The FW de Klerk Foundation wants citizens to sign its 'South Africa First!' petition, calling for the establishment a government of constitutional unity or coalition government that will put South Africa first.

The petition is being introduced amid ongoing coalition talks amongst political parties, while South Africa’s next President must be elected on Friday.

After losing its outright majority at the polls last month, the African National Congress has invited other political parties to form a national unity government.

The party has since announced that it has held constructive engagements with delegations from the Inkatha Freedom Party, Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance, the National Freedom Party and the Patriotic Alliance.

The government also aims to protect the country’s Constitution and Bill of Rights by forming a new government consisting of political parties loyal to it and committed to lasting freedom, peace, progress and prosperity for all South Africans.

FW de Klerk Foundation executive director Christo van der Rheede explained that such a government must create a conducive environment for local and foreign direct investment and increase tax revenue to overcome the triple threats of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

⁠⁠It must also adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards bad governance and management in State-owned enterprises and government departments and it must scale up infrastructure and housing development projects by leveraging private-sector expertise and technologies, he said.

Van der Rheede highlighted that government would have to prioritise youth employment and food production to ensure access to affordable, healthy and available food and help farmers to mitigate the many risks they face.

“Unity amongst South Africans is crucial for social cohesion. The new government must build on our shared national identity - based on our human rights culture of non-racialism, non-sexism, human dignity, equality and freedom. It must foster empathy, respect and honesty amongst South Africans versus sowing division,” he said.