JoburgCAN says White Paper reform timeline is too slow for municipalities in crisis

Staff Reporter

The Johannesburg Community Action Network (CAN) has said that South Africa’s review of the White Paper on Local Government risks becoming another slow reform process unless government urgently opens up municipal decision-making and gives the proposed reform body real powers to enforce change.

The warning comes as failing municipal services, unstable coalitions, weak oversight and financial distress have become central political issues ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

JoburgCAN managing director Julia Fish welcomed the review, saying it offered an important and honest assessment of the governance failures, political instability, poor public participation and financial problems that have pushed many municipalities into crisis.

But she said the real test would be whether government was prepared to make council decisions, procurement, service delivery plans, budget implementation and performance reporting far more transparent and enforceable.

“Residents cannot be expected to trust a system they are locked out of,”