While the recent inclement weather conditions have reminded us of the power that mother nature wields, it has also served to remind us about how municipalities are run, and their importance.
As inclement weather often brings damage to homes, roads and other infrastructure, municipalities are often the first port of call for residents in such disasters. They are at the coal face of coordinating help for residents, including shelter, food and clothing.
Given the importance of matters of local government, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has extended the deadline for submissions on the Review of the White Paper on Local Government.
The Minister extended the initial deadline that had been set for 30 June to 31 July 2025, due to requests from stakeholders across the country for additional time to prepare and submit inputs.
The Ministry said the extension provides an opportunity for broader consultation and deeper reflection while also encouraging interested individuals and organisations to take full advantage of the additional time to submit their views.
“The Ministry recognises the importance of inclusive participation in shaping a responsive and effective system of local governance and thus welcomes the active engagement from all sectors of society,” the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said.
These contributions are essential in strengthening the future of local government and it is crucial for citizens to make their comments count.
Like the weather, local government has an impact on daily life – whether it be refuse collection, the maintenance of roads, or the provision of electricity.
In the Government Gazette dated 10 April 2025, Minister Hlabisa invited the public, civil society, public institutions and interested stakeholders and all three spheres of government to provide comments towards the review.
Among others, the review speaks to the challenges brought on by the changing weather patterns.
This as the Eastern Cape Provincial Government announced that the floods that battered parts of the province last month claimed 103 lives. The victims include 38 children and public servants who were among the first responders.
In total, in June, South Africa lost 107 lives because of the disaster, of which three were in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Western Cape.
In the aftermath of the disaster, government announced a substantial Disaster Recovery Grant, allocating R1.2 billion to municipalities affected by recent disasters.
Climate change is among the nine interconnected priorities for change that are up for discussion in the review document.
According to the review, the “escalating climate crisis” which has “profoundly reshaped municipal governance priorities,” necessitates that local authorities balance the immediate service delivery demands with long-term resilience planning.
While it feels like mother nature is playing a cruel trick on us in the month that South Africa marks Environment Month, the review notes that municipalities are operating in an era in which climate considerations are present in every aspect of urban and rural management.
“In addition to revealing critical deficits in institutional capacity and resource allocation, this paradigm shift has required structural reforms in financial planning, infrastructure development, and cross-sectoral coordination,” it notes, while also stating that municipalities have been compelled to become frontline responders for climate adaptation.
According to the document, municipal budgets have borne the brunt of climate-induced disasters, with extreme weather events between 1998 and 2025 increasing emergency expenditures by 320% across South African cities.
Flooding in Durban during the 2022 rainy season required R780 million in unplanned drain clearance and road repairs, diverting funds from scheduled housing projects.
“The frequency of such events has necessitated permanent budget line items for disaster response,” noted the report adding that coastal municipalities like Nelson Mandela Bay have seen 22% decreases in rates income from properties in flood-prone areas since 2018.
Additionally, critical municipal infrastructure built to 20th-century climate standards now operate beyond their design thresholds.
According to the document, the key challenges in local government show a breakdown in finance, governance and service delivery resulting in high and growing debt, instability in councils, and a deterioration in and lack of maintenance of infrastructure assets.
The review notes that local government performance has regressed due to a variety of administrative, governance, service delivery, infrastructure, financial, structural, and systemic challenges.
“The failure to do the basics well has become a major constraint on attracting investment, fostering growth, creating jobs, promoting human development, and serving citizens,” it said.
Key areas
Government has prioritised the reform of the local government system to ensure it does not continue to be a limiting factor in the country’s development.
The other eight interconnected priorities for change in the document are: municipal fiscal and financial reform; manipulative conduct, culture and behaviour, unethical practices and poor accountability; overpoliticisation of municipalities; poor oversight over local government at national and provincial level; weak integration of traditional governance systems; poor relationships with citizens; inability of spheres of government to meaningfully collaborate and persistent spatial inequalities.
