Amid persistent service delivery failures and crumbling municipal infrastructure, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritise implementation, funding reform and accountability in his 2026 State of the Nation Address.

In a statement issued on Tuesday ahead of the President’s address scheduled for Thursday, SALGA said the country’s municipalities are under growing pressure to translate long-standing policy commitments into tangible improvements for communities.

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As South Africa marks 30 years of organised local government and the Constitution, SALGA said the milestone should prompt a renewed focus on the role of municipalities as drivers of development and the frontline of service delivery.

The association said it expects the 2026 State of the Nation Address to reaffirm local government’s central role in national development while demonstrating measurable progress on reforms

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