Constitutional Governance Archives - FW de Klerk Foundation

INTRODUCING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD 2026

2026-08-17

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.

MUNICIPAL FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE AND THIS REPORT PROVES IT

2026-08-13

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.

MODERN VOTING IS NOT ENOUGH IF MUNICIPALITIES REMAIN OPAQUE

2026-07-09

South Africa is modernising the voting process through online registration, mobile tools and accessible election information. But after voters elect municipal councils, many still struggle to access clear, reliable information about service delivery, budgets, complaints and audit findings. This article argues that the 2026 local government elections must be about more than voting: Municipalities must open up, report back and account.

ELECTORAL COUNTDOWN AS JOHANNESBURG HANGS BY A THREAD

2026-05-15

Johannesburg’s growing fiscal and governance crisis has become more than a municipal problem. It is now a constitutional and economic warning about what happens when political instability, infrastructure decay and financial mismanagement begin to hollow out local government. As South Africa approaches the 4 November 2026 local government elections, the future of Johannesburg may well become a referendum on whether democratic governance can still deliver stability, accountability and basic services.

FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION: SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS DIGITAL ACCESS LAW THAT MAKES SENSE

2026-05-15

The FW de Klerk Foundation notes ICASA’s recent statement that, under the current Electronic Communications Act of 2005, full recognition of equity equivalent investment programmes in telecommunications would require legislative amendment. That position, coupled with Minister Solly Malatsi’s stated intention to pursue such amendments, reveals a deeper problem than a single regulatory dispute. It reveals a legal and policy disharmony that South Africa can no longer afford. As the country moves toward the 4 November 2026 local government elections, digital access is no longer peripheral. It bears directly on service delivery, public participation, education, local accountability and economic inclusion.

THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL INDECISION

2026-04-14

South Africa’s greatest governance failure is no longer a lack of plans, but a lack of consequence, as executive hesitation weakens accountability and erodes trust in the state.

THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL INDECISION

2026-04-14

South Africa’s greatest governance failure is no longer a lack of plans, but a lack of consequence, as executive hesitation weakens accountability and erodes trust in the state.

WHY MUNICIPAL PERFORMANCE MATTERS – AND HOW BETTER RULES COULD FIX LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2026-02-12

South Africans live with the consequences of municipal collapse every day – from water outages to uncollected refuse and crumbling infrastructure. The Foundation’s submission on COGTA’s Draft Regulations sets out how performance management can be rebuilt on constitutional values like accountability, openness and responsiveness. The Foundation proposed reforms that give communities a real voice, ensure lawful oversight, and create clear lines of responsibility so that municipalities can get back to delivering the services people depend on.

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INTRODUCING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD 2026

MUNICIPAL FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE AND THIS REPORT PROVES IT

MODERN VOTING IS NOT ENOUGH IF MUNICIPALITIES REMAIN OPAQUE

ELECTORAL COUNTDOWN AS JOHANNESBURG HANGS BY A THREAD

FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION: SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS DIGITAL ACCESS LAW THAT MAKES SENSE

THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL INDECISION

THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL INDECISION

WHY MUNICIPAL PERFORMANCE MATTERS – AND HOW BETTER RULES COULD FIX LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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