As South Africa prepares to vote in local government elections on November 4, parties are promising to fix municipal problems, but voters are wondering which ones can actually staff a municipality, maintain infrastructure, and hold a coalition together. The easiest promise in politics is to fix a municipality, but the harder question is what happens the morning after the council is elected. Parties must show they can appoint competent municipal managers, prioritize projects, and agree on budgets.
The scale of the problem is significant, with the auditor general's 2024-25 assessment finding that only 39 municipalities, 15% of those audited, achieved clean audits. None of the eight metros did. Municipalities and their entities incurred R40.14 billion in irregular expenditure during that year, bringing the total since 2021-22 to R145.21 billion. This irregular expenditure does not automatically mean money was stolen, but it does mean that rules governing public spending were not followed.
The cash position of municipalities is also troubling, with consumers owing R484.5 billion and municipalities owing their creditors R185.2 billion. This cycle of non-payment and deferred maintenance can lead to a breakdown in services, causing businesses to reconsider investment and households to lose confidence. Corruption is part of the story, but poor project preparation, vacant technical posts, weak financial controls, and political interference also play a role.
The ANC, which has governed most municipalities for most of the democratic era, carries the heaviest burden of proof. It needs to say how it will keep factional interests out of recruitment and procurement and what it will do when its own councillors cross that line. The DA can point to municipalities with stronger administrative records, but it must show that its claims about sound administration can survive the compromises of coalition politics.
Other parties, including the EFF and the MK Party, have been effective at expressing frustration with the existing order, but they must also show that they have a plan to govern. Voters are entitled to know whom they would put in charge of finance and technical services and how they would protect those officials from political pressure. All parties must be able to answer five questions for each municipality they hope to govern, including which posts are critical and vacant, what is the condition of its main infrastructure, and which promises will have to wait.
The proposed Municipal Structures Amendment Bill would introduce a framework for written coalition agreements and the management of municipal office-bearers, but parties should not use the absence of enacted rules as an excuse to make opaque deals after November 4. They can commit now to publishing any coalition agreement, including service priorities, budget commitments, and allocation of political responsibilities.
Ultimately, the test of governing competence will be whether parties can disagree without making the municipality stop. A mayor who cannot govern must be removable, and councillors should be required to explain what workable administration will replace the one they propose to bring down. The outcome of the local government elections will have a significant impact on the lives of South Africans, and voters will be judging parties on their ability to deliver on their promises.
Key points
- The ANC, DA, EFF, and other parties must show that they have a plan to govern effectively and address the challenges facing municipalities.
- Municipalities are struggling with infrastructure, finances, and corruption, and parties must show that they can address these issues.
- The outcome of the local government elections will have a significant impact on the lives of South Africans.
