In studio, we had a member of parliament and national organizer of Rise Mzansi, Makashule Gana and Founder & Director of New South Initiative, Dr Ivor Chipkin discussing bills that they have championed which will transform a part of society. They discussed at length the process and work it takes for a bill to land on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s table, before being signed into law.

One of the important processes, is public participation. This is when the assigned portfolio committee in parliament, travels to different parts of the country and hosts community discussions about that particular proposed bill. This is an opportunity for communities to make their voices heard and contribute on how we can make our country and communities better.

This episode is significant and lays the foundation for this important year. South Africa will be heading to the polls for the local government elections. The Independent Electoral Commission and the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, have been in discussions and expected to announce the exact date soon. These elections are the cornerstone of a functioning community and municipality. It is important that we all play an active role in how our communities and municipalities are run.

Communities around the country are faced with circumstances which impact their daily experiences greatly, such as lack of access to clean water and sanitation, sporadic electricity cuts, unmaintained road, etc. These impact one’s life daily life, and are not easy to ignore, hence some communities protest over service delivery. This is over thirty years into democracy that people are still faced with the same issues.

The Auditor-General, Tsakani Maluleke compiles an annual report on municipalities around the country, their performance, financial standing and service delivery. The report highlights the state of municipalities with the aim of driving a culture of accountability and transparency to ensure that funds are utilized to improve service delivery for the people. The results were staggering. According to the report, only 16% of municipalities can be trusted to spend public funds effectively and they account for 19% of the municipal expenditure budget.

One of the core functions of municipalities, is to drive social and economic development in communities. The South African Constitution offers citizens the right to an effective and accountable local government. This means municipalities should organize their administration, budget and plan processes that give priority to the needs of the community. Municipalities are also responsible for ensuring that residents receive essential basic services such as water, electricity, public health facilities and refuse and sewage disposal, amongst others. Some municipalities fail to deliver even the basics to their communities.

Given the dire state of some of our municipalities, it is important for communities to understand how municipalities should work, so we can hold them to account better.

In October 2024, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, told parliament that out of 257 municipalities in the country, 41 have been placed under administration. This happens when a municipality fails to fulfill its obligations to communities, either the provincial or national executive intervenes, in terms of section 139 of the Constitution. This is to ensure that the needs of the communities are met. It is important to note that the road to intervention is not linear.

When the date is finally announced by Minister Hlabisa, residents should come out in numbers to ensure you have a say in the governance and development of your community. While we wait for this to take place, be proactive and check through the IEC website on whether you are registered to vote, update you details on the site if you have moved to a different area. You can also check your demarcation and whether you still under the same municipality. Be proactive and play a role in what happens in your municipality and community.

By Lindokuhle Nzuza (Podcast Party Producer)

To watch the full episode, click here