What have the councils done on corruption?
Things a metro council did, did not do or cancelled. Tap one to see the check.
We have not checked a council record on corruption yet.
What does each party promise on corruption?
Tap a line for the full promise and its source. The order changes on each visit.
ActionSAWork to recover public money that was stolen or unlawfully lost.
ActionSA promises to try to get back public money. This is money that was stolen or lost in a way that broke the law.
ACDPProsecute corruption cases fast and make the guilty personally repay the state.
The ACDP promises that people accused of corruption will go to court fast. This also goes for people accused of handling (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) money badly. If found guilty, they will have to pay the money back from their own pockets.
ANCRun lifestyle audits of mayors, mayoral committee members and senior managers.
The ANC promises lifestyle audits. These would check (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.), members of mayoral committees and senior managers. This kind of audit checks if how a person lives fits what they earn. The ANC also promises to use its Step Aside Rule.
ATMRestore council integrity and spend every rand openly on services and communities.
The ATM promises to bring back integrity in local government. It says (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) should serve the people, not political interests. It promises that each rand of public money is used in the open. It would go to services and to help communities grow.
AMMRun lifestyle audits of elected leaders and top officials.
The AMM promises lifestyle audits. These would check elected leaders and top officials. This kind of audit checks if how a person lives fits what they earn.
Al Jama-ahLivestream council and tender meetings, and publish council contracts online.
Al Jama-ah promises to stream (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) meetings live, and the meetings that decide on tenders. It also promises public online pages that show council contracts.
BOSAFire officials guilty of corruption or misconduct instead of moving them.
BOSA promises to fire officials found guilty of corruption or misconduct. It says it would not move them to other posts.
DAMake top council money officials pay back losses they cause, personally.
The DA promises that (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) accounting officers will pay back losses they cause. They would use their own money. An accounting officer is the top official in charge of a council's money.
EFFPublish all tenders, awards and contracts, and punish corruption.
The EFF promises to publish all tenders, awards and contracts. It also promises to punish corruption.
FF+Recover money lost to corruption, fraud and irregular contracts.
The FF+ promises to get back money lost to corruption, fraud and irregular contracts. It says municipal public accounts committees, which are (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) committees that check spending, should thoroughly investigate irregular, fruitless and wasteful spending. Irregular spending is money spent without following the rules that apply.
GOODLet the public attend committees that check spending and pick tenders.
GOOD promises to open the meetings of two City committees to the public. One is the public accounts committee. It checks spending. The other is the bid adjudication committee. It chooses who wins City tenders.
IFPQuickly refer corruption, fraud and tender-rigging reports for investigation and action.
The IFP promises that accusations of corruption, fraud and tender rigging will be passed on quickly. They would then be looked into and acted on.
PAOpen the books, check pipes, roads and staff qualifications in 100 days.
The PA promises to open the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) books in its first 100 days. It also promises to check the council's pipes, roads and other works, and staff qualifications. It promises to publish how long repairs take.
Rise MzansiOpen the books, publish tenders and hold officials to account for spending.
Rise Mzansi's website for the 2026 election calls for open books. It calls for tenders to be published. It also calls for consequences for officials who cannot explain where the budget went.
SACPPush for regular, independent lifestyle audits of councillors and officials.
The SACP promises to push for lifestyle audits of (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.) and officials. These would be regular checks, done by outside checkers. This kind of audit checks if how a person lives fits what they earn.
UDMEnforce zero tolerance for corruption, with consequences for wrongdoing.
The UDM promises zero tolerance for corruption. It also promises consequences for poor work, corruption and wrongdoing with money.
No party with a promise on corruption matches.
We found no 2026 promise on corruption from these parties yet. A party with no promise here may have none, or may not have published its plans. It is not marked down: NCC, PAC, MK, UAT.
Not sure which topic matters most? Pick yours and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
Take the quizWhat have the councils done on audit results?
Things a metro council did, did not do or cancelled. Tap one to see the check.
What does each party promise on audit results?
Tap a line for the full promise and its source. The order changes on each visit.
ActionSAAct on audit findings and work towards clean audits.
ActionSA promises to act on what audits find. It also promises to aim for clean audits. A clean audit means the Auditor-General found no serious problems.
ACDPMake council accounts committees set out fixes for serious Auditor-General findings.
The ACDP promises that MPACs will give ways to fix adverse findings. These are serious problems that the Auditor-General found. MPACs are municipal public accounts committees. They check how the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) spends its money.
ANCAct on Auditor-General findings within 12 months.
The ANC promises that (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) will act on Auditor-General findings within 12 months. It also sets a goal for 2031. By then, at least half of councils should get clean or unqualified audits. A clean audit means the Auditor-General found no serious problems. An unqualified audit means the accounts can be trusted. But there may be other problems.
DAGive every council it runs working committees that check its spending.
The DA promises that every (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) it runs will have working public accounts and audit committees. These committees check how the council spends money.
