The 11th Conference of States Parties (CoSP11) to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) took place last month in Doha, Qatar, ending on 19 December 2025. As a Transparency International (TI) national chapter, Corruption Watch (CW) was present at the event as part of the TI delegation. During the proceedings, parties adopted 11 anti-corruption-related resolutions, ranging Read more >
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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 >
On 28 November the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) briefed the portfolio committees for Home Affairs and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) on preparations and increasing readiness for the 2026 local government elections. These, said Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni in mid-November, would take place between 2 November 2026 and 1 February 2027. She Read more >
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 >
Image: Flickr/National Cogta Source: South African government The minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa, on 20 May 2025 officially launched the review of the White Paper on Local Government during a high-level event held at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo, Kempton Park. This launch represents a pivotal step in reimagining Read more >
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 >
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 >
Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko for GroundUp By Tsoanelo SefolokoFirst published on GroundUp A recent court settlement with the KwaDukuza Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal to include more than 300 shack dwellers in a new housing development has been welcomed by housing movement Abahlali BaseMjondolo. The agreement brings to an end nearly five-years of continuous evictions and court battles. Read more >
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 >
