CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARY AND EVENTS
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL INDECISION
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 WATER CRISIS IS DRAINING SOUTH AFRICA’S ECONOMY AND EMPTYING CITIZENS’ POCKETS
South Africa’s water crisis is often described as a service delivery failure. It is that, but it is also something more concrete and more measurable: a national economic loss. It is costing the state billions, municipalities billions more and ordinary citizens money they cannot spare.
THE WATER CRISIS IS DRAINING SOUTH AFRICA’S ECONOMY AND EMPTYING CITIZENS’ POCKETS
South Africa’s water crisis is no longer just a service delivery failure, but a mounting constitutional and economic emergency that is draining billions from the state, weakening municipal finances and placing a growing burden on ordinary citizens.
PODCASTS
SUBMISSIONS
ARTICLE: UNDERSTANDING THE ANC FACTIONAL BATTLES: A DEEP HISTORY AND AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
South Africans continue watching with mixed feelings ranging from anxiety to amusement the power struggle for control of the ruling ANC playing out between two factions – one aligned with President Cyril Ramaphosa, the other with former president Jacob Zuma and ANC Secretary-General (SG) Ace Magashule. Whatever one’s views are, these battles are negatively impacting governance to the detriment of the country.
ARTICLE: RECONCILIATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: A WORK IN PROGRESS OR FORGOTTEN IDEAL?
It is crucial that racist and hurtful non-inclusive behaviour anywhere in South Africa should be addressed with firmly and effectively. Equally critical is a unified and unambiguous condemnation by all South Africans – including government – of racist threats and instigation of violence as such actions have the potential of provoking racial conflict that would cause immense harm to South Africa – we have seen this in Senekal and, more recently, Brackenfell.
ARTICLE: THE STRUGGLE FOR THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ANC
After his election as national President in 2018, Ramaphosa showed that he was serious about combating corruption by strengthening and supporting key institutions – including the National Prosecuting Authority and the Zondo Commission – that were investigating corrupt practices and state capture. These steps finally bore fruit on 10 November, when the NPA issued an arrest warrant for Magashule on 21 charges of fraud and corruption – associated with the so-called Free State asbestos affair which involved irregular contracts to the value of R255 million.
SPEECHES
EVENTS
THE ANATOMY OF A MUNICIPAL MELTDOWN: THE CRISIS IN NELSON MANDELA BAY
The oversight engagement conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in May 2026 has laid bare a grim reality: Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Metropolitan Municipality is in the throes of a systemic collapse.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESET MUST BRING THE CONSTITUTION HOME
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.
CAN TECHNOLOGY SAVE DEMOCRACY? A LOOK INTO AI AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
As South Africa approaches the 2026 local government elections, the growing role of artificial intelligence presents both democratic risks and democratic opportunities. While misinformation, synthetic media and declining public trust threaten electoral integrity, technology can also strengthen civic education, improve access to verified information and reconnect young people to democratic participation. The real challenge is therefore not whether technology can save democracy, but whether it can be responsibly used to strengthen constitutional resilience, public trust and active citizenship.
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
- Equality
- Non-racialism
- Gender Rights
- The Constitution
- The Rule of Law
- Multiparty Democracy
- Personal Rights
- Cultural, Religious and Language Rights
- Freedom of Expression and Political Rights
- Social and Economic Rights
- Property Rights
- Education
- Access To The Courts, Information And Fair Adminstration