Constitutional Amendments for a South Africa That Puts Citizens First

South Africa is at a constitutional tipping point and ordinary citizens are paying the price for a system that no longer works for them. Too many South Africans feel excluded from decisions that affect their safety, well-being, and future.

We, the undersigned citizens and supporters of South Africa, respectfully call on the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the Constitutional Review Committee to consider the following proposed amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

Our goal is not to undermine the Constitution’s founding values — but to ensure that its provisions are clear, enforceable, sustainable, and centred on citizens. We believe these changes are necessary to:

• Protect national sovereignty
• Promote accountable, citizen-first governance
• Strengthen democracy and public trust
• Ensure that national resources and services serve those to whom they are constitutionally and morally owed

We, the People — united as South Africans for Constitutional Reform (SACR) — call for meaningful constitutional reform that delivers:
 
1. Safety and Justice

• Capital punishment for heinous crimes (e.g. serial murder, armed robbery with fatal outcomes, treason, femicide, serial rape, aggravated child abuse)
• Real consequences for violent repeat offenders
• Reinforced Right to Life through targeted exceptions in extreme cases 

2. Accountable Governance

• Direct election of the President by the people, not Parliament
• Clarified term limits: an upper age limit of 65 for Members of Parliament
• Publicly enforceable right to petition and guaranteed state response

 
3. Citizen-Centric Policy and Resource Allocation

Explicit prioritisation of South African citizens in state obligations across:

• Housing (Section 26)
• Health care, food, water, and social security (Section 27)
• Education (Section 29)
• Employment and labour opportunities (Section 23)

General review to replace “everyone” with “citizens” where public resources are concerned as well as clarification of citizenship revocation grounds (fraud, treason, national security)
 
4. Economic Justice and National Ownership

• Amend the Preamble: “South Africa belongs to all its citizens, united in our diversity”
• New clause in Section 1: “The sovereignty of South Africa resides in the people…”
• Regulation of natural resources for equitable national benefit (Chapter 13)
• Oversight of NGOs and NPOs to ensure alignment with national development
• Affirmation of the right and duty to work, including state-supported employment creation

 
5. Electoral and Institutional Reform

• A hybrid electoral system: combining proportional representation with direct constituency elections
• Publicly vetted appointments to Chapter 9 institutions to ensure independence

Our Constitution is a living document. It should evolve with the needs of the people and the demands of a modern, sovereign South Africa.

These changes will strengthen accountability, restore the social contract between the state and its citizens, and ensure that national resources and services serve those to whom they are constitutionally and morally owed.

If you support these proposed amendments, sign this petition today. Your endorsement will be added to the official submission to Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee.

Petition Deadline: 28 May 2025

Let us protect our democracy. Let us stand for a South Africa that puts its citizens first.

P.S South Africans for Constitutional Reform (SACR) is a temporary civic body established specifically to coordinate and lead this 2025 public engagement. Once it has served its purpose, it will be dissolved.