South Africans are being asked to wait until 2029 before having another say at the ballot box. But the country is facing serious challenges now:

• Unemployment: Millions of South Africans remain without work. The official unemployment rate stands at 33.6%, rising to 43.8% when the potential labour force is included.
• Corruption and political interference: Ongoing inquiries continue to expose serious allegations concerning corruption, criminality and political interference within state institutions.
• Illegal immigration and border security: The government has acknowledged serious deterioration in border infrastructure while irregular crossings remain an ongoing challenge.
• Crime and public safety: Violent and property crime continue to affect communities across the country.
• Economic pressure and failing public services: Households and businesses continue to face the consequences of weak economic growth and strained public infrastructure.

South Africans may disagree about who is responsible for these problems, and about which political parties have the answers. Regardless of our political differences, we can still come together and say: enough is enough.

To the Members of the National Assembly of South Africa

South Africa entered a new political era following the 2024 national election. No party secured a majority, and the Government of National Unity was subsequently formed through agreements between political parties represented in Parliament.

Whatever our individual political affiliations, South Africans should not be expected to feel powerless when they lose confidence in the direction of their national government. Our Constitution provides democratic mechanisms through which Parliament can be held accountable — including, under the circumstances set out in section 50(1), the dissolution of the National Assembly before the end of its ordinary five-year term.

Section 50(1) of the Constitution provides that the President must dissolve the National Assembly when the Assembly adopts a resolution to dissolve supported by a majority of its members, provided that three years have passed since the Assembly was elected. A dissolution would require a new national election to be held within the period prescribed by the Constitution.

We therefore call upon Members of the National Assembly, once the constitutional requirements of section 50(1) have been satisfied, to support a resolution to dissolve the National Assembly and allow South Africans to return to the ballot box.

This petition is not a call to suspend the Constitution, overturn the result of the 2024 election, or remove any political party from democratic participation. Nor does it ask the President to unilaterally call an election, because the Constitution does not give the President that power in these circumstances. It asks our elected representatives to use a mechanism expressly provided for in the Constitution.

South Africans of different political beliefs may disagree profoundly about the ANC, DA, MK, EFF and every other political party. We do not need to agree on which party should govern in order to agree on one principle: when confidence in a government has deteriorated sufficiently, the electorate should have the opportunity to determine what comes next.

We therefore ask Members of Parliament to place the question before the National Assembly and, once constitutionally permissible, support the dissolution of the Assembly under section 50(1).

Our demand
We call upon the National Assembly, once the requirements of section 50(1) of the Constitution have been met, to consider and adopt a resolution dissolving the National Assembly so that South Africans may choose a new Parliament through a free and fair national election.

Let South Africans decide.