Despite a relative abundance of financial resources, SA has a skills deficit at local level which is being accentuated by the impact of HIV/AIDS on councillors, professional staff, workers and local communities. The role of local government in the age of HIV/AIDS needs to be contextualised within its available capacities. But this comes with the availability of empirical evidence to support specific policy actions; and training to ensure active citizen engagement and support. Our experience in training AIDS councils, particularly at the local level in South Africa, positions the institution to play an important leadership role in developing a new paradigm for civic participation on HIV/AIDS. Our experience has shown that although there is growing appreciation of the need for collaborative, multi-sectoral approaches to address the AIDS pandemic, these have been conceptualised in narrow and state-centred terms. As a result, multi-sectoral structures have often failed to unlock the unique resources and talents in communities without which it is impossible to design locally feasible solutions, broadly owned by all inhabitants, and effective in promoting the sorts of behaviour and culture change that are the foundation for an effective holistic response to HIV/ AIDS.