Everyone Wants Their Rights Protected. But Who Protects Those Fighting for Them?

Excerpt: Behind every legal battle LFN fights is a reality few people ever see. More than 100,000 views on our latest constitutional challenge, yet only around R900 in donations towards the costs of bringing it before court. While LFN continues assisting countless South Africans free of charge, the personal and financial sacrifices behind that commitment are enormous. In this deeply personal article, I share what life has been like for my family, the challenges we face, our gratitude towards those who keep us going, and why support does not always have to mean money. We are not asking for sympathy, but perhaps it is time people understood what it really takes to defend their liberties. Freedom may be priceless, but fighting for it is not free.

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Dear Liberators,

There comes a time when you find yourself looking at everything around you and wondering just how much more you can give before there is nothing left to give.

Not because you have lost faith in what you are doing. Not because you regret the sacrifices you have made. And certainly not because you expect the world to reward you for doing what you believe God has called you to do.

But because, somewhere between fighting for everyone else’s rights and trying to keep your own family afloat, you begin to realise something rather uncomfortable.

The world may appreciate what you do, but appreciation alone cannot keep the wheels turning.

Today, I want to share something with our Liberators that I seldom speak about publicly. Not because I want sympathy, but because there is a reality behind Liberty Fighters Network (LFN) that very few people ever get to see.

And perhaps it is time that they did.

Everybody Wants LFN to Do Something

Almost every day, someone approaches LFN with another cause we supposedly need to champion.

Digital IDs, vaccines, exchange control regulations, the banking industry, inflated property rates, fuel prices, electricity, environmental protection, data centres, illegal immigration, B-BBEE policies, lockdown damages, alleged weather manipulation, environmental poisoning, infrastructure collapse, blue-light brigades, the legal profession, the judiciary and the seemingly endless failures of government.

And that is merely the beginning.

Then there are the personal battles of ordinary South Africans.

Bank repossessions, divorces, parental alienation, contracts, landlord and tenant disputes, evictions, SARS, civil claims, liquidations, sequestrations, property hijacking, intellectual property, pensions, insurance claims, domestic violence, harassment, consumer disputes, deceased estates, sectional titles, homeowners’ associations, RAF claims, labour matters, defective workmanship, wills, animal cruelty, criminal matters and countless others.

Behind every one of those matters is a real person, often desperate, sometimes terrified, and frequently unable to afford conventional legal representation.

And the expectation is almost always the same.

LFN must do something about it.

So we investigate, research, draft, correspond, challenge, litigate and guide people through proceedings they would otherwise struggle to navigate.

We do not charge for our assistance. We do not issue invoices for our time. We do not demand success fees or expect anything in return.

We simply hope that those who believe in what we do will voluntarily help us keep doing it.

But there is something many people overlook.

Providing free assistance does not mean that providing that assistance is free.

The Family Behind the Fight

I have devoted more than three decades of my life to confronting what I believe to be injustice. If money had been my motivation, I would certainly have chosen a very different path.

For me, this became a calling.

But a calling does not end at 17h00 on a Friday. It follows you home, interrupts family dinners, consumes weekends and sometimes robs your children of moments they should have enjoyed with you.

My wife and children never chose every battle I have taken on, yet they live with the consequences every day.

School fees, medical expenses, consumer accounts, loans, fuel, stationery, mobile phones and data do not disappear because their husband and father is fighting for constitutional rights.

Recently, I found myself looking at a bank balance of R7.95.

Not R7,950.

Seven rand and ninety-five cents.

And that balance remained there for some time.

Yet the requests continued arriving. Court deadlines remained. People still needed help.

Somehow, we continued.

I can only attribute that to the grace of God.

Living in Paradise, but Longing for Home

When my family relocated to Cape Town during April 2026, our member and dear friend Judy Sole generously provided us with accommodation and food at the magnificent Monkey Valley Resort.

Words cannot adequately express our gratitude.

We are surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and the meals at Thorfynns Restaurant are so delicious that we practically know the menu by heart!

Some may understandably imagine that the De Beer family is living the dream.

And in many respects, we are extraordinarily blessed.

But being accommodated somewhere beautiful is not the same as having a home of your own.

A home is where your wife can cook the meals she loves in her own kitchen. Where children can retreat into their own rooms. Where you can turn up the music for a ridiculously loud family karaoke evening, or smell your neighbour’s Friday braai and decide to light your own fire.

A home is where everyone has the freedom to simply be themselves.

