Independent Evaluation of the Municipal Capability & Partnership Programme

The Municipal Capability & Partnership Programme (MCPP) is a structured, long-term partnership between Anglo American, Kumba Iron Ore, De Beers, the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), implemented across four local municipalities: Blouberg and Musina (Limpopo) and Gamagara and Tsantsabane (Northern Cape) between 2019 and the present. Its defining approach is working alongside municipalities rather than for them, using a problem-driven methodology to build lasting institutional capability ahead of mine closure and economic transition. This report presents the findings, analysis and recommendations of the external evaluation of the Municipal Capability & Partnership Programme (MCPP). The evaluation was commissioned by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of Anglo American South Africa, Kumba Iron Ore, De Beers and the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG), and was conducted by PARI (Public Affairs Research Institute) as an independent external evaluation team during April 2026. This evaluation is shaped by the imperative of the post-mining transition; several participating mines face closure within the next five to fifteen years.