Municipalities and the services they provide are foundational for the functioning of society and businesses, and creating effective, efficient and sustainable municipalities is a focus that has been agreed on by all parties, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said during an event hosted by Business Leadership South Africa(BLSA) on April 23.

Creating an environment in which municipalities can function effectively required that competent persons be appointed to relevant and suitable positions, he said.

Therefore, the White Paper on Local Government review process will introduce separation of municipal and political appointments, as well as ensure ten-year tenures for technical managers – split across two five-year election cycles – to ensure continuity.

The appointment of technical and municipal managers would need to be approved by provincial department structures and by the relevant National Minister. The aim was to ensure there were suitable skills in the required positions, such as planning, finance, infrastructure development and maintenance and others, he said.

In too many places, governance weaknesses undermine administration, which contributes to financial weaknesses, accelerated infrastructure decay and service delivery failures, which erode trust.

This cycle must be broken. Therefore, the strategic direction of the reform process was system-wide. It did not aim to fix municipalities one by one, but made clear that the entire local government system must function differently, he emphasised.

Accountability must be clearer, support [for distressed municipalities] must come earlier and the rule of law must be upheld, he said during the briefing.

The White Paper review process places reforms within various themes, including, firstly, a more coherent and differentiated local government system with clear powers and functions, as well as pathways to a more rational and institutional model over time.

The review also identifies stronger governance as a reform theme, so that planning, budgeting and delivery are aligned around outcomes, instead of across different silos.

A third theme of reforms includes capable government, stronger ethics, consequence management, anti-corruption measures and clear separation of political leadership and administration.

Further, while the recruitment of technical and administrative personnel without political interference would ensure that the relevant skills were in place in each municipality, a municipal leader must still be a competent person to lead a municipality effectively, Hlabisa said.

If a mayor cannot understand financial statements, budgets and audit outcomes, then that person cannot plan for the operation of a city for the next ten years nor hold the administration to account.

The Constitution does not require that political representatives have any qualifications, which is why the draft of the White Paper review process does not prescribe qualifications for political appointees.

However, having qualifications does not necessarily translate to a person being competent, he added.

“A political leadership role is necessary but is not always effective at leading municipalities. While we do not prescribe education requirements for political representatives, we are elevating the importance that such positions require a competent and capable person,” Hlabisa said.

Specifically, the importance of competent political appointees is being raised in two ways, with the first being that the draft White Paper review aims to set up continuous engagement platforms between municipalities and local communities, businesses, civil organisations and traditional leaders.

The second way is by raising the importance among voters of supporting parties that appoint competent leaders.

Separate from the Local Government White Paper review process, government is also developing legislation to support the effective performance of municipalities governed by coalitions of parties.

The Local Government White Paper review does not suggest a one-size-fits-all approach, as municipalities have different challenges that require differentiated approaches to address them.

The reforms, therefore, must align obligations, instruments and support within the municipal context while ensuring finance followed function and core competencies were protected, Hlabisa said.

Hlabisa gave concrete timelines for the enactment of the reforms. The finalised draft of the review was due to be taken to Cabinet on May 6 and will be gazetted between mid-May and mid-June. The aim is to start implementing the review’s reforms from July.