PUBLIC PETITION TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
AND THE PRESIDENCY
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
 

REQUEST FOR A NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

To Establish Direct Presidential Elections by the People of South Africa

 

 

Date: [To be completed upon submission]

 

To:

 

1. The Co-Chairpersons of the Joint Constitutional Review Committee

   Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

   P.O. Box 15, Cape Town, 8000

   Email: pgwebu@parliament.gov.za

   Tel: 021 403 8257 | Cell: 083 709 8395

   Attention: Advocate Pilate Gwebu, Committee Secretary

 

2. The President of the Republic of South Africa

   The Presidency

   Private Bag X1000

   Pretoria, 0001

   Email: president@presidency.gov.za

   Tel: 012 300 5200

   Physical Address: Union Buildings, Government Avenue, Pretoria

 

This Public Petition was initiated by some Christian Community of South Africa and Like-Minded Bodies and Concerned Citizens

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We, the undersigned citizens of the Republic of South Africa, members of the Christian community and like-minded civil society organizations, concerned citizens, and all who cherish constitutional democracy, humbly petition the Constitutional Review Committee and the Presidency to:

 

1. Initiate a constitutional amendment process to amend Section 86 of the Constitution to provide for the direct election of the President of South Africa by universal adult suffrage, as was successfully amended in France in 1962.

 

2. Conduct a national referendum to allow the people of South Africa to exercise their sovereign will on this fundamental matter of governance; and

 

3. Establish a transparent and inclusive public participation process in accordance with the Constitutional Court's directive that the Constitutional Review Committee has a duty to ensure the voices of ordinary people are heard before proposing constitutional amendments, particularly on matters of constitutional significance.

 

4. Cement a Historic Milestone for Non-Racial Democracy: By approving this petition, the Constitutional Review Committee and the Presidency will facilitate the first-ever national referendum in post-apartheid South Africa. This stands in profound contrast to the 1992 referendum, which was the last of its kind to exclude the majority of our people based on race. This proposed referendum will be the first to truly embody the "will of the people" by including every South African citizen without discrimination, finally replacing the legacy of exclusionary voting with a unified, non-racial expression of our national sovereignty.

 

 

PART I: BIBLICAL AND MORAL FOUNDATION
The Covenant Between Leaders and the People
The foundation of this petition rests on the biblical principle found in 2 Samuel 5:3, which states:

 

"Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel." — 2 Samuel 5:3 (NKJV)

 

This sacred text demonstrates a fundamental truth: legitimate leadership requires a covenant between the leader and the people. King David, though chosen by God, was only anointed king when he made a covenant with the elders representing all of Israel. The people participated directly in the selection and anointing of their leader.

 

This biblical model teaches us that:

• Leaders must be known to the people

• Leaders must make a covenant (agreement) with those they will lead

• The people must have a voice in choosing who will govern them

• Leadership derives its legitimacy from both divine purpose and popular consent

 

 

PART II: CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL BASIS
1. Constitutional Review Committee's Mandate

 

In terms of Section 45(1)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), the Constitutional Review Committee has the constitutional mandate to review the Constitution. The Constitutional Court has held that:

 

"The Constitutional Review Committee has a duty to ensure the voices of ordinary people are heard before proposing constitutional amendments, and the more important the matter, the more onerous this obligation."

 

This petition seeks nothing less than to give effect to this constitutional imperative. The election of the President is the single most important political decision in our constitutional democracy. Therefore, the people must have the final say.

 

2. Current Constitutional Deficiency - Section 86

 

The current Section 86 of the Constitution provides:

 

"(1) At its first sitting after its election, and whenever necessary to fill a vacancy, the National Assembly must elect a woman or a man from among its members to be the President."

 

The Problem: This system creates the following deficiencies:

 

a) No Assessment of Competence - As former President Thabo Mbeki himself stated at Nelson Mandela University on 2 November 2025: "The manner in which we elect the President is wrong. The question is never asked if a President is capable and a fit and proper person. When Parliament said I must become president, they did not have a clue what I was capable of doing, and they never asked."

 

b) Party Control Over National Interest - The President is chosen by party leadership and party loyalty, not by the people or based on demonstrated competence and integrity.

 

c) No Direct Popular Mandate - The President lacks the direct legitimacy that comes from being chosen by the people, making them more accountable to party bosses than to citizens.

 

d) Limited Candidate Pool - Only Members of Parliament can be elected President, excluding distinguished South Africans from the judiciary, academia, civil society, and other sectors who may be better qualified.

 

3. International Precedent for Democratic Reform

 

History demonstrates that nations can successfully transition from parliamentary to direct presidential elections:

 

France (1962):

• Changed from parliamentary election to direct presidential election via referendum

• 62.3% of voters approved the change with 77% turnout

• Adopted a semi-presidential system with checks and balances

• The system has functioned successfully for over 60 years and it was initiated by President Charles De Gaulle

 

Turkey (2007):

• Changed from parliamentary to direct presidential election via referendum

• 68.95% of voters approved

• First direct presidential election held in 2014

 

These examples prove that such constitutional reform is both feasible and democratic.

