Kamogelo Moichela|Published
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to unveil a revised White Paper on local government in Boksburg on Thursday, outlining proposed reforms to municipal governance, financial management and service delivery just two weeks before the 2026 local government elections are held on November 4.
The policy is intended to address persistent weaknesses in municipalities, with the government planning to implement it within three months.
Ahead of the launch, Co-operative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa will meet Cabinet members and key local government stakeholders to discuss the revised framework.
Ramaphosa said the review draws on the 2022 Presidential Local Government Summit, stakeholder consultations and the national dialogue on the future of local government. It also responds to longstanding concerns about municipal accountability, institutional capacity and financial management.
“The policy provides a framework for a differentiated approach to municipalities, recognising that metropolitan, secondary-city, rural and small-town municipalities have different capacities, challenges and development needs,” Ramaphosa said.
The approach recognises that municipalities face different circumstances and require responses tailored to their capacity and development needs.
The launch will also introduce an implementation plan and a Transition Management Body, which are intended to guide the shift from policy development to execution.
A research compendium documenting the evidence behind the review will accompany the White Paper.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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