Deputy President Paul Mashatile says government is implementing measures to stabilise municipalities facing persistent service delivery challenges.
Responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, Mashatile acknowledged that municipalities, such as Ditsobotla Local Municipality and Emfuleni Local Municipality, continue to experience governance and service delivery difficulties.
He said the challenges stem from governance instability, financial mismanagement, weak institutional capacity and long-standing service delivery backlogs.
Mashatile noted that Section 139 interventions, which allow provincial governments to intervene when municipalities fail to fulfil their obligations, have not always produced sustainable results.
“Concerns about politicisation and misuse are noted, and steps are being taken to strengthen oversight, professionalise municipal administration, and ensure clearer recovery and exit strategies,” he said.
Support measures for affected municipalities include multidisciplinary teams assisting with Financial Recovery Plans and strengthening technical capacity with assistance from the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent and National Treasury of South Africa.
Government is also reviewing the White Paper on Local Government to introduce reforms aimed at strengthening the local government system.
Through the review of the White Paper on Local Government, Mashatile said the measures include potential reforms to the funding model, enhanced technical capacity, and consideration of restructuring Section 139 interventions to improve sustainability of outcomes.
“As part of the DDM [District Development Model] implementation, government continues to work with COGTA [Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs] and sector departments on targeted action plans for distressed municipalities.
"We also monitor targeted municipal interventions through the Clean Cities, Towns and Villages Campaign. Together with SALGA [South African Local Government Association], DDM Champions and relevant Ministers, we engage with communities and set clear timelines for improvement,” he said.
District Development Model key to improving municipal performance
Answering a question on the roll-out of the District Development Model (DDM), the Deputy President said the DDM remains central to improving coordination between the three spheres of government and strengthening municipalities.
He highlighted that many municipalities remain financially distressed.
According to the National Treasury of South Africa, 162 municipalities were identified as financially distressed in the 2023/24 financial year.
This has been driven by poor cash flow management, inadequate revenue collection and rising municipal debt.
Mashatile said the challenges are further compounded by 113 unfunded municipal budgets and a combined revenue shortfall of R35.9 billion.
Despite these challenges, some municipalities have achieved improvements in governance and financial management.
Mashatile noted that municipalities, such as Midvaal Local Municipality and uMngeni Local Municipality, have achieved clean audits.
“Consequence management is central to restoring accountability. COGTA is implementing disciplinary measures, criminal investigations where necessary, and conditional allocation or withholding of grants,” he said.
In collaboration with the SIU, government has established the Local Government Anti-Corruption Forum to strengthen coordination against corruption at provincial and municipal levels.
Government has also initiated enforcement measures relating to water and sanitation failures, including criminal charges against municipalities and steps to pursue accountability of municipal managers in respect of statutory breaches.
“These actions demonstrate government’s commitment to stabilising local government and ensuring public funds are safeguarded and properly applied to service delivery,” the Deputy President said. – SAnews.gov.za
