Local Governance Archive
Local Governance News
Civil Society Response to the Auditor-General’s 2018/19 Report
More than 35 civil society organisations across South Africa have joined the call for a change and improvement in the way our municipalities are run as highlighted by the Auditor-General report on municipal audit [...]
Nontando Ngamlana: Local government, similarly to SOEs, are like badly-behaved stepchildren
Click on the link below to read an OPINION piece by Nontando Ngamlana, the Executive Director at Afesis-corplan. https://www.news24.com/news24/columnists/guestcolumn/opinion-local-government-similarly-to-soes-are-like-badly-behaved-stepchildren-20200912
Sifuna Amanzi (We Need Water)
Sifuna Amanzi (We Need Water) is a social justice water campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the ongoing water shortages as a result of drought and poor water infrastructure in many impoverished and resource-deprived [...]
Qhamani Neza Tshazi: Approach to redressing spatial inequity flawed
Click on the link below to read an OPINION piece by Qhamani Tshazi, a Programme Officer for Sustainable Settlements at Afesis-corplan. https://mg.co.za/opinion/2020-08-19-why-a-blanket-approach-to-redressing-spatial-inequity-is-flawed/
#ASIVIKELANE progress report – Informal settlement voices matter
For the past four months since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, Afesis-corplan has been working with 87 households sharing water and ablution facilities in 35 informal settlements communities across the Buffalo City Metro [...]
Zimasa Mpemnyama: Reporting on local government elections – A call for “listening journalism”
Click on the link below to read an insightful OPINION piece by Zimasa Mpemnyama, an intern at Afesis-corplan. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2020-07-22-reporting-on-local-government-elections-a-call-for-listening-journalism/#gsc.tab=0
Afesis-corplan submits comment on national Spatial Development Framework (NSDF)
Afesis-corplan, in its submission to the draft national Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) of South Africa (see copy of submission here), calls for the NSDF to specifically recognize that informal settlements are likely to remain a [...]
Expropriation of Land without Compensation – Constitutional Amendments
The public had until the end of January 2020 to comment on the “Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill” that makes it explicit that “where land and any improvements thereon are expropriated for the purposes of land reform, the [...]
Citizen-based Monitoring of Frontline Service Delivery Revised Toolkit for Freedom House South Africa
Afesis-corplan are proud to have revised the toolkit for Freedom House South Africa, titled: Citizen-based Monitoring of Frontline Service Delivery Toolkit. This toolkit was originally developed in 2017 with an aim of offering organised community [...]
Radio Interview on Municipal Budgeting
[Audio] Afesis-corplan local governance programme officer Lindokuhle Vellem spoke to Alfred Nzo FM on Sunday October 20, 2019 on issues relating to municipal budget processes. https://youtu.be/ZeSOZ6Q0WQg
Illegal electricity connections in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, can we blame communities? by Qhamani Neza Tshazi
Municipal planning processes continue to limit informal settlement dwellers from accessing electricity legally, writes Programme Officer, Qhamani Tshazi. To view the article click here. #UpgradeInformalSettlementsNow
To vote or not to vote
Don't vote By Ebrahim Fakir and Ivor Sarakinsky The primary question facing South African voters in 2019 is not who to vote for, but whether to vote at all. [...]
Only 20 percent of Eastern Cape’s “First Time Voters” registered to vote
By Zwanga Mukhuthu For the 2019 national and provincial elections, the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had by this week, registered more than 3.3-million voters in the Eastern Cape (IEC-EC, 2019). [...]
Annual Report 2017
Afesis-corplan is proud to present our Annual Report for 2017. Find out about all the exciting projects we are working on and the progress, successes, lowlights and lessons we are learning as an organisation. Annual [...]
The narrative that continues to associate state capture with Zuma is a lazy one
By Nontando Ngamlana There has been great public interest in the phenomenon dubbed ‘state capture’ since the revelation of the Gupta influence on ministerial and other senior institutional leadership appointments. Rightly so because the collusion [...]
