The History Society was once again invited to attend the FW de Klerk Foundation annual conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Local Government Elections 2026: Chances and Challenges for Municipalities to fulfil their Constitutional Mandate”. This was done against the backdrop of the assertion that “citizens discuss politics based on their experiences in their daily lives” (Gregor Jaeke of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung). The Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke and Dr Ruben Richards, Executive Deputy Mayor of the Cederberg Municipality, were the speakers for the day as specialists in the field of local goverment where "democracy affects people most in their daily lives". The event was rounded off by the posthumous awarding of the FW de Klerk Goodwill Award to Dr Franklin Sonn and received by his representatives of his family.

 

In all, it was an enriching affair, one in which the History Society Committee—under the leadership of Michael Whitelaw—was enriched in their knowledge of South Africa, contemporary issues in governance and hopes for the future. We continue to be privileged to be welcomed to events by the Foundation and look forward to further engagements with them in the pursuit of more active, more responsible and enlightened citizenry.

 

 

 

Minister Hlabisa provided insights into the challenges—historical, extant and contemporary—experienced by municipalities across the country. He reflected on the importance of rectifying these issues as local governance “is the closest sphere to the people” where “people feel it when it is dysfunctional.” He would provide a framework for rectifying these issues: getting the right people into the job, mobilising people to vote and ensuring stability through coalitions and cooperation.

 

The Auditor General stressed the need for openness and dialogue in our quest for a more just existence, and to engage frankly on the present. She drew on her expertise to highlight the shortcomings in accountability. Drawing on the principle of the rule of law and our collective adherence to it as a society, she stressed the continued importance on the insistence for truth and accountability.

 

Dr Richards concluded the first section of the event by making a confession: that he was confused, naïve and foolishly, although unfailingly, patriotic. He drew on his experiences in the Cederberg Municipality to propose the following framework to ensure good practice in local governance: diagnosing issues before prescribing remedial measures, and sweating about the quality of leadership.

 

The event was rounded off by a QnA with all three speakers. In response to a question from the Diocesan College member of staff, which was to query the role of educators in addressing the issues highlighted by the speakers, the following was suggested: teaching civic responsibility, cultivating identity through a culture of (collective) belonging, teaching ethics/cultivating ethical conduction and in all things, an emphasis on humanism.