On The Discourse this morning, we turn our attention toward voter participation at local government level. This, as South Africa prepares for its upcoming local government elections, with attention turning to a critical question: how engaged are citizens in choosing the leaders responsible for delivering services in their communities? Local government is often the level of government closest to the people, yet voter apathy, declining public trust and dissatisfaction with service delivery can weaken democratic participation. Across Africa, experiences vary, with local elections shaped by political competition, electoral credibility, civic education and citizens' confidence in democratic institutions. To explore these dynamics, we spoke to Dr Tendai Mbanje, a governance and political analyst, with many years of experience in African election monitoring.