Glenmore Sports Field Refurbishment
[IN CASE YOU MISSED IT]: Here’s our Executive Director, Nontando Ngamlana's widely publicised media statement on the refurbishment of the Glenmore Sports Field by the Ngqushwa Local Municipality. Click to open. Refurbishment of Glenmore Sports [...]
Accounting for Basic Services: Policy Briefs
In order to improve accountability and to ensure that communities’ democratic rights go beyond a simple vote towards active political participation and engagement, efforts need to be made to capacitate and enable citizens to do [...]
Glenmore residents march to the Ngqushwa local municipality
Afesis-corplan was in Peddie on June 27 where residents of Glenmore marched to the Ngqushwa local municipality to demand that municipal officials respond to a petition they handed over in April. The petition relates to [...]
BCM Must Support Civic Education To Strengthen Democracy
The role and participation of citizens in municipal processes and local government planning are critical for civic engagement, influencing policy, decision-making and holding government accountable. This was a message delivered by Afesis-corplan's Executive Director, Nontando [...]
Daily Dispatch Opinion piece: No fix for wards in current format
In the Daily Dispatch 25 April 2018 edition, our Executive Director, Nontando Ngamlana responded to the Daily Dispatch April 13 article titled “Ward system not working - poor education hampers service delivery in BCM”. Read [...]
BCMM Council Open Day 2018
On the 16th May 2018, Afesis-corplan programme staff Masixole Kente, Lindokuhle Vellem and Sikhander Coopoo attended the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality’s 2018 Council Open Day. The purpose of the Council Open Day was for BCMM [...]
Deepening Participatory Local Governance
The murkiness of today’s politics demands that citizens establish organs through which they will exercise power. Ward committees were conceptualized as organs for people’s power, but it has been proven beyond doubt that this mechanism [...]
Learning Brief #13: Good plans – bad implementation
In development work one often hears the phrase, “we have good plans but bad implementation”. Is the ‘good plans – bad implementation’ statement true? Where is the problem? Is it in our capacity to implement [...]
Afesis-corplan calls for legislative amendments in support of public participation
The Report of the High Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation (HLPKL) and the Acceleration of Fundamental Change, published on 22 November 2017, recommends that: “Parliament should consider identifying and reviewing all legislation [...]
The Scenery Park Phase 3 Housing Story
by Masixole Kente The construction of 947 houses for the Scenery Park Phase 3 beneficiaries in East London finally started in June 2017. These households have been waiting for their approved houses for more than [...]
Mandela Day in Glenmore
by Lindokuhle Vellem On the 18th of July, which is the international commemorative day for Nelson Mandela's Birthday, the Afesis-corplan team travelled to Glenmore community in the Ngqushwa Municipality of the Eastern Cape. It was a [...]
Nuclear energy – do we need it?
by Ronald Eglin “The nuclear energy debate is hotting up in South Africa” participants were told at a nuclear energy conference in East London on 13 September 2017. The conference was co-organised by Afesis-corplan and Earthlife [...]
Citizen-based Monitoring of Frontline Service Delivery Toolkit for Freedom House South Africa
Afesis-corplan are very proud to have developed a toolkit for Freedom House South Africa, titled: Citizen-based Monitoring of Frontline Service Delivery Toolkit. This toolkit was developed with an aim of offering organised community groups with [...]
How can local government councillors interact with and represent their constituents better?
On 5 July 2017 Sibulele Poswayo and Ronald Eglin met with Gabriel Nahmias a researcher involved in the South African Councillor Panel Study. The research project aims to better understand the ways in which local [...]
Strategic Plan Handbook 2017
Afesis-corplan, having worked on local governance and housing development issues for more than 20 years is one of the organizations that offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise that could play a meaningful role in [...]
Learning Briefs and Lessons Learned Index
Learning Briefs Chronological list of learning briefs Back to Basics and the Integrated Development Plan: Placing the IDP at the centre of COGTA’s Back to Basics programme (Local Governance) Spatial Transformation and the Spatial [...]
