About – Track My Mayor

Track My Mayor helps journalists, members of civil society and residents keep track of what mayors have promised and when promises are due.

The database contains more than 250 promises made by the mayors of the six South African metros with the largest populations.

These are Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane.

Track My Mayor was founded by journalist Liesl Pretorius with funding from Code for Africa’s impactAFRICA fund.

FAQ

1. How does Track My Mayor work?

You can use Track My Mayor in several ways. Here are three examples:

1. You’re a journalist looking for story ideas:

Click here to browse the database.

Tips: Click on the triangles to sort promises by mayor, party, municipality, category or result. To see more promises, click on the “Next” button at the top or bottom of the page.

2. You work for an NGO that fights corruption:

Go to the database. Click on the triangle next to “Category” to see the drop-down list and select the topic that interests you – in this case “Corruption”.

3. You’re a resident of one of South Africa’s six biggest metros and want to keep your mayor on their toes:

Go to the database. Click on the triangle next to “Mayor” to see the drop-down list and select their name.

Watch this video for a step-by-step guide.

2. Why are there more promises in the database for some mayors?

Some mayors have been in office longer than others.

Some mayors make fewer promises than their peers.

Also keep in mind that we focus on trackable promises. If a promise is too broad or vague, we don’t include it. A promise to “promote the preservation of water usage and continue to invest in water infrastructure” would, for example, not make the cut.

3. I don’t know how to do promise tracking. Where do I start?

Select a promise and list the evidence/data you would need to determine if the mayor has kept their promise.
Don’t start with an outcome in mind. Let the evidence guide you.
Ask the mayor’s office for input, but don’t solely rely on what it provides. Do your own research and verification.
Interview experts to help you understand the context.

4. How can I get in touch?

Here are ways to reach us:

Email liesl@answerable.co.za if your organisation would like to partner with us or if you have questions or suggestions.

Did we miss a promise? Suggest it here.