Our intention was always to find such a place in Cape Town, but we soon discovered that rental prices here are a different reality from Pretoria.

And then life intervened.

My brother became terminally ill with cancer, and we brought him from Gauteng to Cape Town to receive proper care. Our beloved dog developed a tumour requiring an operation. Meanwhile, months without our own private family space began taking their toll.

We became frustrated more easily. Ordinary disagreements became more frequent. We missed the simple freedom of doing our own things without constantly invading one another’s space.

I suspect many families will understand precisely what I mean.

None of this diminishes our appreciation for Judy’s extraordinary generosity. Without her, our circumstances could have been considerably worse.

But sometimes, you can be deeply grateful for the roof over your head while still longing for somewhere that feels like home.

100,000 Views. R900 in Donations.

Recently, LFN published an article concerning our High Court challenge to the legal framework governing access to personal information held by the Department of Home Affairs.

The case raises serious constitutional questions about privacy and the circumstances under which institutions may access or verify our personal information.

Our Facebook statistics recorded more than 100,000 views on a single post, the highest we have ever achieved.

Naturally, we were delighted.

Yet the voluntary donations apparently received in connection with that publication amounted to approximately R900.

I am sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed. Whether R10 or R500, every donation represents someone’s willingness to support our work, and we never take that for granted.

But here is the reality.

The court application has already been drafted, lodged and issued.

Yet, as I write this, we are still struggling to take the next procedural step.

Serving the papers on the respondents.

The estimated sheriff’s fees amount to approximately R3,000, excluding the printing of the necessary copies, which the R900 may just cover.

Think about that.

A constitutional challenge attracting more than 100,000 views is effectively standing still because we have not yet secured the relatively modest funds needed to serve the court papers.

The legal work has been done. The public interest exists. The constitutional mechanisms are available.

But someone still has to pay the sheriff.

You cannot pay a sheriff with Facebook likes.

And that, perhaps, illustrates our predicament better than anything else I could say.

When a Movie Raises More Than a Court Case

Recently, I noticed a baboon protection social media group celebrating having raised approximately R150,000 to produce a film about the baboon controversy and the vacant office of the Western Cape Commissioner for the Environment.

I genuinely wish them success. Public awareness has its place, and storytelling can be a powerful instrument for change.

But I could not help reflecting on the contrast.

Since February 2026, LFN has been pursuing actual court proceedings concerning the treatment and protection of baboons in the Western Cape, largely sustained by donations from a small handful of people.

One initiative aims to tell the story.

The other seeks to change the legal position.

Both may have value.

Yet the disparity in financial support is difficult to ignore.

It made me wonder whether we sometimes find it easier to fund awareness of injustice than the legal work necessary to confront it.

The same financial reality affects organisations that have supported us in other ways.

Some suggest that we should simply ask Jack Miller of the Cape Independence Party (CapExit) for assistance.

But CapExit itself struggles to secure funding from its supporters and does not enjoy the financial resources available to qualifying political parties through public funding. Although it has supported LFN politically and through advice, it has never been in a position to finance our litigation.

We cannot expect an organisation struggling to sustain itself to sustain ours as well.

The Extraordinary People Who Keep Us Going

There are people without whom LFN could never have continued this far.

Some contribute regularly. Others give whatever they can, whenever they can. Some provide food, accommodation, transport or practical assistance without seeking publicity or recognition.

People such as Judy Sole have demonstrated a generosity that my family will never forget.

To every one of these Liberators, I offer my deepest gratitude.

But the uncomfortable reality is that our pool of regular financial supporters has gradually been declining, while the demands upon LFN continue growing.

I understand that many South Africans are struggling financially. Indeed, those very difficulties often bring them to our doorstep.

I would never expect someone to deprive their own family of necessities to make a donation.

But when the responsibility for sustaining an organisation serving so many increasingly falls upon fewer shoulders, something eventually has to give.

And that brings me to a question I have been asking myself.

Who Looks After Those Who Look After Everybody Else?

Before I am the President of LFN, I am a husband, father and brother.

My wife deserves a husband who is not permanently consumed by another legal battle. My children deserve stability and the simple pleasures of family life. My terminally ill brother deserves the care and companionship we are trying to provide during what may be his final chapter.

What would be the meaning of dedicating my life to protecting other families if, in the process, I neglected the family God entrusted to me?

That is not an easy question.

But it is an important one.

I have never believed that the value of a cause should be measured by the wealth of those pursuing it. Nor do I believe that anyone owes me a living because I chose this path.

