By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is determined to overhaul local government systems, improve accountability and strengthen service delivery.
“We must declare the days of patronage and factional politics in local government over,” Ramaphosa said. “The people of South Africa want to see councils fixing potholes and delivering water, not fighting over who gets one or another tender.”
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He was addressing the National Council of Provinces’ Taking Parliament to the People programme at the Spirit Word Church in Stilfontein, on Friday.
“Local government is critical in ensuring that people have water and sanitation, electricity, roads, clinics and community services,” Ramaphosa said.
“When local government works, when municipalities are well-managed and deliver on their mandates, cities, towns and villages thrive.”
He said government had prioritised interventions to address the country’s water crisis, including establishing the National Water Crisis Committee and implementing a National Water Action Plan.
He also said the reviewed draft White Paper on Local Government, released for public consultation last week, proposes major reforms aimed at improving governance, municipal finances, accountability and service delivery.
The proposed changes include stricter financial controls, professionalising municipal appointments, digitising systems and enforcing tougher consequence management against corruption and maladministration.
The reforms come less than six months before South Africans are due to vote in the 2026 local government elections on 4 November.
The election will determine the composition of municipal councils and is expected to test public confidence in local government after years of service delivery failures, infrastructure neglect and governance inefficiency.
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Ramaphosa said rebuilding local government was essential to restoring public trust and attracting investment into the country.
“We are determined that local government must rise anew from the ground up,” he said.
During his address, Ramaphosa also paid tribute to victims of recent flooding in several provinces, saying the disaster highlighted the need for stronger emergency preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, with those who have lost their homes and with those whose businesses have been damaged,” he said.
