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The importance of voting in municipal elections

Local government elections will take place on 3 August this year. This is the chance for citizens to vote for the people who they believe will best look after their service delivery interests such as water and electricity; the maintenance of parks, roads and other public spaces; and the implementation of housing projects drawn up Read more >

Activators lead in issues of national interest

By Lwazi Nongauza Gauteng Activators joined dozens of young people from Gauteng in robust dialogue about youth participation in elections, at Corruption Watch’s third Integrity Lecture last week. The event took place in Braamfontein at Constitution Hill on 23 October. The Corruption Watch youth campaign event Youth To The Polls was hosted by human rights Read more >

Can a changed electoral system boost accountability?

By Judith February In South Africa, it’s becoming a matter of routine for presidential question time to be disrupted. Recent scenes in the National Assembly left little room for doubt – as if there was any after the chaos of the state of the nation address in February ­– that Parliament is fast losing the Read more >

ConCourt rules for DA in Nkandla SMS saga

The Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the DA in the matter of a contentious SMS – in which it said that President Jacob Zuma stole taxpayers’ money to refurbish his Nkandla home – sent to Gauteng voters just before national elections in May last year. The SMS reads: “The Nkandla report shows how Read more >

Community buy-in is key to successful SGB elections

There are over 24 000 public schools across South Africa, and in just five months, each one will go to the polls to elect school governing bodies (SGBs) to oversee the running of the schools for the next three years.   From 6 to 28 March 2015 the national SGB elections will take place in a Read more >

A mandate to tackle corruption

Source: Transparency International South Africa is in the throes of the most hotly contested election in its short history of democracy. A mere 20 years into its widely applauded transition from apartheid, pervasive corruption is a central campaigning issue. This is magnified by the burgeoning scandal surrounding the incumbent president and the ruling party’s presidential Read more >

Campaigning against corruption – 2014 elections

By Kavisha Pillay As we race up to the 2014 national elections, political parties are doing their best to convince the public that their party is best equipped to serve the country. South African citizens are demanding action against corruption, seen as a stumbling block to growth and development, and consequently many parties have highlighted 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 >