South Africans for Constitutional Reform has raised over R500,000 by framing its petition around citizen priorities over foreigners. Its founder Princy Mthombeni later revealed primary motivations tied to energy policy and NGO regulation.
The group collected more than 30,000 signatures since May 2025 and launched a crowdfunding drive in May 2026. Mthombeni, a Stakeholder Relations Officer at the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation since 2007, stated in a June 2026 interview that her initial interest was in the energy section of the Constitution.
SACR’s petition includes a proposal for state oversight of NGOs and NPOs to align with national development. This follows Mthombeni’s long-standing advocacy for a 2017 nuclear agreement with Russia that was struck down by the Western Cape High Court after challenges by environmental groups.
Donors on the BackaBuddy platform most often cited messages such as “South Africa for South Africans.” The campaign has not yet submitted a payout request for the funds raised.
Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee received 1,400 submissions, most of which were discarded. Legal opinions indicated that proposals to limit rights to citizens only would conflict with existing constitutional jurisprudence.
