Posts

Community project presents corruption research findings to EC legislature

Corruption Watch (CW) today led a group from 10 community-based organisations (CBOS) supported under the Strengthening Action Against Corruption (SAAC) project in presenting the preliminary findings of a corruption risk assessment report on local government in the province.   The report highlights risks associated with poor governance and weaknesses in controls that emerged across various Read more >

Water woes for neglected villagers

Working in the field of community development often lays bare the intersectionality of issues of human and socio-economic rights, climate governance and even corruption that manifests in the absence of accountability. The realities of all this are all too familiar for Sizeka Mavumengwana, the director of Ukhahlamba Legal Advice and Development Agency  (ULADA) based in Read more >

Can municipal corruption be likened to organised crime?

It’s another year at the polls for South Africa, with the focus this time on municipalities. At the end of 2026, citizens will vote for their local government representatives in an election that will take place between 2 November and 1 February 2027. This is a crucial event in the democratic system because local government Read more >

Deadline extension for submissions on Local Government White Paper review

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) minister Velenkosini Hlabisa officially launched the review of the White Paper on Local Government on 20 May 2025. Hlabisa called for all interested parties to make submissions, saying that the success of the review relies on a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, and that contributions were required across all three Read more >

Political intervention needed to save local govt: Maluleke

Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke on Wednesday revealed to Parliament that only 41 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities obtained clean audit outcomes in the latest Municipal Finance Management Act audit outcomes for the 2023/24 financial year – although this is an improvement from the previous reporting period’s 35 municipalities. Furthermore, 99 municipalities obtained unqualified outcomes with findings, Read more >

Contribute to the review of the White Paper for Local Government

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leadership (Cogta) is reviewing the 1998 White Paper on Local Government (WPLG) to evaluate its impact, tackle challenges, and align local governance with modern realities. Accordingly, the department invites the public, civil society, public institutions, interested stakeholders, and all three spheres of government to provide comments towards the Read more >

GPG turnaround barometer to improve municipal performance

In January 2025 the Gauteng provincial government (GPG) announced the imminent launch of its Local Government Turnaround Barometer Dashboard – an initiative that is set to monitor municipal performance and improve service delivery across the province, if all goes according to plan. The provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is in charge Read more >