Posts

Be an active citizen – play your part in advancing effective local governance

Image: Edward Middleton, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license Source: CoGTA The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) reiterates the call for active citizen participation in local government. To have a meaningful impact on how your municipality is run, you need to understand the processes involved. This guide explains Read more >

Protesting towards accountability

When you live in a poor community – where most households survive below the bread line and thus rely heavily on assistance from government – there is bound to develop, over time, a culture of activism that seeks to hold said government accountable to its service delivery promises. For the community of Thembelihle, an informal Read more >

We must hold our municipal councillors accountable

In the just-concluded local municipal elections we cast two votes – one for a party and one for an individual. Voters in areas which form part of a district council received a third ballot paper for the district council election. Those votes will result in the election of councillors, who are tasked with doing their utmost Read more >

Local government in South Africa – part 2, who’s who

Municipalities are complex institutions with a wide range of powers and duties. It is important to know who the officials and role-players in municipalities are, and to understand their duties and responsibilities. They are the people and structures responsible for the efficient running of a municipality, and they are the ones who must answer to Read more >