IBP_SA

Yesterday- 23 May 2026, more than 100 young people from around 30 communities across Johannesburg came together for the JHB Regional Convening: Youth Voices, Strong Communities. Hosted by @KathradaYouth Programme, the convening created a space for young people to engage on democracy, elections, local government, accountability, and active citizenship ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Young people participated in interactive discussions and role-play activities where they created their own councillor candidates, built campaign messages, and debated what leadership communities truly need. We were joined by @IECSouthAfrica , @ForDemocracySa, @MVC_SA, @TheJCA_, @asivikelane, and @bethefutur33356. Participants reflected on the importance of informed voting, understanding government structures, and the need for young people to move from frustration to action. One participant shared: “Democracy is a verb - a doing word. That stuck with me.” Another reflected: “We shouldn’t only complain about the problems we are facing in our communities. We must come up with solutions and get involved in local government structures.” Thank you to all the young people, facilitators, partners, and organisations who contributed to a powerful day of civic learning, dialogue, and youth organising. Amandla! ✊🏽 #YouthParticipation #LocalGovernmentElections #KathyLegacy

This #WorldEnvironmentDay Asivikelane residents are working together to create a better world for future generations. Today they are organising clean up campaigns across their informal settlements, gardening campaigns as well as recycling and composting initiatives.

It was a privilege to host State Secretary Alexandre Fasel and his colleagues from @switzerland_sa this week. We visited the informal settlement of Rabie Ridge to showcase the work of #Asivikelane. The visit provided an important opportunity to hear directly from residents about their challenges in accessing basic services, while highlighting their proposed practical, community-led solutions to improve service delivery and strengthen accountability. Thank you to @Planact_NGO, @SECO_CH, our Community Facilitators, IBP South Africa staff and the Swiss team for your participation and engagements.

[Watch:] We are excited to be a part of this inspiring waste project, where food scraps are turned into compost, waste dumps are transformed into sports grounds, and community gardens are flourishing! youtu.be/bsPwnnZFFP8?si… @CityTshwane @MadamWaste @c40cities @1to1_AoE @Planact_NGO

The delivery of permanent sanitation infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the rapid growth of informal settlements. Cities rely on short-term solutions while waiting for permanent infrastructure. But “temporary” toilets often last for years, with billions spent on solutions costing more than permanent infrastructure. Based on years of systematic evidence collection and community engagement, we’ve identified six practical recommendations that can transform how municipalities manage temporary sanitation. Read the full report bit.ly/3T2Qikt

Yesterday was a huge success 💪 World Environment Day with Asivikelane + Social Employment Fund + EPWP teams = mission accomplished 🙌 The informal settlements showed up for clean-up campaigns. #WorldEnvironmentDay #YourEnvironmemt #YourResponsibility #YourImpact

While we welcome the 13% increase in funding for improved sanitation (VIP toilets), the @cityofjoburg's draft 2026/27 budget is a missed opportunity unless key gaps are addressed. Our recommendations: - Ensure swift implementation of planned projects and publish a settlement-by-settlement delivery plan with clear timelines. - Include communities in planning for new sanitation services in informal settlements. - Incorporate our community-designed backslab into tender specifications for future VIP toilets citywide. - Prioritise sanitation provision to ensure that vulnerable communities are safe and healthy. - We call for increased and ring‑fenced funding, with clearer budget breakdowns, to upgrade, maintain, and transparently manage water and sanitation services in informal settlements. Read our full response here: asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

We respond to the @CityofCT's draft 2026/27 waste budget. We welcome the 11% budget increase for basic solid waste collection in informal settlements. We are also pleased to note that for the first time, an explanation of what this allocation funds is provided. We are however concerned about some developments that could negatively impact waste management in informal settlements. Read our full budget response here: asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

Asivikelane responds to @eThekwiniM draft 2026/27 budget. Although there are increases in disaster management and emergency services funding, it does not specify how much is allocated to informal settlements. There is no funding for disaster prevention programmes, despite the IDP highlighting their importance. While plans to expand early warning systems for floods are mentioned, no details or budget allocations are provided, limiting transparency and accountability. asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

