Tag: EconomicFreedom

Four decades ago, The Solution, co-authored by Leon Louw, helped shape South Africa’s political settlement. It also left an indelible imprint on the country’s constitution. Today, South Africa faces another economic impasse. As a result, Louw’s ideas feel more urgent than ever. They point back to A Legacy of Solutions forged during a pivotal historical moment.

The current Businesses Act 1991 requires a business licence to carry on essentially only two categories of business. The Act repealed prior licensing laws that had required many more types of business to be licensed. At the time, the Free Market Foundation through its Law Review Project helped persuade the government to repeal those prior licensing laws and introduce the light-touch 1991 Act.

South Africa needs urgently to reflect on a landmark legislative initiative that is unfolding in the United States of America. Designed to curtail the expansive authority of federal agencies which can issue economically significant regulations without congressional approval, this effort marks a pivotal attempt by American lawmakers to reclaim their constitutionally enshrined role as the nation’s primary lawmakers.