By Johnathan Paoli
The ANC’s top decision-making body has announced a raft of plans to focus on enhancing the performance of municipalities, improving service delivery and rooting out corruption.
These include the party’s support for the newly launched Code for Ethical Leadership in Local Government, set to be adopted by municipalities to uphold these standards.
Addressing the media at the party’s national executive committee meeting at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, NEC member Dickson Masemola said recognizing that municipalities are the frontline of service delivery, the ANC plans to intensify its support and intervention at the local government level.
“Our focus is on stabilizing metros and major cities, which drive economic activity and provide opportunities for millions,” said Masemola.
“Our renewal within the ANC is dedicated to strengthening leadership and governance. Part of this effort includes the development of the Code of Ethical Leadership in Local Government by COGTA, which we expect municipalities to adopt.”
The Code for Ethical Leadership in Local Government was launched earlier this year in March by former Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Thembi Nkadimeng.
The Code is expected to serve as a guiding framework for local government leaders to navigate complex ethical issues that significantly impact governance within municipalities.
According to the Auditor General’s latest report on local government, only 34 of the country’s 257 municipalities obtained clean audits in the 2022/23 financial year.
The municipalities most implicated in corruption-related reports constitute major metropolitan municipalities – City of Johannesburg tops the list with 700 reports, while Ekurhuleni comes in at 354, City of Tshwane at 325, eThekwini with 166, and City of Cape Town at 125 reports.
Earlier this month, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba dissolved the Thabazimbi municipal council due to infighting amid allegations of corruption and lack of service delivery.
Responding to concerns regarding the decision to dissolve Thabazimbi local municipality, Masemola said that the decision was made in the best interest of citizens, citing the local authority’s failure to deliver essential services.
He also reaffirmed the ANC’s dedication to ensuring an ANC-appointed mayor will take over the Thabazimbi local municipality, indicating a commitment to stable governance.
Masemola also highlighted a number of crucial investments aimed at enhancing local government effectiveness, ensuring clean water access, improving public transport, and developing education and healthcare systems.
“Our journey from the 6th administration has laid the groundwork,” he said, expressing a renewed urgency to advance community-focused initiatives under the current 7th administration.
Masemola said the Presidential Support System initiated in eThekwini in the 6th administration serves as a model to effective political leadership and governance that “we are now replicating across other cities”.
He added: “Water and wastewater management remains crucial priorities, we work to ensure all South Africans live in dignified, habitable environments. Collaborating is making a tangible impact in places like Mogale City and Emfuleni, where we have implemented solutions to longstanding issues.”
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