In 2011 SERI, SECTION27, and Read Hope Philips Attorneys developed a comprehensive guide on local government entitled Making Local Government Work: An Activist's Guide, for use by activists in South Africa. This helpful guide sets out the legal responsibilities of local government in South Africa and rights under the Constitution and in law. It shows how to engage government from inside, by participating in formal processes, and from outside by going public through complaints, petitions, protest action, the media and the courts.
A website for the guide - Local Government Action (LGA) - has been set up, which has all the information from the guide, as well as other useful links to organisations, resources, cases etc. Visit www.localgovernmentaction.org. LGA aims to help people:
- understand local government and what it should be doing for every community
- monitor (or keep track of) what local government is doing
- find out what to do when local government ignores the community or breaks the rules
- take action to enforce the rights to water, sanitation, electricity, housing, and health
- find organisations that can help.
For information and queries email Koketso Moeti:
