Local government is where politics gets real — your water, roads, rates, rubbish and electricity. But how much do we actually understand about the people and systems running our municipalities?
In a podcast brought to you by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, journalist Nickolaus Bauer cuts through the jargon, political noise and municipal mythology in South Africa’s Easy Elections Guide: Local Government 2026.
In this episode, he takes us to the Gauteng district municipality of Sedibeng. It’s a place of contrasts: the district municipality has shown decent audit outcomes; the municipality of Midvaal, under the DA, is known for comparatively strong administration and sustainable finances; and Emfuleni is something of a basket case. The region could be integral to a Gauteng industrial revival, if local government can overcome service delivery challenges and infrastructural collapse, and rebuild.