The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Local Government Indaba brought together key stakeholders to address pressing challenges facing South Africa’s municipalities, with a focus on collaborative governance and sustainable service delivery. In a keynote address, COGTA Minister Velenkosi Hlabisa underscored the need for collective action to tackle institutional incapacity, poor financial management, governance failures, infrastructure backlogs, and lack of transparency in local government.
Hlabisa emphasized that reliable service delivery hinges on prioritizing maintenance and infrastructure development. He also highlighted the importance of capacity building through professionalization, merit-based appointments, and skills development to strengthen municipal operations. “Effective disaster risk management and a culture of accountability and transparency are non-negotiable,” Hlabisa said, outlining plans to enhance oversight structures, improve municipal audit outcomes, and address issues like poor communication and political interference.
The Indaba also featured a panel discussion with SALGA Deputy President, Councillor Flora Maboa-Boltman, who called for municipal reforms to ensure self-sustainability. She advocated for fit-for-purpose municipal structures, particularly clarifying the roles of district municipalities to better support those outside urban centers. “Councillors must have clearly defined roles and expectations to serve communities effectively,” she said.
Maboa-Boltman stressed the need for municipalities to expand their own revenue sources through taxation and to review grants and equitable share allocations. She also raised concerns about government departments owing municipalities significant sums, which hampers their ability to deliver constitutionally mandated services. Professionalizing municipal administration, free from political interference, was a key priority she highlighted to ensure capable and developmental local governments.
The Indaba’s discussions centered on building municipalities that serve communities with dignity and integrity. By addressing financial mismanagement, improving accountability, and fostering collaboration, the event set a roadmap for a brighter future for South Africa’s local governments. “Working together, we can create municipalities that are responsive and sustainable,” Maboa-Boltman concluded, echoing the call for unity and reform.
