The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, will lead the third CoGTA–National Business Initiative (NBI) Roundtable on the review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government.
According to the department, Hlabisa will be joined by Deputy Minister Dr Namane Dickson Masemola at the East London International Convention Centre in East London on Wednesday, 30 July 2025.
The roundtable, themed ‘Every Municipality Must Work – A Call to Collective Action', is part of an inclusive policy reform process aimed at shaping a modern and effective local government system.
This engagement will allow the business sector to reflect on the legacy and limitations of the 1998 White Paper and identify policy priorities for a renewed local government framework.
The platform will also offer practical recommendations from business and provincial perspectives and strengthen partnerships to improve governance and infrastructure delivery.
“Efficient local government is critical to economic growth and business sustainability. Poor service delivery increases operational costs, disrupts business, and threatens jobs.
“This roundtable offers business leaders a platform to influence policies that reduce investment risk and foster a conducive business environment,” the advisory read.
Attendees will include business leaders, key economic institutions, Buffalo City Metro executive leadership, NBI, local business chambers in the Eastern Cape, and other private sector stakeholders.
In April this year, Hlabisa officially published a discussion document on the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government.
This represents a significant and necessary step towards creating a reimagined and results-oriented local government system in South Africa.
This document, published under Notice No. 6118 (Gazette: 52498), initiates a national discussion aimed at producing a revised White Paper on Local Government by March 2026.
According to the department, the review aims to incite fresh thinking, honest reflection, and decisive action toward building a fit-for-purpose local government system that truly serves the people of South Africa.
In addition, the document aims to assess and revise outdated assumptions of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government and strengthen cooperative governance among the three spheres of government.
The initiative aims to align reforms with related efforts, including amendments to the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the Municipal Structures Act, and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).
It also seeks to enhance integration with traditional leadership, improve community participation, and address systemic challenges, such as municipal financial sustainability, over-politicisation, climate risk, and spatial inequality. – SAnews.gov.za
