libsem2026 programme
4–6 December 2026
Friday, 4 December
CHECK-IN // REGISTRATION // BREAKFAST
Full English, tea, coffee
Welcome and logistics
Neil Emerick
Co-founder, NightsBridge • Deputy Chairman, Free Market Foundation • Life-student of economics and law; the former the study of people agreeing, the latter the study of the opposite
The architecture of liberty: Deciding who decides
Jim Powell
Founder, Direct Democracy SA • Passionate about society understanding dementia
Direct Democracy: Power in the hands of the people
TEA, coffee, biscuits
Jonathan Wright
CEO, Firearms Policy Campaign • Member of at least two cults
Firearm ownership as an institution of public safety
5 minute REPORT BACKS
- Lex Libertas – Dr Ernst Roets
- African Markets Institute (AMI) – Phumlani Majozi
- Solidarity – Theuns du Buisson
Dr Ernst Roets
Executive Director, Lex Libertas • Reluctant philosopher
Wokeness and suicidal empathy in the West
LUNCH
Canapes // cash bar // mingling
Amb L Brent Bozell III
US Ambassador to South Africa
Bias in the liberal media (topic title TBC)
5 minute REPORT BACKS
- AfriForum – Ernst van Zyl
- Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) – Wayne Duvenage
- Free Market Foundation (FMF) – David Ansara
Joost Strydom
Chief Executive Officer, Orania Beweging • Endurance runner, because freedom is a marathon
Orania: How we learned the sobering lesson that ‘exit’ is not enough
Marius Roodt
Deputy Editor, The Common Sense
The 2026 local government elections: The next transition?
5 minute REPORT BACKS
- Institute of Race Relations (IRR) – Makone Maja
- Centre for Risk Analysis (CRA) – Ofentse Davhie
- The Common Sense (TCS) – speaker TBA
TEA, coffee, biscuits
Lauren Evanthia Bernardo
Founder, Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) • Mom of 4 teens • Occasional tennis player
What being a reluctant homeschooler taught me about freedom
Adv Mark Oppenheimer
Johannesburg Bar Advocate • Philosophy podcaster
Resisting Expropriation Without Compensation: The case against the Expropriation Act
DINNER
Chef's buffet choice // cash bar // mingling
Saturday, 5 December
BREAKFAST
Full English, tea, coffee
Piet le Roux
Chief Executive Officer, Sakeliga • Committed to stateproofing
Diplomacy outside the state
Bronwyn Kohler & Charl Heydenrych
Daughter • Friend
Tribute to Trevor Watkins (5 Dec 1950 – 18 Jul 2026)
+ memories / stories from the floor
TEA, coffee, biscuits
5 minute REPORT BACKS
- Sakeliga – Piet le Roux
- Freedom Foundation & Izwe Lami – Leon Louw
- Firearms Policy Campaign (FPC) – Jonathan Wright
Leigh-Ann Hallak
Digital communications professional, Sapphire Sky • Freedom advocate • Mum of two
Breaking the state’s monopoly on criminal justice
Joe Emilio
Comedian turned award-winning documentary filmmaker • Creator and host of Newsflash with Joe Emilio • Proud dad
What I found inside South Africa’s shack syndicate
LUNCH
Canapes // cash bar // mingling
Prof Christopher Lingle
Visiting Professor of Economics at Universidad Francisco Marroquin • Speaker LibSem1985 • Avid runner
Milei: Philosophy, policy, impact
Frances Kendall
Artist • Author • Health nut • Drummer
The Angel / Witch Dilemma
Gareth Cliff
The Gareth Cliff Daily Briefing • Podcaster • Broadcaster • Inorganic chemist and historian
Why woke people are tremendously ugly, inside and out
TEA, coffee, biscuits
Jacques Strydom (PMP)
Property & Energy Development, Advisory · Founder, MoloBTC
The nexus of Bitcoin laws, Austrian economics and sovereign compute in the digital free market
Prof Petrus Potgieter
Department of Decision Sciences, Unisa • Occasional orientalist
Enshittification and “intellectual property”
DINNER
Chef's buffet choice // cash bar // mingling
Sunday, 6 December
BREAKFAST
Full English, tea, coffee
Gavin Weiman
Legal & Construction Law Consultant & Arbitrator • Aspiring novelist
Unpacking the Giggle v Tickle case
5 minute REPORT BACKS
- Index of Race Law – Martin van Staden
- Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) – Lauren Evanthia Bernardo
- Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) – Benji Shulman
Dr Martin van Staden
Head of Policy, Free Market Foundation • History buff
The case for Western geopolitical assertiveness
TEA, coffee, biscuits
Prof Koos Malan
Constitutional jurist, emeritus professor of public law, University of Pretoria • Fellow of Sakeliga / Business League
What is Western civilisation?
