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THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION URGES PARLIAMENT TO ACT ON R1 BILLION MILITARY HOSPITAL FAILURE
Issued by Daniela Ellerbeck on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 18/06/2026
The FW de Klerk Foundation urges Parliament to act to ensure that public funds are used efficiently, economically, effectively, and transparently. The Foundation is concerned about the repair and maintenance project at Tshwane’s 1 Military Hospital. More than R1 billion has been spent, yet the project remains incomplete. Government is now considering a new facility.
“This situation demands firm parliamentary oversight,” said Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation. “Such circumstances raise serious doubts about whether the public expenditure has met the constitutional standards.”
“Parliament has a clear constitutional duty to scrutinise and oversee executive action. It must ensure that public resources are used in a manner that is efficient, economic, effective, accountable and transparent,” adds Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the manager of the FW de Klerk Foundations Constitutional Rights Programme. “This duty is critical when significant funds fail to produce tangible results.”
“The Foundation urges Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence to summon the relevant Ministers, senior officials and accounting authorities from the Department of Defence and Military Veterans and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to account fully for the project and to produce all relevant documentation,” comments Van der Rheede.
“The public deserves a clear and complete report. This report must set out total spending, work completed, reasons for delays, and the basis for considering a new build,” says Ellerbeck.
In addition, the Committee is urged to subject the incurred expenditure to rigorous scrutiny. This includes an independent value-for-money assessment that compares the feasibility of completing the existing project with that of constructing a new facility. Furthermore, the Committee is urged to adopt clear and actionable recommendations for the way forward. This includes conditions for any further funding, the requirement for a credible and coordinated implementation plan with clearly defined milestones, and measures to address shortcomings in collaboration between the relevant departments.
“Strong oversight will restore accountability and public trust,” Van der Rheede concluded. “Parliament is urged to act decisively.”
WHY THE BRONKHORSTSPRUIT WATER CRISIS VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION
The FW de Klerk Foundation raises concern over the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, warning that contaminated drinking water threatens constitutional rights, public health and human dignity. The Foundation calls for transparency, accountability and urgent reforms to address systemic weaknesses in South Africa’s water governance and infrastructure management.
CULTURAL RIGHTS MUST HAVE MEANING IN PRACTICE
Cultural rights have meaning when they are realised in practice. The FW de Klerk Foundation’s CRL Report Card 2026 examines key developments affecting cultural, religious and linguistic communities, from Khoi and San recognition to cultural participation and customary practices.
PROTECTING FREEDOM OF BELIEF IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s Constitution strongly protects freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. Yet recent debates surrounding the CRL Rights Commission’s proposed self-regulatory framework for the religious sector have raised important questions about the relationship between accountability, religious autonomy and State involvement. This article examines the constitutional protections afforded to religious communities, the controversy surrounding the Section 22 process, and why safeguarding freedom of belief remains essential to South Africa’s democracy, diversity and human rights culture.