The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) encourages the public to comment on the Reviewed White Paper on Local Government, which was gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa on 7 May. This is the second round of comments, with the first having taken place in mid-2025, and the reviewed white Read more >
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South Africans saw the pernicious influence of social media in spreading mis- and disinformation in the national elections of 2024, and in numerous elections around the world. Now it is almost time to head to the polls again, this time to elect those local government representatives with whom we, as the voting public, wish to Read more >
Corruption Watch (CW) executive director Lebogang Ramafoko will on Friday 20 March 2026 lead community leaders and anti-corruption activists working across the Eastern Cape in delivering the preliminary findings of a local government corruption risk assessment (CRA) report to the provincial legislature. The report is the culmination of a CRA undertaken in 2025 as part Read more >
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 >
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 >
