Security Focus Africa July 2021 Vol 39 No 7

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PERSONALITY COMPLIANCY PROFILE

In conversation with…

Ernst Roets

“Some of my happiest memories growing up involve farms – as well as some of my worst.” Ernst Roets, Head of Policy and Action at AfriForum.

T

he public face of civil rights organisation AfriForum, Ernst has to deal with human tragedy on a daily basis, and yet somehow he manages to keep upbeat, his trademark sense of humour perhaps the antidote to the serious side of his life. Born in Pretoria, a very small Ernst and his family moved to Tzaneen, where he went to kindergarten, primary school and high school. His was a sentimental childhood, he says, a great childhood lived by what he laughingly refers to as a weird kid! “I enjoyed doing funny things in front of people and making them laugh. And I had wonderful friends.” He loved school, too, proudly matriculating from Merensky High School in 2003 with the idea of pursuing a career in community work. This leaning was the result of living in fear of farm murders and going out at night with his grandfather to catch those stealing telephone cables – experiences that he admits had a big impact on his life. Your early years I wasn’t sure what profession to choose when I was in high school. I considered

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SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA JULY 2021

psychology first, before eventually deciding to study law. After I had attained my LLB, I did my articles as a candidate attorney at Hurter Spies, AfriForum’s go-to law firm. Though I qualified as an attorney, I did not end up working as one, instead accepting a fulltime position at AfriForum, where I had long been involved on a voluntary basis as national chairperson of AfriForum Youth. Tell us more about AfriForum and what you do AfriForum works according to a civil rights charter, committed to playing a role in a well-functioning democracy where minorities are included, and their rights protected, in conjunction – where possible – with NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and other civil society organisations. Kallie Kriel, AfriForum’s CEO, started AfriForum – before then he worked in Solidarity’s marketing department. And Alana Bailey also played a leading role in getting the organisation up and running. Their intention was to create a platform for minorities that

would allow their voices to be heard in the post-1994 political dispensation. In 2011, I was promoted to Deputy CEO of AfriForum. Then, in 2019, we decided to do away with the ‘Deputy CEO’ job titles (there were four of us) and to make those job titles more descriptive of what we actually do. My job title was then changed to Head of Policy and Action. Is there such a thing as a typical workday for you? No! AfriForum currently has close to 200 full-time employees, more than 150 branches and in excess of 150 community safety structures across South Africa. Further, more than 12 000 people are involved, as volunteers, through the various safety structures. There’s always something big happening that sort of disrupts one’s schedule. On Mondays I am usually booked for meetings for the entire day. Other than that, my days are usually filled with a combination of planning meetings for campaigns, time in the studio to do video recordings, press and other conferences, joining networking meetings, going to court and attending

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