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XENOPHOBIA IS NOW A TRADE POLICY PROBLEM, NOT JUST A LAW-AND-ORDER ONE

Xenophobic violence is no longer only a domestic law-and-order concern; it is placing South Africa’s regional trade relationships, diplomatic credibility and continental standing at risk. With billions of dollars in trade flowing between South Africa and its neighbours, even limited disruption caused by consumer backlash, logistical delays and declining trust could carry serious economic consequences. South Africa must therefore combine lawful migration enforcement with decisive prosecutions, diplomatic engagement and firm protection of constitutional order.

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A DEFIANCE OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL COMPACT: THE PERIL OF XENOPHOBIC MOBILISATION

The FW de Klerk Foundation views the ongoing escalation of xenophobic violence, intimidation, and the scapegoating of foreign nationals in South Africa with profound alarm. We write this to state clearly: such acts are not merely “community grievances” – they are a direct, violent, and unacceptable affront to the foundational values of our 1996 constitutional settlement.

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FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION RELEASES DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION OF “WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT ANYWAY?” – THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION GUIDE 2026

The FW de Klerk Foundation and its partners have released the free downloadable PDF version of Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway? The Local Government Election Guide 2026. Written in clear and accessible language, the guide explains local government, voter registration, municipal accountability and the importance of participating in the 2026 local elections. It is the first instalment of a three-part civic-education series designed to help South Africans move from registration to informed participation and continued accountability.

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WHEN ANGER FINDS THE WRONG TARGET…XENOPHOBIC PROTESTS AND THE 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

South Africa’s local government elections are approaching at a time of real unemployment, service delivery and governance failures, but xenophobic mobilisation is directing public anger at the wrong target. The article argues that anti-immigrant protests undermine constitutional accountability by replacing demands for competent local government with scapegoating, fear and unlawful vigilantism. The FW de Klerk Foundation warns that South Africa’s genuine grievances must be resolved through the rule of law, democratic accountability and constitutional governance – not hostility toward vulnerable minorities.

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FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION: MUNICIPAL COLLAPSE IS A FAILURE TO HONOUR THE CONSTITUTION AHEAD OF THE 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The FW de Klerk Foundation warns that municipal collapse is not merely a service-delivery failure, but a failure to honour the Constitution’s promise of democratic, accountable and development-oriented local government. With municipal debt to Eskom exceeding R130 billion and governance failures deepening across several municipalities, the Foundation argues that the 2026 Local Government Elections must become a genuine reckoning for elected officials and candidates. The Foundation calls for credible municipal recovery plans, ring-fenced service revenue, merit-based appointments and independent performance data to restore constitutional accountability at local level.

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