Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosi Hlabisa has called for an update on the 1998 White Paper, stating that it no longer reflects modern realities of local government.
Hlabisa was responding to concerns raised during a dialogue with political parties in Midrand on Monday.
“There is a need for the review of the White Paper of 1998 because it is 27 years old. Firstly, it does not address the issue of fighting for democracy,” said Hlabisa.
Hlabisa also expressed concern about the funding of municipalities, calling the current system incoherent and stressing that if change is to be observed, all three branches of government should receive the same amount of funding.
Failure to outline expectations
According to him, the government should be thoughtful about how it funds municipalities in order to achieve better outcomes rather than expecting them to use what they have for extraordinary outcomes.
Hlabisa highlighted that the revised White Paper should address funding more directly and include proper financial planning for councillors, not only while in office but also after their terms.
“Like an MP, if you are there for five years, the funding model of the remuneration takes into account the time of being an MP and the time when you exit,” said Hlabisa.
Responding to the need for professionalism in senior management, Hlabisa said the 1998 policy fails to clearly outline expectations for managers, leading to poor recruitment and weak discipline.
He said the revised White Paper should also introduce a recruitment process that will be conducted through professional standards to ensure that municipalities employ competent people.
Hlabisa raised a concern that the current recruitment practices often allow unqualified people to take up important positions.
Precise definitions of authority needed
According to him, there are capable South Africans who are better suited for the job, but occasionally unqualified individuals are appointed to speaker, deputy mayor, and mayor positions.
He emphasised that dismissals should not be based on political decisions.
“Some might say I was not employed by the council and start to behave in a way that is not appropriate,” said Hlabisa.
Some changes might occur after the local elections in 2026, he said, while others might occur sooner.
The roles of district and local municipalities must also be discussed, he said, and more precise definitions of authority and responsibility are needed.
“The issue of creating more municipalities, as well as attending to the question of powers and functions, is a takeaway that we need to engage in, and our technical team is going to concentrate on this aspect,” he said.
