Ramaphosa vows to overhaul failing local government system
Unqualified and politically appointed senior municipal officials would face removal as the government moved to overhaul South Africa’s failing local government system, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
In his annual State of the Nation address in parliament, he said senior officials in municipalities would be required to have the necessary qualifications and would be appointed through an independent process free from political interference.
The move formed part of a broader reform package anchored in a revised white paper on local government, which the government planned to finalise in the coming months. The revised framework would introduce “fundamental changes” and reimagine how municipalities operated, Ramaphosa said.
For years, local government has been plagued by instability, political infighting and allegations of cadre deployment, with many municipalities struggling to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, refuse removal and road maintenance.
Ramaphosa cited the auditor-general’s most recent report, which paints a bleak picture of the sector. Auditor General Tsakane Maluleke has described local government as 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.
Beyond tightening appointment processes, he said the national government would strengthen its ability to intervene more quickly in failing municipalities and direct corrective measures.
“Where municipalities fail, we will strengthen the ability of the national government to intervene more quickly and to direct corrective measures in the interests of serving our people better,” he said.
The revised white paper would introduce a “differentiated approach” to municipal powers and responsibilities. Ramaphosa acknowledged that smaller or weaker municipalities could not carry the same functions as large metropolitan councils.
He said the reforms would further propose more structured cooperation between municipalities and traditional and Khoi-San leadership institutions to strengthen community engagement and shared problem-solving.
Ramaphosa referred to Presidential Working Groups established to support eThekwini and Johannesburg, saying investor confidence had begun returning to eThekwini but Johannesburg continued to face collapsing infrastructure, financial mismanagement and service interruptions.
He acknowledged that reforms might require difficult decisions “but they must be done”.
Framing the overhaul as part of efforts to build “a capable, ethical and developmental state”, Ramaphosa said the objective was to remake, reorganise and better resource municipalities so they could fulfil their constitutional responsibilities and restore public trust.
“There are many committed people with skills and experience working in local government. It is our responsibility to remake, reorganise and better resource municipalities so that they can do their work,” he said.
“Where municipalities fail, we will strengthen the ability of the national government to intervene more quickly and to direct corrective measures in the interests of serving our people better.”