SPREKERS Prof Danie Brand Direkteur: Vrystaatse Sentrum vir Menseregte / Director: Free State Centre for Human Rights Danie Brand is Professor at and Director of the Free State Centre for Human Rights at the University of the Free State (UFS). Prior to his appointment at the UFS, Prof Brand worked for 24 years as an academic at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria. His field is constitutional and administrative law and constitutional theory. His research and publications have focussed in particular on the relationship between law and poverty and the manner in which law regulates and so both enables and limits access to basic livelihood resources such as housing, food, water, land, medical care and education. This interest has extended also into legal practice, where he runs a public interest practice as advocate, focussing on housing and land issues. He has acted as Judge of the High Court in Pretoria.
DR Frans Cronje Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte: Instituut vir Rasseverhoudinge / CEO: Institute of Race Relations Frans Cronje was educated at St Johns College in Houghton and holds a PHD in scenario planning. He has been at the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) for 15 years and established its Centre for Risk Analysis as a scenario focused research unit servicing the strategic intelligence needs of corporate and government clients. It uses deep-dive data analysis and first hand political and policy information to advise groups with interests in South Africa on the likely long term economic, social and political evolution of the country. He has advised several hundred South African corporations, foreign investors, and policy shapers. He is the author of two books on South Africa’s future and scenarios from those books have been presented to an estimated 30 000 people. He writes a column for Rapport and teaches scenario based strategy at the business school of the University of the Free State. The IRR is a privately financed policy think tank established in 1929. It uses research, public commentary and direct engagement with policy makers to influence policy in South Africa that promotes a market economy, property rights and investment led economic growth.
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