SACPAdd community checks and social audits to the Auditor-General's audits.
The SACP promises community checks and social audits. These would be on top of the Auditor-General's audits. In a social audit, people who live in the area check if promised work was done.
UDMAct on Auditor-General findings.
The UDM promises that UDM-led (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) would act on what the Auditor-General finds. The Auditor-General is the state office that checks council accounts and reports its findings. The UDM also lists consequence management, which means action against poor performance, corruption and money misconduct.
No party with a promise on audit results matches.
We found no 2026 promise on audit results from these parties yet. A party with no promise here may have none, or may not have published its plans. It is not marked down: ATM, AMM, Al Jama-ah, BOSA, EFF, FF+, GOOD, IFP, NCC, PAC, PA, Rise Mzansi, MK, UAT.
Not sure which topic matters most? Pick yours and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
Take the quizWhat have the councils done on wasteful spending?
Things a metro council did, did not do or cancelled. Tap one to see the check.
What does each party promise on wasteful spending?
Tap a line for the full promise and its source. The order changes on each visit.
ActionSACut unneeded spending on travel, catering and conferences.
ActionSA promises to cut (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) spending that is not needed, such as travel, too much catering and conferences. It says this also covers luxury vehicles and VIP protection. It says public money must be spent "on services for residents, not political perks and privileges".
ACDPEnd corrupt, irregular, fruitless and wasteful spending.
The ACDP promises to stop corrupt spending, irregular spending, and fruitless and wasteful spending. Irregular spending breaks the spending rules; fruitless and wasteful spending is money spent for no useful result. It says it would make internal audit and the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) committees that review financial reports (MPACs) far more effective at checking how money is spent.
ANCReduce irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful spending.
The ANC promises to reduce irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful spending. This is money spent against the rules or without approval. It is also money wasted that could have been avoided.
AMMProtect whistle-blowers, act against wrongdoing and recover money the council lost.
The AMM promises to protect whistle-blowers. These are people who speak out about wrongdoing. It promises that wrongdoing will have consequences. It also promises to get back money that was lost. This is money lost through corruption, irregular spending and unpaid bills.
Al Jama-ahBring in a "30-day referral rule" for spending that breaks the rules.
Al Jama-ah promises a 30-day referral rule. It is for irregular spending. That is money spent in a way that breaks the rules. The (Manifesto A party's written list of its plans and promises for an election.) does not say what the rule means or who cases are referred to.
EFFHire qualified professionals instead of relying on consultants.
The EFF promises that (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) would hire qualified professionals of their own and not depend on consultants. A consultant is an outside expert or firm that the council pays for advice or work.
FF+Cut the number of senior and middle-management posts.
The FF+ promises to cut the number of senior and middle-management posts. It says it would hire more tradesmen, who are skilled workers such as electricians. It would also revise salaries to match expertise, skills and the value of the post.
GOODCut contractor mark-ups and use some savings for fair minimum wages.
GOOD promises to cut contractor mark-ups and use part of the savings for minimum wages on City work. A mark-up is the extra amount a contractor adds to its price. It says the City would start doing its own cleaning and security work within 18 months.
IFPLawfully recover money lost through misconduct, negligence or unlawful decisions.
The IFP promises that (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) it runs will use the law to try to get back lost money. This is money lost through misconduct, negligence or unlawful choices.
PACap mayors' cars at R450 000 and check threats before funding bodyguards.
The PA promises a limit of R450 000 on new cars for (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.). It promises a police check of the threat before public money pays for bodyguards.
SACPPush to stop wasteful spending, overpriced contracts and overuse of consultants.
The SACP says it would push to end wasted spending, contracts that cost too much, and too much reliance on consultants. Consultants are outside experts that a (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) pays to do work or give advice. It also lists building a council's own skills to cut repeated contractor costs.
UDMReduce wasteful spending and council buying that breaks the rules.
The UDM promises that UDM-led (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) would cut down on wasted money and on irregular procurement. Irregular procurement means the council buying (Goods or services Things given to a party instead of cash. Examples are paying its bills, lending it things to use, or paying for a venue or staff.) without following the rules. The UDM also says money budgeted for water, roads or other services must be used for that purpose.
No party with a promise on wasteful spending matches.
We found no 2026 promise on wasteful spending from these parties yet. A party with no promise here may have none, or may not have published its plans. It is not marked down: ATM, BOSA, DA, NCC, PAC, Rise Mzansi, MK, UAT.
Not sure which topic matters most? Pick yours and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
Take the quizWhat have the councils done on coalitions?
Things a metro council did, did not do or cancelled. Tap one to see the check.
We have not checked a council record on coalitions yet.
What does each party promise on coalitions?
Tap a line for the full promise and its source. The order changes on each visit.
ActionSAWork to build stable coalitions, but never accept corruption for stability.
ActionSA promises to work to build stable (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.). It says stability will never be a reason to accept corruption.
