Friends of IFAS committee member, Nicholas Tee, receives the Ordre National du Mérite

On 27 August 2025, Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Nicholas John Tee, was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by H.E. Mr David Martinon, Ambassador of France to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, on behalf of the President of the French Republic. The honour acknowledges his lifelong dedication to democracy, the law, and the strengthening of cultural relations between France and South Africa.

Ambassador Martinon recalled Tee’s deep ties with the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, where he began studying French in the early 1990s and has since served in leadership roles for more than three decades, including as Vice-President, President and currently Secretary General. “Your leadership has been decisive,” the Ambassador remarked, praising his contribution to restoring the Alliance’s place at the heart of the French cultural network in South Africa. Tee had previously been awarded the Médaille de la Fondation Alliance Française (2013) and the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (2005).

His engagement has extended beyond the Alliance. He is a member of the Friends of IFAS committee, supported the French community through the Democratic Association of French Citizens Abroad, and contributed to the establishment of the Foundation for Democratic Innovation alongside Achille Mbembe. The Ambassador highlighted his work as Secretary General of the Foundation, where Tee dedicated more than 300 hours to shaping its legal framework in South Africa, supporting initiatives to strengthen citizen participation and democratic values across the continent.

The decoration also recognises Tee’s role as a lawyer committed to justice and democracy. During the 1980s he was active within the Johannesburg Democratic Action Committee and the United Democratic Front. In 1994 he served as National Coordinator of Investigations for the Independent Electoral Commission, ensuring the integrity of South Africa’s first democratic elections. His ongoing practice at the Johannesburg Bar focuses on personal information protection, consumer protection, company law and land claims, alongside mentoring young attorneys.

Ambassador Martinon concluded: “This decoration reflects the recognition of the French Republic that you truly embody the values we hold dear, and it expresses our gratitude.”