Cyril Ramaphosa launches White Paper after admitting local government is broken; SA not impressed

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially launched the revised White Paper on Local Government, acknowledging that the current system is broken and in need of a fundamental reset. The launch, which took place at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, marks a significant attempt to address the persistent challenges of service delivery, financial mismanagement, and weak administrative capacity that have plagued municipalities for years.

This White Paper represents a fundamental reassessment of how local government is structured, financed, managed and held accountable.

The revised policy, which comes nearly three decades after the original 1998 White Paper, proposes a series of structural reforms. Among the key proposals is the ring-fencing of revenue from the sale of water and electricity to ensure that municipalities prioritize infrastructure maintenance. Furthermore, the government plans to introduce compulsory licensing for service providers and treat local government as an integrated system, requiring better coordination between national, provincial, and local spheres.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa emphasized that the government aims to see visible improvements in service delivery within the next 18 months. A time-bound Local Government Transition Management Body will be established to oversee the implementation of these reforms, which are intended to move the country from policy discussion to disciplined execution.

Despite the government’s ambitious plans, the reception from the public has been skeptical. Many citizens and stakeholders remain unconvinced that these policy changes will resolve the deep-seated issues of corruption and institutional decay, especially as the country prepares for the upcoming local government elections on November 4.