Pan-African research network Afrobarometer has released its flagship report for 2025, on the topic of citizen engagement in democratic processes. Titled Citizen engagement, citizen power: Africans claim the promise of democracy, the report highlights the various ways in which citizens in 39 African countries express their needs and preferences while helping to ensure government remains Read more >
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Parliament’s portfolio committee on women, youth and persons with disabilities plans to start a new process of appointing commissioners to lead the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) in September. This follows a Constitutional Court ruling earlier this month that found the previous appointment process of five commissioners, undertaken in 2022, invalid as it offered inadequate Read more >
Today Corruption Watch (CW) was in the Constitutional Court to receive the judgment in its application challenging the National Assembly (NA)’s compliance with constitutionally mandated public participation processes in the appointment of five commissioners to the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE). One of the cornerstones of South Africa’s constitutional democracy is the provision for members Read more >
In a victory for South Africa’s constitutional principle of public participation in democratic processes, the Constitutional Court on Friday handed down a unanimous judgment that found that the National Assembly failed to comply with its constitutional obligation to facilitate reasonable public involvement in recommending persons to be appointed as members of the Commission for Gender Read more >
Image: IEC The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa calls on all South Africans to join the national dialogue on the potential implementation of electronic voting systems in the country’s electoral processes. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday 30 September 2025. Electronic voting (e-voting) refers to any voting system where votes are cast or 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 >
By Moepeng Valencia Talane – CW Voices There is something worrying and unnervingly consistent in the messaging around corruption by members of the executive in South Africa’s government, mostly because of the tone that is set and the words that are used. Yes, it’s important to reflect truthfully and call a spade a spade when 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 >