South Africa: Overhauling Local Government for Better Services

12 February 2026
SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

Government is proposing fundamental reforms to address the root causes of dysfunction in many municipalities and to improve the efficiency of service delivery.

These changes are expected to be implemented in the coming months through the finalisation of the White Paper on Local Government.

"This will provide solutions for the functioning of an effective local government system. The White Paper will reimagine the way that local government works," President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

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Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a joint sitting of Parliament, the President said the current local government system is overly complex and fragmented, placing excessive responsibilities on small and weak municipalities.

"We will propose fundamental changes that recognise the reality that some municipalities can take on more functions than others, and that we need a differentiated approach to municipal powers and responsibilities," President Ramaphosa said.

Government is also proposing more structured cooperation between municipalities and traditional and Khoi-San leadership institutions to strengthen community engagement and promote shared problem-solving.

"We will ensure that senior officials in local government have the required qualifications and are appointed through an independent process free from political interference.

"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," the President said.

Acknowledging that the reforms may be challenging, President Ramaphosa stressed that they are necessary.

He said progress has been made in stabilising eThekwini, resulting in renewed investor confidence. However, he warned that Johannesburg still faces significant challenges, including collapsing infrastructure, financial mismanagement, and ongoing electricity and water disruptions.

"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," the President said.

Read the original article on SAnews.gov.za.

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