Asivikelane responds to @OfficialBCMM's 2026/27 budget which raised serious concerns for informal settlement residents. We highlight urgent gaps that threaten access to water, sanitation, and dignity. Buffalo City must act now to protect the dignity, health, and safety of informal settlement residents. We urge the Metro to explain these cuts and commit to sustainable service delivery. Read our full response here: asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

We've published our 2025 impact report! Asivikelane aims to connect residents and government by building relationships. Our hubs bring together various groups – including reformers, donors, communities, private companies, and auditors – to tackle service delivery challenges in cities. We take a look at our impact over 2025 and showcase our contributions to improved access to safe drinking water, dignified sanitation, and regular refuse removal. Read the full report here: asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

We are excited to see that #Asivikelane was included in the @UNHABITAT New Urban Agenda Platform report: Republic of South Africa: National Progress Report in the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda. "Asivikelane’s project in Knysna is a model for gender-responsive urban governance and basic services." Read the full report here: urbanagendaplatform.org/sites/default/… @DAG_activism @OpenBudgets

We've just printed our new banner. It reflects what we believe: partnership makes better services possible. Thank you to our partner and funders for your continued support! @1to1_AoE @abahlali_abm @asivikelaneWc @DAG__activism @Planact_NGO @P_ImpactDefined @SASDIAlliance @apostolic_james @IBP_SA @coimpactcollab @DBSA_Bank @EWSETA @gatesfoundation @giz_gmbh @OpenBudgets @SECO_CH @Switzerland_SA

Mangaung budget response: #Asivikelane welcomes the provision of toilets and taps in informal settlements across @Mangaung_Metro, however many residents still continue to lack access to safe and dignified sanitation. Based on the draft 2026/27 budget and draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Asivikelane has put together a set of recommendations. Read them on our website here: asivikelane.org/wp-content/upl…

#Asivikelane is training community plumbers to fix leaking taps and toilets. They are saving water and improving access to water and sanitation in their communities. Watch our latest video to find out about the impactful work they are doing in @KnysnaMuni. @DBSA_Bank @DAG__activism youtu.be/fuBQOYNvm3U?si…

Today, DBSA CSI officially handed over two newly constructed ECD centres in the Eastern Cape; helping create safer and more dignified learning environments for children in underserved communities. #DBSA #ECD

We welcome the @CityofTshwane's new allocation of R5 million for solid waste collection points in informal settlements. We are pleased to see specific indicators to implement the City’s Informal Settlements Waste Management Strategy and are proud to be collaborating on its implementation. We are however concerned that several developments may have a negative impact on waste management in informal settlements. While the move to increase internal capacity and reduce reliance on contractors is a welcome long-term principle, it is not clear whether the reduction in contractors will negatively affect service delivery in the short to medium term. The budgets for both solid waste contracted services and household have decreased significantly from the previous year’s budget. It is not clear if the R14 million allocated for waste containers (more than double the previous year’s allocation) includes provision for informal settlements.

We were excited to be included in the @PARInstitute latest report: Observe, Record, Report: Real-time citizen engagement with public procurement in South Africa. bit.ly/3R8xtLU "IBPSA’s Asivikelane initiative elicits regular municipal responses to citizen-reported service failures. IBPSA’s Asivikelane transformed citizen feedback into municipal action during and after the COVID19 period, with monthly dashboards that made it difficult for officials to ignore. Building on this, IBPSA’s 2025 field study in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane provides empirical support for this trajectory."

We were excited to be included in the @EqCollectiveSA report: Community Action to Advance the Right to Water: Invited and invented participant strategies in South Africa. This report considers strategies that can be used by rural and other marginalised communities to advance water rights, with a focus on three case studies, one of them being #Asivikelane. Read the full report here: bit.ly/49HQ3AQ

Residents in Salvokop and Baghdad informal settlement in @CityofTshwane joined forces with SG Lourens Nursing College students and lecturers to clean up their community. Thank you to everyone involved, you did a great job! #Asivikelane