#COMMUNITYFIRST: Scenery Park community put their community first
#COMMUNITYFIRST was the brainchild of the Scenery Park Phase 3 beneficiaries as a symbol of their demand to participate and be included in the development of their own houses. The beneficiaries who had been waiting [...]
Integrated Development Planning
The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is a 5 year plan that shows the municipality’s development objectives, key strategies and projects that will be implemented to achieve these objectives. It also details which projects will be [...]
Learning Brief #5: Basic Organising and Active Citizenship
A good active citizen is an informed and organised citizen. Drawing from its work, Afesis-corplan concludes that if a community or group of citizens is not organised, it is far harder for that community to [...]
3rd Presidential Local Government Summit 6 -7 April 2017
In an effort to transform municipal spaces for radical social and economic development, Afesis-corplan is represented by our Executive Director, Nontando Ngamlana at the 3rd Presidential Local Government Summit which is being held at Midrand's Gallagher [...]
A Guide to Local Government Budget Advocacy in South Africa
New developments on the Accounting For Basic Services (ABS) scene: the team is proud to announce the completion and publication of the Guide to Local Government Budget Advocacy. The guide is designed to empower Civil [...]
Grounding the National Development Plan
On 23 – 24 March 2017, Sibulele Poswayo and Ronald Eglin attended a two day conference to look at partnerships for implementing the National Development Plan (NDP), organised by Fort Hare Solutions, the National Planning [...]
Toward Good Local Governance…the role of the active citizenry – Author: Sibulele Poswayo, Programmes Manager
On Monday, 21 March 1960, police opened fire, without order, on a crowd that had gathered at the Sharpeville station to protest pass laws. On that day, 69 unarmed people were killed, including women and [...]
Afesis in Action March 2017: Working with communities towards the realisation of dignified housing
Afesis-corplan promotes active citizenry and effective participation in monitoring service delivery. The Scenery Park community continues to fight for dignified access to housing in their community. The DVD 'A Purposeful Pursuit' portrays the beginning of a [...]
Working with communities towards the realisation of dignified housing
Afesis-corplan promotes active citizenry and effective participation in monitoring service delivery. The Scenery Park community continues to fight for dignified access to housing in their community. The above DVD, 'A Purposeful Pursuit' portrays the beginning [...]
How can an active citizen contribute to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process?
Since 9 August 2016 Local Elections, Municipal Councils all over South Africa have been inaugurated. Drafting and endorsing the IDP is one of the first responsibilities of an incoming Municipal Council. Afesis-corplan promotes active citizenry [...]
Accounting for Basic Services (ABS): Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is the process by which citizens deliberate and negotiate over the distribution of public resources. PB/municipal budgeting programs are implemented at the will of governments, citizens, NGOs, and civil society organizations to [...]
Integrated Development Planning Information
Afesis-corplan has produced numerous resource materials over the years on Integrated Development Planning. DVD: The IDP process DVD: Thandi's IDP story Radio: Thandi's IDP story in [...]
Learning Briefs & Lessons Learnt documents
Afesis-corplan has produced a number of Learning Briefs and Lessons Learnt documents in the last few years. To view these please click on the following links: Modalities for Participation - Learning Brief Back to Basics and [...]
Scenery Park Phase 3 Housing Issue
View the video "Scenery Park: a purposeful pursuit"
BCMM IDP submission
The following broad recommendations where made in Afesis-corplan's submission to the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality's (BCMM) call - from September 2016 - for stakeholders to submit their development needs and priorities so as to inform [...]
Parliaments High Level Panel on Key Legislation (Afesis-corplan submission)
Afesis-corplan has made three submissions to Committee 2 on land reform of Parliaments High Level Panel on Key Legislation. Submission 1 and 2 on Communal Land Administration and Managed Land Settlement was submitted on [...]
BCMM agriculture video chapters
Follow the links below to see chapters of the "Buffalo City Agricultural Video" on Afesis-corplan's YouTube channel: Introduction Chapter 1: Farmarama (agricultural inputs) Chapter 2: High Heaven Farm (mixed family farm - poultry, dairy, [...]