South Africa’s municipal leadership pay rises outpace inflation
South Africa’s municipal leaders receive above-inflation 2026 pay increases amid service delivery and performance concerns.
Fiercely Independent News & Opinion
Central Karoo
Water shortages in the Western Cape: governance failures over weather
Western Cape water shortages expose governance failures, weak infrastructure management, and declining technical capacity.
Western Cape faces infrastructure gap threatening the region’s advantage
Western Cape’s economic growth outpaces infrastructure, risking exports, investor confidence, and provincial competitiveness.
Western Cape political realignment ahead of 2026 local elections
Councillor defections intensify DA, PA and ANC battle before 2026 Western Cape elections.
Steenhuisen to resign, or be pushed?
After several years at the helm, it looks as though Steenhuisen will not seek another term as Democratic Alliance leader. Geordin Hill-Lewis will be his likely replacement, after 20 years of grooming under Helen Zille.
Does foot-and-mouth disease threaten food security in the Western Cape?
Foot-and-mouth disease elsewhere exposes Western Cape beef vulnerability, highlighting importance of livestock and sheep farming.
Property owners beware a quiet shift in municipal power
Municipalities can now charge higher property rates without updating the official valuation roll, following a recent court ruling.
FF Plus grows by 28% as DA falls by 5% in Ward 57
Ward 57 by-election shows DA decline, FF Plus surge, signalling realignment against DA–ANC coalition political.
Growing Anarchy in the Western Cape
Western Cape increasingly mirrors anarcho-tyranny as lawlessness grows and responsible citizens become the scapegoat.
Fire Season explained
We give a brief overview of the history, administration, structural issues, and recent fires this year in the Western Cape.
Petition to Vote Away from the DA in 2026
We are running an online petition urging Western Cape voters to withdraw their support from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the 2026 election.
Three-ward by-election in Beaufort-West
The PA could be in jeopardy, as the DA has the opportunity to win two more seats. But to take back control, the DA may have to extend the national coalition to local government
Gayton McKenzie forms coalition with local municipal-level microparties
The Patriotic Alliance leader promised to unseat the DA as the governing party of the province
Eskom forced to rely on Western Cape government to repair electricity outage in Karoo
Several towns have been without electricity for ten days, after heavy storms took out key pylons in the grid
PA mayor of Beaufort-West resigns over allegations of assaulting a woman
This will be the second mayor to resign in the past six months, and the fourth since the 2021 local elections, in a local regime shaped by graft and outrageous promises
Storms take out power across the Central Karroo
Provincial govt rallies emergency support for sewage, hospital and water systems, as Laingsburg, Prince Albert, Ladismith, Napier and nearby towns go dark
