Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Lesedi Senamele Matlala

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Lesedi Senamele Matlala

SAPS already recognises the digital terrain but recognition must evolve into localised practice. Photo Delwyn Verasamy

Crime is increasingly detected online but policing remains offline

Being digitally present is a form of accountability: it signals that the station is not hiding behind central bureaucracy when communities are scared. It also enhances…

The Madlanga commission heard further testimony of police corruption on Monday from an anonymous police investigator who alleged that senior Gauteng officials were linked to drug cartels and criminal syndicates implicated in contract killings.
 Photo: Paul Botes

Murder as a message: When assassins set the local government agenda

Driven by corruption and patronage, the killing of municipal officials and local councillors is rising, eroding democracy and accountability

There has been nothing remarkable about the government of national unity’s first year in office, but the steadying of the ship has been invaluable. Photo: GCIS

GNU cabinet: Too many chiefs, not enough service

South Africa needs to rethink its executive overload and trim the number of deputy ministers, saving R100 million a year

South African Local Government Association submission to parliament admitted that only 28% of municipalities had implemented minimum Protection of Personal Information Act compliance requirements by mid-2023. Photo: Reuters

Digital trust at risk: Are municipalities able to protect our personal data?

Residents deserve to know that the information shared with their municipality is securely stored and will not be leaked, sold or weaponised

Social media is being used to fuel xenophobia and hatred.

Unfiltered and unfinished: How social media reveals South Africa’s struggles with racism

Racist posts can go viral in seconds, showing the world that South Africa’s divisions are not history, and reminding us that we still have work to do

Integrating social media into CBM frameworks offers a promising solution for addressing the limitations of traditional CBM tools and mitigating the rising public discontent. (Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Social media can transform citizen-based monitoring and improve service delivery

By embracing social media as a tool for inclusive governance, the government can transform how it interacts with its citizens, creating a more participatory, transparent and…

Auditor general Tsakani Maluleke has repeatedly made recommendations to improve municipalities’ performances but to little effect. Photo: GCIS

There’s a crisis of accountability in local government

Revitalise municipal accountability by ensuring the effective implementation of the auditor general’s recommendations