The Socio-economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) shares its submission to the Joint Committee on Constitutional Review on the expropriation of land without compensation.

Governance specialist, columnist and lawyer, Judith February, writes for the Daily Maverick on the state of local government in South Africa.

The Auditor-General (AG), Kimi Makwetu, on 23 May 2018 reported an overall deterioration in the audit results of South Africa’s municipalities for 2016-17. Makwetu says despite his office’s constant and insistent advice and caution to governance and oversight officials about administrative lapses since 2013, their counsel has largely not been heeded.

Minister of the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize, delivered the annual COGTA Budget Vote speech to the National Assembly on 15 May 2018. The speech included a briefing on the state of local government and a plan for the year ahead. 

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) hosted the 6th Local Government Week from 8 to 10 May 2018 at Parliament in Cape Town. The programme provided an opportunity for national reflection on issues affecting local government.

City Press via News24 reports that municipalities want a bigger role in the energy future. They want to be allowed to generate their own electricity and to purchase directly from independent power producers.

GroundUp reports on the thousands of people who marched through Cape Town from Keizersgracht Street to the Civic Centre on Wednesday, Human Rights Day. They handed a memorandum to government representatives demanding land for people to live on.

Written by the Socio-economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), Chapter 5 of the 2017 State of Local Governance publication discusses and analyses different organisational methods of engaging the state, supporting greater collaboration with the state and greater state accountability within the broader context of social and spatial justice. 

The Development Action Group (DAG) hosted the 'My home' dialogue and exhibition at Lookout Hill, Khayelitsha on 6 March 2018.

The Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC) on behalf of the SA SDI Alliance provides an update on some of the Alliance’s recent activities.

The Democracy Development Program (DDP) has been involved in strengthening civil society capacities to engage with local government structures for the last two decades.

On 22 March 2018, the Socio-economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) launched its latest working paper entitled, Turning Off the Tap: Discontinuing Universal Access to Free Basic Water in the City of Johannesburg.