POWER Talk host Mondli Makhanya is in conversation with Founder of Ground Work Collective following the launch of their democratic programme. With South Africa heading into highly competitive local government elections on 4 November, Ground Work Collective will launch its Protect Our Democracy Independent Election Observer Programme on 5 August 2026, aiming to recruit and train 7,000 citizens to help safeguard the integrity of the vote Protect Our Democracy is one of Ground Work Collective's flagship civic participation initiatives, designed to strengthen electoral integrity by equipping ordinary South Africans with the knowledge and skills to observe elections independently, professionally and impartially.