JoburgCAN has welcomed the review of the White Paper on Local Government, but warned that South Africa’s municipalities cannot afford another reform process that diagnoses the crisis correctly but takes years to deliver visible change.
Julia Fish, JoburgCAN managing director, said the review is an important and honest assessment of the governance failures, political instability, weak oversight, poor public participation and financial distress that have pushed many municipalities into crisis.
However, she said the real test will be whether government is prepared to make municipal decision-making, procurement, council processes, service delivery plans and performance reporting far more transparent and enforceable.
“Residents cannot be expected to trust a system they are locked out of,” Fish said.
Read JoburgCAN’s submission here.
“Public participation cannot be reduced to box-ticking meetings, ward committee politics or reports that communities only see after decisions have already been made. If local government is going to be rebuilt, then the work of government must be opened up.”
Fish said this should not require another lengthy process, as the Municipal Systems Act and Municipal Finance Management Act already provide clear requirements for public participation, accountability and financial oversight.
“South Africa does not have a policy problem. It has an implementation problem. Many of the rules needed to stabilise municipalities already exist, but they are ignored, delayed or selectively enforced,” she said.
Fish said the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the Auditor-General already possess the means to enforce existing legislation.
JoburgCAN said the White Paper’s proposed 65 changes cannot be allowed to become another drawn-out administrative exercise. The bulk of the proposals fall into the 2027–2031 implementation period, but Fish warned that this is a “best-case scenario” in an era of coalition instability, political contestation and slow legislative processes.
“The 2027 to 2031 timeline is already too slow for municipalities that are in crisis now. It is also a best-case scenario. In the current political environment, where reforms can be delayed through Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipal councils, there is no guarantee that this timeline will hold,” Fish said.
She said the proposed Transition Management Body expected to oversee the process must be given enough legislative power, a strict timeline and authority to drive the overhaul through Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipal councils.
“This body cannot be a symbolic committee that merely tracks progress. It must be empowered to guide, unblock and enforce the reform process. Without real authority, the overhaul of local government will remain a policy ambition rather than a practical reality,” Fish said.
JoburgCAN said the reform process must also recognise and strengthen managed precincts, Central Improvement Districts, Special Rating Areas and other community-backed service improvement models.
“Managed precincts are among the most visible and practical responses to urban decay in Johannesburg and other metros. Where they work, the difference is clear. Streets are cleaner, public spaces are better managed, security is improved and local investment is protected,” Fish said.
“Government should not view these models as a threat. They should be embraced, encouraged and properly enabled through clear legislation, fair rules and transparent partnership frameworks. Communities willing to invest in improving their areas should be treated as partners in rebuilding local government.”
JoburgCAN said this does not remove the municipality’s constitutional responsibility to deliver services but creates a practical framework for communities and businesses to support maintenance, safety, cleanliness and local economic activity where municipal systems have failed.
“The best model to increase revenue in any municipality is to grow the rates base. Nodes of economic activity and prosperity help deliver economic growth,” Fish said.
She warned against policy frameworks that penalise investment, including tariff structures targeting properties that have gone off grid because of unreliable municipal services.
“If municipalities want to protect their revenue base, they must restore trust by providing reliable, affordable and accountable services,” Fish said.
JoburgCAN’s high-level inputs include:
- Open up municipal decision-making, procurement, reporting and budget implementation.
- Empower the Transition Management Body to drive reform across all spheres of government.
- Treat the 2027–2031 timeline as a risk, not a guarantee.
- Embrace managed precincts, CIDs and Special Rating Areas as practical tools against urban decay.
- Reform the equitable share grant so it reaches poor households through free basic services.
- Stop penalising off-grid residents and businesses; improve services to keep paying customers in the system.
For media queries contact Jonathan Erasmus on 073 227 6075