ACDPSupport, with some exceptions, the 2024 bill that sets council coalition rules.
The ACDP promises to support the Local Government Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, 2024. But it will not support each part of it. This bill is also called the Coalition Bill. The (Manifesto A party's written list of its plans and promises for an election.) says the bill sets rules for (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) in hung (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.), where no (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) has more than half the (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.).
ANCPut every coalition agreement it signs in writing and make it public.
The ANC promises that any (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) agreement it signs would be written down and open to the public. A coalition is when (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) share control of a (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.). It says such agreements must protect the budget process and services from political deadlock, where parties cannot agree.
BOSAUse binding coalition agreements with shared goals, dispute rules and quarterly checks.
BOSA promises binding (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) agreements, which the (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) must follow. They would set shared goals and ways to settle disputes. They would also require performance checks every three months.
FF+Make every coalition decision follow an agreed model for governing.
The FF+ promises that all the choices of a (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) government will follow an agreed model. This is a model for how to govern. A coalition is when (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) join to run a (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.).
PAPush for published coalition agreements, funded portfolios and a dispute process.
The PA promises to ask for (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) agreements to be made public. It also wants funded portfolios and a way to settle disputes. A portfolio is an area of (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) work, such as housing.
UDMInsist that coalition deals are written down and made public.
The UDM promises that any (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) deal it joins will be written down and made public. It also says it will stop backing partners who harm the services people get.
No party with a promise on coalitions matches.
We found no 2026 promise on coalitions from these parties yet. A party with no promise here may have none, or may not have published its plans. It is not marked down: ATM, AMM, Al Jama-ah, DA, EFF, GOOD, IFP, NCC, PAC, Rise Mzansi, SACP, MK, UAT.
Not sure which topic matters most? Pick yours and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
Take the quizWhat have the councils done on budgets?
Things a metro council did, did not do or cancelled. Tap one to see the check.
What have parties claimed on budgets?
Things a party said, or said about another party. We checked each one. Tap one to see the check.
What does each party promise on budgets?
Tap a line for the full promise and its source. The order changes on each visit.
ActionSAPass funded budgets based on money councils can really collect.
ActionSA promises to pass funded budgets. These would be based on the money (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) can really collect.
ACDPFund upkeep and upgrades of water, sewer, road and power networks first.
The ACDP promises to put basic services first in (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) budgets. The top priority would be to look after and upgrade water pipes, sewers, roads and power lines.
ANCEnd unfunded council budgets within the first two years of the term.
The ANC promises to end unfunded (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) budgets within the first two years of the new term. An unfunded budget plans to spend more than the council can expect to collect.
AMMCancel old council debt of poor and child-headed households, following the law.
The AMM promises to cancel the old (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) debt of poor households and of households headed by children. It would do this through the council's legal processes.
BOSAHold public forums and budget meetings with communities four times a year.
BOSA promises public meetings and budget meetings four times a year. At these, communities would have a say in how the budget is spent.
DAPass cost-covering tariffs and funded budgets for pipes, roads and power lines.
The DA promises that (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) will approve tariffs (prices for services) that cover costs. Councils would also approve budgets that are properly funded. This is so that pipes, roads and power lines are paid for.
EFFSet up People's Budget Assemblies in wards so residents have a say.
The EFF promises to set up People's Budget Assemblies in each (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.). These would be meetings where residents have a say in the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) budget. A ward is a small area of a council that has its own elected (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.).
FF+Keep tax and tariff increases at or below inflation.
The FF+ promises that tax and tariff increases will not be higher than inflation. Inflation is the general rise in prices.
GOODLet residents decide how part of their ward's budget is spent.
GOOD promises to let residents decide how part of their (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.) budget is spent. Its plan says this is more than a comment period on a decision already made. A ward is one small area of a city, with its own (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.).
IFPPublish council budgets, tenders and spending reports.
The IFP promises to publish municipal budgets, tenders and spending reports. A tender is when a (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) asks firms to bid for paid work. Spending reports show what the council spent its money on.
PAGive residents a three-month break from paying municipal rates.
The PA promises a three-month break from paying municipal rates. Rates are the charges property owners pay the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.). The PA leader, Gayton McKenzie, said the break would let people 'catch up and have a breather'.
SACPCampaign for residents in each ward to rank local needs before budgets.
The SACP promises to campaign for participatory budgeting in each (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.). This means residents would help choose and rank local needs. They would do this before a budget is passed.
UDMSet realistic, funded budgets and spend budgets and grants on time.
The UDM promises realistic budgets that the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) has the money for, linked to the services it puts first. It also promises to spend budgets and grants on time.
No party with a promise on budgets matches.
We found no 2026 promise on budgets from these parties yet. A party with no promise here may have none, or may not have published its plans. It is not marked down: ATM, Al Jama-ah, NCC, PAC, Rise Mzansi, MK, UAT.
Not sure which topic matters most? Pick yours and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
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