Regime change foundation closes down
The Brenthurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based think tank established and funded by the Oppenheimer family, known for funding regime change players has seemingly closed down.
This is after two decades of helping to formulate policy to drive Africa's development through political and economic research, as well as high-level government dialogues.
Research director at the foundation, Ray Hartley, revealed the closure in a post on LinkedIn, where he described his time at the institution.
"Friends, I'm sure you have heard by now that The Brenthurst Foundation has closed its doors. As a result, I am no longer working there," Hartley said.
"It was an incredible six years, which involved travel across Africa and the world, writing countless discussion papers and op-eds."
The foundation has deleted the content from its social media pages, with some of them rendered disabled.
Hartley said that some of his highlights included observing elections in Somaliland, Kenya, Lesotho and Liberia. He also visited Ukraine to analyse the ongoing conflict between the country and Russia.
He also worked on strategic plans for Zanzibar, Malawi, Lesotho, Kenya, and Nigeria, while editing or co-authoring books such as Better Choices, In the Name of the People, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Hartley and his colleagues also worked behind the scenes to help build South Africa's political centre, including the Government of National Unity (GNU), to prevent a populist collapse.
"It was a privilege to work in the small team led by Dr Greg Mills, a man whose reach, insight, and influence are truly remarkable," Hartley said.
There is no clarity on why the foundation has seemingly closed its doors. However, it is likely a result of a lack of funding from its backers.
Hartley said the foundation did not receive any funding from the United States or any foreign government, directly or indirectly.
As such, its closure is not a result of the United States reviewing and shutting off some of the funding it provides to various organisations in Africa.
Daily Investor asked The Brenthurst Foundation and Oppenheimer Generations for comment, but they did not respond by the time of publication.
Their comment will be added once it is received.
South Africa's illustrious Oppenheimer family created the foundation as the next step of its Brenhurst Initiative. Brenthurst is famously the name of the family's residence in Johannesburg.
Both Nicky, son of the legendary businessman Harry Oppenheimer, and his son, Jonathan, were heavily involved in The Brenthurst Foundation through their organisation, Oppenheimer Generations.
The initiative was designed to instigate a debate in South Africa around policy strategies to achieve higher rates of economic growth.
It focused on developing a system of tax incentives and penalties to encourage black ownership of companies and businesses, thereby increasing their participation in the economy.
Today, the foundation has a broader African focus and aims to find ways to draw the investment needed for continental development and economic prosperity.
The organisation shifted its focus towards creating a conducive environment for economic reform to attract investment and strengthen Africa's place in the global market.
It works to set up government policy platforms for economic development through organising high-level governmental dialogues.
The foundation also supports economic and political research on topical and important issues, and disseminates practical policy advice to relevant actors.
It has been described as a frontier of knowledge for strengthening Africa's economic performance and even funded policy study tours for African officials to several countries.
The foundation is clear in saying that it only works at the invitation of African governments and does not impact on their sovereignty in any form.
Over the past two decades, it has become an extremely influential organisation on the continent and has drawn the support of many powerful politicians.
Its advisory board is populated with individuals such as former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Botswana, Ian Khama, and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.
The foundation also uses international expertise, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States, Richard Myers, and former Secretary of State for International Development in the United Kingdom, Rory Stewart.
It also has a diverse network of experts in various fields that are part of its associates to aid the foundation's formulation of policy.
Daily Investor reached out to The Brenthurst Foundation, Ray Hartley, and Oppenheimer Generations for further comment. It was not received before publication and will be added once it is available.
