Civic Education

Civic education is vital because it equips citizens and communities with knowledge about how municipalities work, what their rights and responsibilities are, and how to access services or participate in decision-making. COMPACT has developed civic education materials for communities and other local government stakeholders. A comprehensive guide entitled Working Towards Collaborative Local Government: A Reference Guide, developed together with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, provides information on: institutional and legal framework for local government in South Africa; accountability in South Africa’s legal framework; structures and role-players inside local government; the planning, implementation and oversight cycle; and the right to water, housing and sanitation, and spatial justice. It contains information on all relevant local government legislation and policy, as well as useful resources and contact details of organisations.

Working Towards Collaborative Local Government: A Reference Guide

COMPACT has also developed a simple and accessible Local Government Pamphlet Series covering several local government topics. These pamphlets were piloted in the North West with Moses Kotane Local Municipality and JB Marks Local Municipality in 2025 and were translated into five languages.

COMPACT Local Government Pamphlet Series

• • Understanding Local Government (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho)
  • Accountability and Oversight in Municipalities (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho)
  • Municipal Councillors (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho)
  • Ward Committees (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho)
  • Youth Participation in Local Government (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho)