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FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION RELEASES DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION OF “WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT ANYWAY?” - THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION GUIDE 2026
Issued by Ismail Joosub on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 19/06/2026
The FW de Klerk Foundation, in partnership with Project Youth South Africa, Co[LAB] Africa, the African Minds for Applied Research Institute, Royal Bookstore and the BRICS Student Commission – UNISA Division, has released the downloadable PDF version of Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway? The Local Government Election Guide 2026.
Following the release of the interactive digital guide, the new PDF edition makes this important civic-education resource even easier to download, save, share and use in classrooms, communities and youth-engagement programmes.
Written in clear and accessible language, the guide explains why local elections matter, what the Constitution requires from municipalities, what citizens are voting for, how municipal councils and councillors operate, and how eligible South Africans can register to vote.
It also confronts declining voter participation and reminds citizens that democracy does not begin and end at the ballot box. Meaningful local accountability requires informed, active and engaged communities.
This is the first instalment of a planned three-part series that will take citizens from voter registration to informed electoral participation and continued accountability after the polls close.
The PDF version is now available free of charge.
A GUIDE ON WHO DOES WHAT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A guide for citizens on who does what in local government
THE CCTSA WINS CULTURAL AWARD
The Centre for the Constitutional Transformation of South Africa (CCTSA) is delighted to announce that it was named winner of the Heritage, Memory and Identity category at this year’s Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards, held in Cape Town on 9 September 2026. The CCTSA is dedicated to telling the story of South Africa’s constitutional journey. The awards, hosted annually by the Western Cape Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, recognise individuals and organisations that make a meaningful contribution to the cultural, linguistic and heritage life of the province.
STATE CAPTURE IS HOLDING BACK SOUTH AFRICA
After Nelson Mandela was elected in 1994 his government abolished racially segregated local authorities, creating ostensibly integrated municipalities. Today these range in size from Johannesburg, the commercial capital, to units like Mpofana that comprise a small town and rural areas. All are supposed to fund themselves through property taxes, business rates and charges for water, electricity and waste collection. The poorest also get a grant from the central government to fill any gap between revenue and expenditure.