Now that elections are over and new municipal councils and structures are in formation, do you know the functions of the people who have been elected to represent your interests to the municipality? Read our guide to municipal councillors to understand what is expected of them and how to hold them accountable
Our heroes this week are all the players in the 2016 local government elections, who helped to ensure that democracy is alive and well in South Africa.
The election manifestos of the ANC, the DA and the EFF make some expansive claims and promises, but do they live up to the big talk? Find out here.
My Vote Counts is turning to the Western Cape High Court in a bid to have the shortcomings of the Promotion of Access to Information Act addressed. The organisation says the public can only properly hold their elected representatives accountable if they are sufficiently informed, and PAIA is inadequate in this specific context.
The Constitutional Court has approved the amount of R7.8-million which the National Treasury had determined must be repaid by President Jacob Zuma, after he improperly benefited from non-security upgrades to his personal residence – at the taxpayer’s expense,
The Australian company involved in the controversial Xolobeni titanium mining application has announced its withdrawal from the project – but too late for Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe. The anti-mining activist and community leader was shot dead in front of his young son in March – we were part of a group of NGOs who demanded justice for him, and issued a letter two months later lamenting the lack of action in resolving the murder.
The Right to Know campaign has called on communities to urge local councillors to sign an accountability pledge for the upcoming municipal elections.
Corruption is highly resilient and evolutionary – a sure indication of its complexity, as it adapts quickly to changes in the system, such as the introduction of a law or the removal of a player. As a result, short-term successes may be unsustainable, or even generate negative effects in the longer run. Anti-corruption programmes must take this, and other characteristics of complex systems, into account if success is to be achieved.
Are you a young changemaker passionate about busting land-related corruption in Southern Africa? Apply NOW to Ashoka’s Changemakerxchange, 2 – 5 October 2016 in Johannesburg. The event is held in partnership withTransparency International and the International Anti-Corruption Conference. Deadline to apply: Friday 12 August, 17h00 SAST!