COGTA Extends Deadline for White Paper Review Amid Local Government Crisis

Amid a backdrop of severe weather disasters and mounting concerns about the state of local governance in South Africa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has extended the deadline for public submissions on the Review of the White Paper on Local Government to 31 July 2025.

The decision follows widespread requests from stakeholders, civil society, and municipalities for more time to engage with the document, initially due by 30 June. The White Paper Review presents a vital opportunity for all South Africans to influence the future direction of municipal governance and transformation.

“The Ministry recognises the importance of inclusive participation in shaping a responsive and effective system of local governance and thus welcomes the active engagement from all sectors of society,” read a statement from COGTA.

Why This Review Matters: Local Government Under Pressure

Local governments are the first responders during emergencies and the custodians of essential services like waste collection, road maintenance, electricity delivery, and housing development. The recent inclement weather events, which devastated parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, killing 107 people in June alone, have underlined both the critical importance and vulnerability of municipalities.

In response to these escalating climate impacts, the government announced a R1.2 billion Disaster Recovery Grant for affected municipalities. However, the crisis also exposed deep-rooted systemic flaws.

The White Paper review is not just an academic exercise—it is a roadmap to rescue and reform local government, which the review document admits has regressed significantly over the past decade.

Climate Change: A Central Theme in the Review

Climate change has emerged as one of the nine interconnected priorities for reform, with the review acknowledging that municipalities are now at the frontline of climate adaptation and disaster management.

The document reveals that municipal emergency expenditure rose by 320% between 1998 and 2025, with infrastructure designed in the 20th century now failing under 21st-century climate pressures.

For example, Durban’s 2022 floods required R780 million in unplanned spending, diverting funds from other critical services like housing. In Nelson Mandela Bay, rates revenue has dropped by 22% from flood-prone areas since 2018, showing the long-term economic impacts of environmental degradation.

Financial and Governance Breakdowns

The review candidly diagnoses a crisis in local government, listing major breakdowns in:

• Financial sustainability: Municipal debt is soaring. Households owed municipalities R230.5 billion as of 2024—74% of all municipal debt.

• Service delivery: Expenditure continues to rise while delivery of services like water, sanitation, and electricity declines.

• Internal controls and governance: Weak financial oversight, lack of audits, and a decline in ethical leadership have resulted in widespread corruption, manipulation, and patronage.

The review notes the emergence of a “bureaucratic, command-and-control” culture, which has distanced municipalities from citizens and led to erosion of public trust.

Nine Priorities for Structural Change

Beyond climate resilience, the White Paper outlines eight other critical focus areas for reform:

1. Municipal fiscal and financial reform: Tackling low revenue collection, high debt, and rising costs.

2. Unethical behaviour and poor accountability: Addressing corruption and nepotism.

3. Over-politicisation of municipalities: Reducing factionalism and improving institutional stability.

4. Poor oversight from provincial and national levels: Ensuring stronger accountability mechanisms.

5. Weak traditional governance integration: Clarifying roles of traditional leaders in modern governance.

6. Poor relationships with citizens: Restoring the “three-way partnership” among community, administration, and elected leadership.

7. Failure of intergovernmental collaboration: Fostering alignment between local, provincial, and national government.

8. Persistent spatial inequality: Dismantling apartheid-era urban forms and improving land use planning.

The review highlights the ineffective implementation of progressive policies like SPLUMA (Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act) and the IUDF (Integrated Urban Development Framework), noting fragmented application as a key obstacle.

Reclaiming the Promise of 1998

While the review is scathing in its assessment, it also highlights major achievements since 1994, including:

• Establishing democratic, autonomous municipalities with constitutional powers

• Merging previously fragmented apartheid-era local authorities

• Expanding access to water, electricity, and refuse services

• Implementing Free Basic Services policies

• Instituting ward committees and community engagement structures

However, these successes are now threatened by policy fatigue, systemic dysfunction, and capacity deficits, the review warns.

Public Participation Is Key

The Ministry has urged all citizens, community organisations, researchers, business stakeholders, and public institutions to submit their comments by 31 July. Minister Hlabisa said public feedback is central to rebuilding trust, accountability, and effectiveness in local governance.

“This is not just about fixing municipalities—it’s about restoring dignity, delivering services, and ensuring that no South African is left behind,” said a Ministry spokesperson.

How to Submit Comments

The White Paper on Local Government Review is available online at: https://www.cogta.gov.za/index.php/wplg-page/

Submissions can be sent via email to: 📧 WPLG26@cogta.gov.za 📧 oRichardP@cogta.gov.za 📧 MaphutiL@cogta.gov.za

Or posted to: Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Attention: Mr Thabiso Richard Plank (WPLG26 Policy Review) Private Bag X802, Pretoria, 0001

Or hand-delivered to: 🏢 87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

An Urgent Call for a New Local Government Social Compact

The White Paper Review represents a pivotal opportunity to overhaul South Africa’s local government system at a time of growing environmental threats and public disillusionment.

With the submission deadline now extended, citizens are encouraged to make their voices heard, contribute to shaping a resilient, ethical, and effective local governance system, and help reclaim the original vision of democratic, inclusive municipalities envisioned in 1998.