Nevertheless, there must be some recognition that the people doing this work are human beings too.

They have families. Responsibilities. Expenses. Dreams.

And limits.

A Thousand People Could Change Everything

Imagine if just 1,000 of those more than 100,000 people who viewed our recent article voluntarily contributed R20 towards protecting their own constitutional rights.

That would be R20,000.

If those same 1,000 people contributed R50, it would amount to R50,000.

No extraordinary individual sacrifice. Simply a relatively small commitment shared by enough people to make a meaningful difference.

Court papers could be served. Litigation could progress. Essential operational expenses could be covered.

And perhaps the people doing the work could begin to enjoy a little more stability themselves.

Nobody has to carry the entire burden when enough people are willing to carry a small part of it.

Of course, not everybody can afford to contribute financially. Sharing our work, researching information, providing practical assistance and encouraging others remain valuable contributions.

But those who can afford to support the work should perhaps consider whether their appreciation could occasionally extend beyond another approving comment.

Not because they owe us something.

But because the rights we defend belong to all of us.

Not Every Contribution Needs to Be Money

There is something else I want our Liberators to understand.

Supporting LFN does not necessarily mean making a financial donation.

Sometimes the things we need most are things that someone else may already have, no longer use, or could make available without placing themselves under financial pressure.

For example, we currently need a more powerful computer for our video editing, graphics and other demanding work. Our existing computer, with its 8GB of RAM, is simply no longer adequate for some of the exciting projects we are developing behind the scenes.

A computer with substantially more RAM and a capable graphics card with preferably at least 16GB of dedicated video memory would make an enormous difference.

And no, I am not revealing what we are working on just yet. Some surprises are worth keeping! 😉

Perhaps someone has a suitable computer gathering dust, or a business is upgrading its equipment.

Perhaps someone owns a modest house or cottage in or around Cape Town that could become a home for my family, whether through temporary accommodation, an affordable arrangement or another act of generosity.

Perhaps a mechanic or workshop could assist with much-needed repairs to our vehicles.

Perhaps someone can contribute printing, stationery, computer equipment, technical expertise, transport, professional services or simply something useful we have not even thought of asking for.

Generosity comes in many forms, and sometimes the most meaningful gift is not money at all.

We are not expecting anyone to give what they cannot afford. Nor do we presume that anyone has an obligation to provide for our needs.

But if you have something to offer, we would genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

You can contact us directly at admin@libertyfighters.org to discuss any assistance, gifts, services or other contributions you may wish to offer.

Those who prefer making voluntary financial contributions can continue using the donation links provided with our publications.

No contribution is too small to be appreciated, and no sincere offer of assistance will be taken for granted.

Because sometimes keeping a movement alive is not about finding one person who can give a fortune.

It is about finding enough people who are willing to share a little of what they already have.

We Are Not Giving Up

Those who have followed LFN over the years know that surrender has never featured prominently in our vocabulary.

We have confronted institutions with resources vastly exceeding our own. We have persevered through setbacks, disappointments and circumstances that would have persuaded many others to stop.

And, God willing, we will continue.

But commitment alone cannot purchase printing paper, fuel a vehicle, maintain an internet connection or pay a sheriff.

Nor can it give my family the home and normality we have been longing for.

I look forward to the day when we can close the door of our own home, prepare our favourite meal in our own kitchen, turn up the music and simply enjoy being the De Beer family again.

Not luxury. Not wealth.

Just the ordinary dignity of family life.

In the meantime, LFN will continue doing what it has always done, within the means available to us.

So the next time you feel that LFN should challenge another regulation, confront another institution or institute another court application, please consider what is required to turn that expectation into reality.

Consider the hours of work nobody sees, the expenses that must be paid and the families standing behind those who do the fighting.

And if you believe the work matters, and your circumstances permit, consider helping to make it possible.

I am not asking anyone to make LFN wealthy. I am simply asking those who value our work to recognise what it takes to sustain it.

To those who already help, thank you. You are the reason we have been able to continue.

To those who may never have considered the human and financial reality behind our work, I hope this article provides a different perspective.

Because the next time 100,000 people celebrate another constitutional challenge, I hope we will not still be wondering how to pay the sheriff.

Freedom may be priceless.

But fighting for it, regrettably, is not free.

Liberation Greetings,

Reyno De Beer
President | Liberty Fighters Network (LFN)

Respect authority, but do not allow authority to disrespect you.

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