By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a far-reaching overhaul of South Africa’s struggling local government system, warning that dysfunction in municipalities is undermining service delivery and eroding public trust.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the country’s service delivery challenges are symptomatic of “a local government system that is not working” and pledged urgent reforms to address what he described as systemic failures, weak accountability and political interference.
Quoting the Auditor-General’s latest report, the President said local government is characterised by “insufficient accountability, failing service delivery, poor financial management and governance, weak institutional capability and widespread instability.”
“In many places, local government administrations are weak and governed by patronage rather than technical capacity and merit,” Ramaphosa said.
“Arresting the decline of local government will require our collective action. We are now taking collective action.”
Central to the reform agenda is a revised White Paper on Local Government, which Ramaphosa said will be finalised in the coming months.
The policy overhaul aims to “reimagine the way that local government works” and address what he described as an overly complex and fragmented system.
“The current system is too complex and fragmented, expecting even small and weak municipalities to take on many responsibilities,” he said.
Government will propose a differentiated approach to municipal powers and responsibilities, recognising that some municipalities are better equipped than others to carry out certain functions.
Ramaphosa also announced plans to ensure that senior municipal officials have the required qualifications and are appointed through an independent process free from political interference.
“We will ensure that senior officials in local government have the required qualifications and are appointed through an independent process free from political interference,” he said.
The President made it clear that national government will not hesitate to step in where municipalities fail.
“To address the challenges effectively we will not hesitate to use the powers enshrined in the Constitution to intervene in municipalities where necessary,” he said.
“Where municipalities fail, we will strengthen the ability of national government to intervene more quickly and to direct corrective measures in the interests of serving our people better.”
Targeted interventions are already under way through Presidential Working Groups in eThekwini and Johannesburg.
Ramaphosa said progress had been made in stabilising eThekwini, helping to restore investor confidence, but admitted that significant challenges remain in Johannesburg, citing collapsing infrastructure and financial mismanagement.
“These changes may be difficult. But they must be done,” he said.
The President also pointed to the growing impact of extreme weather events on municipalities, referencing recent catastrophic flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga that claimed at least 45 lives and caused widespread destruction.
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“The classification of the floods as a national disaster has enabled national and provincial government to prioritise funding to address the most pressing needs of the people affected,” he said.
Ramaphosa said it was government’s responsibility to “remake, reorganise and better resource municipalities” so they can fulfil their mandate.
“There are many committed people with skills and experience working in local government,” he said.
“It is our responsibility to remake, reorganise and better resource municipalities so that they can do their work.”
The reform package marks one of the most direct acknowledgements yet by the President that the crisis in local government requires structural change, tighter oversight and decisive intervention from the centre.
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