Under the issue of municipal fiscal and financial reform, the document states that local government fiscal and financial challenges are multifaceted and impact the delivery of basic services, citizen confidence, and the long-term viability of the local government system.
The document states that the discussion options for a new local government financial model will need to take into account why levels of local government own revenue have declined, with rising debtors resulting in failure to realise potential revenue.
It will also need to consider why expenditure is rising above revenue and, at the same time, declining service delivery, as well as persistent weaknesses in internal controls and financial governance, among others.
On the matter of manipulative conduct, culture and behaviour, unethical practices and poor accountability, the document notes an emergence of “a bureaucratic, hierarchical, command-and-control, and compartmentalised local government institutional culture”.
This according to the document, has distanced many municipalities from the people they serve with manipulation and methods aiming at maintaining power and/or rapid enrichment having spread, resulting in corrupt, nepotistic, and unethical activity in municipalities.
“Culture change needs to start with ethical leaders in all three spheres of government who model transparency, accountability, agility, and responsiveness and support strengthening of anti-corruption measures,” noted the review.
Meanwhile on the priority of poor relationships with citizens, the document states that there is a large divide between many municipalities and their communities (including residential, business, university, and institutional communities).
“The fact that as of 2024, households owe municipalities a staggering R230.5 billion (74% of total municipal debt) is an indicator of the broken social contract.”
It further goes on to say that a three-way partnership between the elected political structure, the administration, and the community is part of the original conceptualisation of municipalities in the 1998 white paper.
“However, relationships have increasingly become strained and, in some cases, have broken down, hence the need for a focus on ways to improve three-way relational governance at the municipal level, within a whole of government and whole of society framework.”
Meanwhile on the issue of persistent spatial inequalities, the document noted that the persistence of spatial inequality in South African towns and cities remains one of the most pressing challenges of the post-apartheid era.
“Despite three decades of democratic governance, the colonial and apartheid-era urban form, characterised by racial segregation, economic exclusion, and fragmented landscapes, continues to define South Africa’s towns and cities,” it said.
While adding that policies like the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) have sought to dismantle this legacy, progress has been hindered by fragmented implementation, among others.
The document noted that the nine focus areas represent “just some of the initial reflections on the causes of local government system failure; the list is not exhaustive.”
The document notes that the process of local government reform in South Africa faces the persistent and deepening weaknesses of the local government system itself and policy implementation failure are pressing challenges.
“These two challenges need to be tackled simultaneously. If the policy reform and implementation processes are not significantly improved and recommendations are not translated into action, the necessary system changes will once again not be made or sustained,” it said.
Local government achievements
While the white paper speaks to the challenges the country faces, there have been several achievements since the dawn of democracy, including the devolution and establishment of autonomous municipalities with constitutional powers to manage local development.
Other successes include a stable, functional democracy with regular elections established at the local level, including ward committees and other mechanisms for community engagement.
It also includes the merging of fragmented local authorities into inclusive municipal systems.
Other developments include the expanding of access to basic services, including an increase in electricity and water provision as well as the Adoption of the Free Basic Services policies.
The document states that the review presents a crucial opportunity to assess progress, identify challenges, and propose policy reforms to enhance local governance.
“Central to this process is public participation, ensuring that diverse perspectives contribute to shaping an inclusive and effective local government system,” noted the document.
The White Paper can be accessed on: https://www.cogta.gov.za/index.php/wplg-page/ .
Contributions can be submitted via email to WPLG26@cogta.gov.za, oRichardP@cogta.gov.za or MaphutiL@cogta.gov.za.
Submissions can also be made to the following postal address:
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Attention: Mr Thabiso Richard Plank (WPLG26 Policy Review)
Private Bag X802, Pretoria, 0001
Alternatively, submission can be dropped off at 87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia, Pretoria.
–SAnews.gov.za