CLGF’s upcoming pilot projects in Southern Africa will focus on the role of extractive industries in helping promote LED. Various capacity assessment projects are underway in Botswana and Swaziland as CLGF prepares for the forthcoming pilot projects in the region. The activities include accessing capacity within the region to help identify regional priorities, establishing baseline information and setting milestones to measure progress. 

Similar capacity assessment exercises will be conducted in Zambia and South Africa later this month. CLGF also plans to work towards helping set up a local government association in Lesotho and help establish a peer learning programme with the Botswana Association of Local Government Authorities (BALA). These pilot projects are part of the UKAID (the UK Department for International Development) funding to support and strengthen CLGF’s capacity building work across the Commonwealth.