Municipal Governance Archives - FW de Klerk Foundation

FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION RELEASES THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD 2026

2026-08-04

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.

PUBLIC LAND IS A CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENT, NOT A BALANCE-SHEET ENTRY

2026-07-15

The Constitutional Court’s Tafelberg judgment confirms that well-located public land cannot be treated merely as a commercial asset when it can help reverse apartheid’s spatial legacy. Where affordable housing is built matters, because access to employment, transport, education and essential services forms part of meaningful access to adequate housing. Municipalities and provinces must therefore manage and dispose of public land transparently, with genuine public participation and proper regard for its constitutional value.

THE YOUTH HAVE REGISTERED. NOW GIVE THEM A REASON TO VOTE

2026-07-03

Young South Africans responded strongly to the first voter-registration weekend, with people aged 16 to 29 accounting for 80% of all new registrations. But registration does not automatically translate into trust or turnout, particularly when young citizens face severe unemployment, declining services and limited confidence in local government. Political parties must now earn their votes through credible candidates, measurable ward-level commitments and transparent accountability.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESET MUST BRING THE CONSTITUTION HOME

2026-05-11

The FW de Klerk Foundation welcomes the Reviewed Draft White Paper on Local Government and argues that South Africa’s municipal crisis requires a constitutional reset rather than isolated technical fixes. The statement highlights the importance of accountable, professional and depoliticised local government that can give practical meaning to constitutional rights through reliable service delivery and responsive governance. It further cautions that reform must strengthen local democracy, municipal autonomy and public participation while restoring trust in local government institutions.

MONEY IS FINALLY ON THE TABLE – NOW GOVERNMENT MUST MAKE IT REACH THE TAP

2026-03-03

South Africa’s 2026 Budget signals a significant increase in funding for water and sanitation infrastructure, but the real story lies in government’s attempt to fix the governance failures that allowed municipal systems to collapse.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK: REFLECTIONS ON SONA 2026 AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER RECKONING

2026-02-18

Ismail Joosub examines President Ramaphosa’s SONA 2026 water reforms against the reality of South Africa’s deepening water crisis, arguing that governance failure – not natural scarcity – lies at the heart of collapsing services. It analyses the proposed national coordination, infrastructure investment and licensing reforms through a constitutional lens, assessing whether they can restore the right of access to water and reverse decades of municipal decline.

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FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION RELEASES THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD 2026

PUBLIC LAND IS A CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENT, NOT A BALANCE-SHEET ENTRY

THE YOUTH HAVE REGISTERED. NOW GIVE THEM A REASON TO VOTE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESET MUST BRING THE CONSTITUTION HOME

MONEY IS FINALLY ON THE TABLE – NOW GOVERNMENT MUST MAKE IT REACH THE TAP

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK: REFLECTIONS ON SONA 2026 AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER RECKONING

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