The ongoing crime crisis in South Africa, and particularly in Cape Town, has led to a constructive debate about the role and powers of municipal police services. While the South African Police Service (SAPS) is increasingly struggling to combat organized crime and violence effectively, the City of Cape Town has taken steps to establish its own investigative capacity.
The Local Government Report Card 2026 provides an independent assessment of 50 municipalities across all nine provinces, measuring performance against five pillars of constitutional local government. The findings reveal a sharply uneven picture, with strong institutional leadership and sound financial management consistently linked to better service delivery and public accountability. By presenting clear evidence of what works, what fails and where improvement is possible, the Report Card equips residents, councillors and policymakers to demand practical, measurable change.
The FW de Klerk Foundation’s urgent request for confirmation of Parliament’s timelines, roadmap and institutional priorities for ERCP Report
The FW de Klerk Foundation’s Local Government Report Card 2026 argues that municipal failure is not inevitable, but the result of identifiable institutional weaknesses that can be measured and addressed. Assessing 50 municipalities against 100 objective tests, the report highlights where local government is improving, where it is failing and what distinguishes high-performing municipalities from those in decline. It offers practical, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen constitutional governance, improve service delivery and make municipal recovery measurable.
The FW de Klerk Foundation’s Local Government Report Card 2026 provides an independent, non-partisan assessment of municipal performance and constitutional accountability across South Africa. Using 100 published tests across five key pillars, it evaluates 50 municipalities and highlights the institutional factors that drive success or failure in local government. The report offers evidence-based insights into the state of municipal governance and demonstrates that effective, constitutional local government is achievable.
Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director at the FW de Klerk Foundation was invited by the Remgro Foundation to speak at their annual leadership conference. His topic focused on education, the key to a better future.
The FW de Klerk Foundation today hosted a conference on achieving successful municipal service delivery, bringing together leaders from government and civil society in local government.
The FW de Klerk Foundation’s submission on draft Electoral Code of Conduct countering Disinformation in Local Government Elections.
The FW de Klerk Foundation, in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, hosted the Constitutional Rights Conference in Rosebank, Johannesburg on the 29th of July 2026. The core focus was on achieving successful municipal service delivery, bringing together leaders from government and civil society in local government.
