Every year, the Auditor General’s municipal audit paints a picture of the municipal crisis. The most recent audit shows that this crisis is deepening. It reveals that only 27 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities received a clean audit. This is 10 less than the 2018/19 municipal audit. It also shows that there was R26 billion in irregular expenditure in municipalities. This means that around 90% of municipalities are neck deep in debt and unable to pay for basic services like water and electricity.

Yet, local government is essential to ensure that basic services are delivered, especially, to people who need it the most. But it is characterised by poor service delivery, the failure to maintain crucial infrastructure like sanitation, roads, inefficiency and corruption. The many community protests that take place every day over water, electricity, roads, sanitation, housing, and corruption lays this crisis bare.

In the build-up to the Local Government Elections which is set to take place on 1 November 2021, My Vote Counts together with Tshisimani – Centre for Activists will host a Zoom webinar series that will attempt to understand the municipal crisis and explore what can be done.

The 5-part series will look at the following:

    • Local government in crisis: What does it mean? — 28 September 2021
    • Local government in crisis: How do communities respond? — 30 September 2021
    • Local government crisis: What does the crisis mean for local economies? — 7 October 2021
    • Communities taking power — 14 October 2021
    • Local government in crisis: What are the alternatives? — 21 October 2021

The speakers list includes guests like Ayanda Kota, Dr Trevor Ngwane, Dr Tracy Ledger, Professor Steven Friedman, and representatives from various social movements.

The first webinar will take place at 17:30 and thereafter sessions will be on Thursdays at 11:00.

To register to any one or more of these webinars, you can click here.

For more information, please contact our Electoral Systems Researcher, Letlhogonolo Letshele: letlhogonolo@myvotecounts.org.za