Kagiso Trust launches playbook to help citizen participation in local government

Ahead of the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026, the Kagiso Trust has launched a civic guide in the form of a comic book to offer South African citizens a practical path to holding local governments accountable.

Launched on 30 September, the guide aims to confront the question of how citizens can participate in local government.

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‘Start where you are’

The Kagiso Trust acknowledges that every community has ideas that can shape its future. Thus, the goal of the #StratWhereYouAre playbook is to give regular citizens a practical way to address local issues, from water and electricity and waste management to housing and safety.

The playbook walks readers through a five-step action guide using everyday scenarios that citizens will recognise:

1. Notice
2. Understand
3. Report
4. Organize
5. Follow-up

The guide also offers ideas for participating throughout the election cycle, from learning about local governance to asking candidates questions.

 

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Making politics accessible

The comic book format of the guide was an intentional decision made by the Trust to assure accessibility for people across different literacy levels, languages, and backgrounds. The visual storytelling element of the playbook lowers the barriers that long-form civic material often creates in comprehension and communication.

Briefly News reports that Dean Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu, Chairperson of the Kagiso Trust Board of Trustees, said that the playbook is supposed to answer the question of what comes after the call to participate.

“We have put a lot of effort into telling people that they should participate in democracy. The playbook answers the next question, and the answer is simple: Start where you are,” he said.

Though the guide was launched ahead of the local elections, the playbook is not a voters’ guide but a guide on sustained government engagement for citizens, before, during, and after an election.

“Voting is important, but it’s just one moment. Active citizenship is everyday work. The real power lies in what happens before and after election day,” Nevhutalu said.

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