Local government in South Africa stands at a critical turning point. As the country prepares for the 2026 municipal elections, a panel of leaders, experts, and civil society voices gathered to reflect on the health of local governance, the deep challenges facing municipalities, and the reforms required to rebuild trust and improve service delivery.
The discussion brought together the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa, Professor Jaap de Visser from the Dullah Omar Institute, senior representatives from the Auditor-General, and leaders from civil society. Their reflections painted a clear picture that South Africa’s municipalities are struggling, but there are real opportunities for change if reforms are embraced with urgency and honesty.
A System Under Strain
Opening the discussion, the organisers highlighted a common and worrying truth that many South African municipalities are not healthy. Some are functioning well, but too many are failing. The failures relate to competence, capacity, accountability and, in some cases, corruption. With elections just 12 months away, citizens are increasingly concerned about the quality of governance in their communities and how their votes will translate into better service delivery.
The Minister reflected on the Local Government Indaba held earlier in the year, which brought together professionals, academics, public representatives and civil society. The main message that emerged was that the country must confront the weaknesses in the system honestly, without defending outdated practices or avoiding hard decisions. Local government, he stressed, has moments of success, but also moments of deep crisis, and it is time to fix what is broken.
A Call for Professionalisation and Competence
One of the strongest themes from the Minister was the need to “depoliticise” municipal administration. He explained that political influence has often been allowed to override merit, competence and professionalism. In many councils, people are deployed into senior positions without the necessary skills to manage budgets, interpret financial statements, or oversee complex municipal systems. This undermines both accountability and service delivery.
According to the Minister, municipalities need skilled, qualified administrators who can make decisions in the interest of the law and the community, not political factions. He emphasised that councillors, including mayors, speakers and committee chairs they should also meet a minimum level of competency. While he did not argue for formal degree requirements, he stressed that councillors who oversee millions of rands must at least be able to read and interpret reports, understand budgets and question irregularities before they escalate into crises.
The Minister argued strongly that if political leaders are competent, they will not force administrators into wrongdoing. Professionalism in administration, combined with competency in political leadership, would create a healthier, more accountable system.
The Auditor-General’s Warning Signs
The Auditor-General’s office brought a sobering perspective. Their representative revealed that only 41 of the country’s 257 municipalities achieved a clean audit in the last financial year, just 16% of all municipalities. This means that most municipalities struggle to account properly for the public funds they receive.
She explained that a clean audit is not just a compliance exercise. Municipalities with clean audits tend to respond more quickly to service delivery problems. By contrast, those with poor audit outcomes often delay fixing issues such as sewage leaks, water shortages and broken infrastructure. Years of repeated findings show that non-compliance, poor record-keeping, weak leadership and lack of consequence management all contribute to service failures.
The Auditor-General also highlighted the growing number of “material irregularities,” which are serious findings where money has been misused, wasted or lost. Many municipalities ignore these findings year after year, failing to recover funds or discipline officials responsible.
An important moment occurred recently when the Auditor-General issued a historic “certificate of debt” to a municipal manager who failed to act on an identified irregularity involving millions of rands. This certificate means the individual must personally repay the funds lost through mismanagement. While this is a powerful tool of accountability, the Auditor-General cautioned that it also reveals deeper problems: in some cases, new or well-intentioned municipal managers may inherit old irregularities and later be held responsible for failures that began long before their appointment.
Coalitions and the Future of Local Governance
Professor Jaap de Visser addressed one of the most important and sensitive topics on the future of coalition governance. South Africa’s electoral system produces multiparty councils, which means coalitions are now a permanent feature of local government. He warned against trying to over-regulate coalitions but supported moderate reforms to improve stability.
The first recommendation was to allow more time after elections for councils to negotiate coalition agreements before electing key leaders such as mayors and speakers. Currently, councils must elect these positions within just two weeks, which often rushes parties into unstable arrangements.
The second recommendation was to change the voting process inside councils to an open ballot instead of a secret ballot. This would prevent back-room deals and allow the public to know how councillors vote.
He also addressed the controversial debate around electoral thresholds. Some propose that parties must earn at least 1% of the vote to get a seat in council. While this could reduce fragmentation and limit the influence of very small parties, it also risks silencing smaller voices. However, he believes such thresholds may be constitutional if implemented carefully, and could encourage small parties to collaborate, as seen in recent announcements where smaller formations have begun working together.
Voices From Civil Society
Civil society brought the conversation back to the people on the ground. The representative from PlanAct explained that poor and vulnerable communities feel local government has lost its developmental mission. Instead of receiving services as rights, communities often feel they must beg for them or depend on favours.
She shared that residents are exhausted from fighting for basic services such as water, sanitation, and waste removal. Many ward committees and public participation structures are non-functional, leaving communities feeling ignored. Despite this, people are not giving up on democracy. She explained that communities involved with civil society organisations continue to monitor budgets, demand accountability and submit formal requests. However, they often find that government does not meet them halfway.
She also pointed out the growing number of independent candidates as a sign that South Africans want more direct influence in their local governance, rather than relying only on political parties.
Reforming Municipal Structures
A question raised during the discussion was whether South Africa should reduce the number of municipalities. The Minister confirmed that the idea is under serious consideration. He explained that some municipalities are simply not fit for purpose. They cannot pay salaries, cannot maintain roads, and cannot deliver basic services. Keeping them as they are only places communities at risk.
Reducing the number of municipalities must be done carefully, he emphasised, and must be based on proper research and consultation. The goal is not to reduce for the sake of reducing, but to create stronger, more functional municipalities with the capacity and resources they need.
A Difficult Road Ahead
The panel agreed that major reforms cannot be completed before the 2026 elections. The review of the White Paper on Local Government, for example, is a long-term project that will shape the next 30 years of local governance. Coalition legislation may be ready sooner, but most structural changes will take years.
Despite this, the Minister insisted that citizens play a central role. Communities must vote out councillors who fail them and vote in those who can deliver. Apathy only strengthens the worst performers.
A Glimpse of Hope
One inspiring example came from the City of Tshwane, where civil society, communities and government co-created a waste management strategy that has already been tabled in council. This shows that when communities are involved meaningfully, solutions are possible.
As the panel discussion concluded, one message stood out clearly that South Africa has the knowledge to fix local government, but it takes political will, professional competence, active citizenship and a shared commitment to accountability. The 2026 municipal elections will be a crucial test of whether the country is ready to move towards more stable, capable and responsive local governance.
Local government may be at a crossroads, but it also stands at the edge of possibility a chance to renew its purpose and restore its relationship with the people it is meant to serve.
