Stronger councils. Cleaner audits. Sustainable service delivery.
Support for newly elected councils and municipal administrations to build the oversight capability that sustainable local government depends on.
The challenge
Year after year, the Auditor-General’s findings point to the same governance weaknesses in local government: poor record-keeping, weak internal controls, and oversight that relies on the audit to catch problems.
Source: Auditor-General of South Africa, 2024-25 local government audit outcomes (tabled June 2026).
Why now
New councils were elected on 4 November 2026. The first months of a term shape how a council will exercise oversight for the next five years.
The national Integrated Councillor Induction Programme covers the essentials every councillor needs. Councils still need to understand how their own municipality works, and councillors in oversight portfolios need deeper, practical skills. That is where we help, building on the national programme rather than replacing it.
How we help
Municipality-specific councillor induction
Orientation to how your municipality actually works, building on the national induction.
- Council’s delegations, rules of order and committee system
- The IDP, budget and annual reporting cycle
- The councillor’s role in oversight and accountability
Portfolio and oversight programmes
Practical skills for councillors with specific oversight responsibilities.
- Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) members
- Finance and section 79 and 80 committee portfolios
- Oversight of the annual report and the oversight report
Responding to the Auditor-General
Building the capability to act on audit findings, for councils, MPACs and administrations.
- Overseeing audit action plans through to completion
- Unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and consequence management
- Funded budgets, record-keeping and a culture of internal control
What changes
Councillors who ask the right questions
Oversight based on evidence, not only on reports presented to council.
Action plans that get finished
Audit findings tracked and resolved, not repeated year after year.
Consequences that follow
A clear process for unauthorised, irregular and wasteful expenditure.
Services that last
Sound governance that protects the services residents rely on.
Our work with councils is strictly non-partisan. Programmes are designed to complement the national Integrated Councillor Induction Programme. We build oversight capability; audit outcomes remain the responsibility of each municipality.
Programmes run on site or online, for a whole council or a specific committee. Talk to us about your council.
Let’s build governance that lasts
Tell us about your council or organisation and the challenges you face.