 

4. Section 74: Constitutional Amendment Procedure

 

Section 74 of the Constitution provides the mechanism for this amendment:

• Requires a Bill supported by at least two-thirds (267) of the National Assembly

• Requires approval by at least six of the nine provinces

• Allows for a referendum to be called

 

We specifically request that the Constitutional Review Committee recommend, and Parliament invoke, its power to call a referendum, allowing all South Africans to decide this matter directly.

 

 

PART III: THE CRISIS THAT DEMANDS REFORM
Multiple Crises Facing South Africa

 

As former President Mbeki stated in his address on 2 November 2025:

 

"When I was asked to comment about South Africa at 30 years, I said we need an intervention. The economy is in crisis. Politics is in crisis. We have a crime and corruption crisis. Even our relations with the rest of the continent are in crisis. There is nothing that does not say crisis."

 

These crises demand leadership of the highest caliber—leaders chosen by the people based on competence, integrity, and vision, not party loyalty.

 

The Failure of Party-Based Selection

 

The current system has produced:

• Presidents embroiled in corruption scandals

• Leaders lacking the moral authority to unite the nation

• Executives more loyal to party factions than the Constitution

• Government paralysis due to internal party conflicts

 

The Need for a New Social Covenant

 

South Africa needs a new covenant between the people and their President—one that mirrors the biblical covenant between David and Israel. This covenant must be based on:

• Transparency - The people must know who they are choosing

• Accountability - The President must answer to the people, not a party

• Competence - Candidates must demonstrate fitness for office

• Integrity - Leaders must be people of proven moral character

 

 

CONCLUSION
A Call to Courage and Vision

 

We call upon the members of the Constitutional Review Committee and the Presidency to demonstrate the same courage that brought democracy to South Africa in 1994. That generation of leaders was willing to transform the Constitution fundamentally to serve the people. We ask this generation to do the same.

 

A Biblical Imperative

 

As people of faith, we believe that government derives its authority from God and the consent of the governed. 2 Samuel 5:3 shows us that even divinely appointed leaders must make a covenant with the people. How much more should democratically elected leaders be directly chosen by those they serve?

 

The Voice of the People

 

The Constitutional Review Committee has a constitutional duty to hear the voices of ordinary people. This petition represents those voices. We are:

• The Christian community that prays for this nation

• The civil society organizations working for good governance

• The concerned citizens who refuse to accept mediocre leadership

• The young people who demand a better future

• The elders who remember the promise of freedom

 

We ask the Constitutional Review Committee and the Presidency: Will you listen?

 

Final Prayer and Commitment

 

We pray that God will grant the Constitutional Review Committee and the Presidency the wisdom to recognize the necessity of this reform and the courage to implement it.

 

"May God bless South Africa and guide us toward just and righteous governance."

 

SIGNATURES

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

For media inquiries and further information:

[To be completed with actual contact details]

Petition Coordinators:

Name: Eliphus Patrick Lekome Semele 

Email: patsemele44@gmail.com

 

Name: Rev. Gerald Rupert Siljeur

Email: siljeurg@gmail.com

 

Name: Gesina Susanna Swanepoel 

Email: rinaj910@gmail.com

 

Name: Apostle Evariste Umba-Tsumbu 

Email: evaristeu21@gmail.com 

 

_________________________________ 

OFFICIAL SUBMISSION DETAILS

Submitted to:

Primary:

The Co-Chairpersons of the Joint Constitutional Review Committee

Parliament of South Africa

P.O. Box 15, Cape Town, 8000

Email: pgwebu@parliament.gov.za

Secondary:

The President of the Republic of South Africa

The Presidency

Private Bag X1000, Pretoria, 0001

Email: president@presidency.gov.za

Copies submitted to:

• Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces

• Chairperson, Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development

• All political party leaders in Parliament

• Chief Justice of South Africa

• All nine Provincial Legislatures

• Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa

Date of Submission: _________________________________

Received by Constitutional Review Committee (Official Stamp):

Received by The Presidency (Official Stamp):

 

Annex

Based on the biblical standard of 2 Samuel 5:3, we are trusting God that during future elections, the people of South Africa should have the opportunity to elect someone who demonstrates:

• Knowledge of the law - as befitting a nation governed by constitutional supremacy

• Integrity and righteousness - as demonstrated through consistent moral character

• A covenant relationship with God and the people - as modeled by King David

This petition is not about one individual. It is about establishing a system where the people of South Africa can directly choose such leaders, rather than having leaders imposed upon them by party machinery.

 

This petition is representing the voice of Christ's followers in South Africa and was conceived by Apostle Evariste Umba-Tsumbu of Life Change Ministry-NPO-090-057 (100+ people) and supported by a signed copy to be associated by the following people with their organisations: 

Gesina Susanna Swanepoel from Facebook page (46,000 people) & WhatsApp group (180 people)

Junior Mthetwa from WhatsApp group (180 people)

Rev Gerlad Rupert Siljeur from UPROPSA and Restoration Foundation

Eliphus Patrick Lekome Semele from Facebook Page (46,000 people)

Rev Tinus Coetzee: Retired Pastor

Jeanné Coetzee: Pensioner

Kedibone Sifumba from WhatsApp Group (180 people)