com.
- Total Post (137)
Articles By This Author

Flags and threats: a liberal rumination on the limits of free expression
- By Martin van Staden
- . Aug 10, 2023
Julius Malema did it again – he threatened genocidal violence as a crowd cheered him on. Somewhere, a hypothetical Oom Frikkie also displayed the 1928

Vagrant ‘traffic wardens’ and the false comfort of the commons
- By Martin van Staden
- . Aug 3, 2023
Although not immediately obvious, much of the collapse of service delivery we experience today can be traced back to society’s decision to ‘socialise’ the ownership

Coalitions: Our desire for ‘certainty’ and ‘stability’ must be measured, not absolute
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jul 27, 2023
Certainty in policy and stability in government are crucial, not only as a practical matter but also as a fundamental pillar of the rule of

A cap on CEO salaries? No, rather cap political salaries
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jul 20, 2023
A poll run on the BusinessTech website recently asked readers whether chief executive officer (CEO) salaries in South Africa should be ‘capped’. When I saw

Illegal mining deaths caused by socialism, not capitalism
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jul 13, 2023
When Pedro Mzileni started his Sowetan column (‘The Boksburg tragedy points to the destructive role of capitalism in mining’) with, ‘17 black people were confirmed

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions (and, yes, so was the road to Apartheid)
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jul 6, 2023
Had the entire country been forced to remain housebound in May 2019, during the general election, this would have regarded as an unequivocal act of

Dennis Davis (of all people) stands up for private property against militant socialism
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jun 29, 2023
There has been one constant in South African constitutional discourse since the 1980s: Professor Dennis Davis. He has outlived most of his sparring partners in

‘Who decides?’ A defence of liberal individualism
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jun 22, 2023
Much of political philosophy can be traced back, in some form or another, to this simple question: ‘who decides?’ This is the question that Dr

Repealing the Hate Speech Bill: difficult, but necessary
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jun 15, 2023
In a free country the government is not the parent of society. Instead, it is an institution that safeguards a framework for voluntary interaction, cooperation,

‘199’ is the 2024 election’s magic number: hit it, and everything changes
- By Martin van Staden
- . Jun 8, 2023
South Africa finds itself in an economic malaise. In response, the African National Congress (ANC) government has adopted, and is in the process of adopting,