RIA CRAFFORD best speaker award & wrap up
LUNCH
Canapes // cash bar // mingling
Speakers
More to follow…
Lauren Evanthia Bernardo
Founder, Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) • Mom of 4 teens • Occasional tennis player
Topic
What being a reluctant homeschooler taught me about freedom
Amb L Brent Bozell III
US Ambassador to South Africa
Topic
Bias in the liberal media (TBC)
Gareth Cliff
The Gareth Cliff Daily Briefing • Podcaster • Broadcaster • Inorganic chemist and historian
Topic
Why woke people are tremendously ugly, inside and out
Neil Emerick
Co-founder of NightsBridge and Deputy Chairman of the Free Market Foundation • Life-student of economics and law; the former the study of people agreeing, the latter the study of the opposite
Topic
The architecture of liberty: Deciding who decides
Joe Emilio
Comedian turned award-winning documentary filmmaker; creator and host of Newsflash with Joe Emilio • Proud dad
Topic
What I found inside South Africa’s shack syndicate
Leigh-Ann Hallak
Digital communications professional, Sapphire Sky • Freedom advocate • Mum of two
Topic
Breaking the state’s monopoly on criminal justice
Frances Kendall
Artist • Author • Health nut • Drummer
Topic
The angel / witch dilemma
Bronwyn Kohler & Charl Heydenrych
Daughter • Friend
Topic
Tribute to Trevor Watkins (5 Dec 1950 – 18 Jul 2026)
Piet le Roux
Chief Executive Officer, Sakeliga • Committed to stateproofing
Topic
Diplomacy outside the state
Prof Christopher Lingle
Visiting Professor of Economics at Universidad Francisco Marroquin • Speaker LibSem1985 • Avid runner
Topic
Milei: Philosophy, policy, impact
Prof Koos Malan
Constitutional jurist, emeritus professor of public law, University of Pretoria • Fellow of Sakeliga / Business League
Topic
What is Western civilisation?
Adv Mark Oppenheimer
Johannesburg Bar Advocate • Philosophy podcaster
Topic
Resisting Expropriation Without Compensation: The case against the Expropriation Act
Prof Petrus Potgieter
Department of Decision Sciences, Unisa • Occasional orientalist
Topic
Enshittification and “intellectual property”
Jim Powell
Founder, Direct Democracy SA • Passionate about society understanding dementia
Topic
Direct Democracy: Power in the hands of the people
Dr Ernst Roets
Executive Director, Lex Libertas • Reluctant philosopher
Topic
Wokeness and suicidal empathy in the West
Jacques Strydom (PMP)
Founder @ MoloBTC: Bitcoin Open Knowledge, Advisory & Advocacy • Serial entrepreneur
Topic
The nexus of Bitcoin laws, Austrian economics and sovereign compute in the digital free market
Joost Strydom
Chief Executive Officer, Orania Beweging • Endurance runner, because freedom is a marathon
Topic
Orania: How we learned the sobering lesson that ‘exit’ is not enough
Dr Martin van Staden
Head of Policy, Free Market Foundation • History buff
Topic
The case for Western geopolitical assertiveness
Gavin Weiman
Legal & Construction Law Consultant & Arbitrator • Aspiring novelist
Topic
Unpacking the Giggle v Tickle case
Jonathan Wright
CEO, Firearms Policy Campaign • Member of at least two cults
Topic
Firearm ownership as an institution of public safety
Organisation report backs
libsem2026 will include 5-minute report backs from like-minded organisations. Representatives will spend their five minutes outlining their biggest concern, bragging about their most successful project, or listing all they have done or focussed on in the last year.
More to follow…
African Markets Institute (AMI) – Phumlani Majozi
AfriForum – Ernst van Zyl
Centre for Risk Analysis (CRA) – Ofentse Davhie
Firearms Policy Campaign (FPC) – Jonathan Wright
Freedom Foundation & Izwe Lami – Leon Louw
Free Market Foundation (FMF) – David Ansara
Index of Race Law – Dr Martin van Staden
Institute of Race Relations (IRR) – Makone Maja
Lex Libertas – Dr Ernst Roets
Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) – Benji Shulman
Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) – Lauren Evanthia Bernardo
Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) – Wayne Duvenage
Sakeliga – Piet le Roux
Solidarity – Theuns du Buisson