This year marks 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter in 1955 by the people of South Africa who committed their lives towards a better future for all. The drafters of the Freedom Charter did not only put together a piece of paper, but they put together a vision that defined and characterised our government’s commitments and plans for the past 30 years. As we reflect on the successes of the Charter, we ought to reflect mostly on the clause that sought to place our people at the centre of governance. The Freedom Charter decreed that “the people shall govern.” As we participate in the Budget vote debate, we ought not to lose sight of the broader vision that South Africa was born to achieve. Certainly, we cannot in any way discuss that vision without focusing on local government where the people are.

As the ANC, we endorse this budget because we aim to ensure that our ordinary citizens in rural areas have access to clean tap water and sanitation facilities. I must also emphasise that we have been supporting the department’s budget for many years, hoping it would benefit our people rather than be misappropriated by those who are selfish and do not care about the interests of our communities. For this budget to be utilised effectively, it requires good governance.

Ho hlakile hore mmuso oa lehae, o tobane le mathata a mangatanyana a etsang hore bomasepala ba bang ba fane ka litšebeletso tse fokolang setjhabeng. Ho tloha likhethong tsa mebuso  ya bomasepala, ka selemo sa mashome a mabeli leshome le metso e tšeletseng, bomasepala ba bangata ba ile ba  kena ka hara mmuso wa kopanelo. Jwale bothata ke hore bomasepala ha ba so tsebe ho busa tlas’a maemo ano. Ke ka hoo re bonang bomasepala ba bang ba dula ba fetola boetapele ba bona ba dipolotiki hanngata. Mme hona ho sitisa tsaimoso ya bomasepala mmoho le phano ya ditsebeletso setjhabeng. Maikemisetso a rona a ho kgutlisa dirithi tsa sechaba sa rona ka hore ba fumantswe phano ya ditshebeletso e phethahetseng, mme sena se ka phethahala ha feela re na le bomasepala ba ikemiselitseng ho fana ka puso e ntle. 

We need a law that will help us avoid a chaotic mayoral succession in the future, and it is quite unsettling that City of Tshwane and city of Johannesburg had more than three executive mayors for this municipal term.

In the previous administration, in 2023 The Deputy President of the country then and now, Paul Mashatile held a Local Government Dialogue at the University of Western Cape. Academics, civil society, political parties and many interested parties participated in the dialogue. The dialogue was an initiative supported by the African National Congress because we were concerned by the state of governance in local government. The Deputy President’s remarks noted the following challenges resulting to governance challenges in municipalities,

• opportunistic political actions supported by institutional flaws.

• power struggles and significance; Patronage and political instability due to consistent change in the political leadership.

In addressing the challenges highlighted by the Deputy President, we, as the ANC, have urged the department to implement legislative safeguards aimed at resolving governance issues in local government. The Municipal Coalition will soon be established to effectively manage coalition politics within municipalities. We believe that a politically stable municipality is essential for effective service delivery. Nevertheless, as I have stated before, political stability involves more than mere tolerance; it requires that politicians demonstrate commitment to serve the public. 

Our perspective is that during the discussion of the budget vote, municipal government should be the principal influence on how these funds are allocated. Certainly, the White Paper on Local Government represents an important milestone that we need to fully embrace in our efforts to address governance challenges in local government. We should utilise the expertise offered by various Sector Education and Training Authorities (know as seta) to strengthen local government capacities. Additionally, we must form partnerships with diverse stakeholders, including enhancing training programs with universities focused on leadership, ethical leadership, and the determination to lead. It should be unacceptable that, despite having 26 universities and 50 TVET colleges in our nation, we are still promoting the notion that there is a lack of skills necessary to address the issues within local government.

Honourable Speaker, we recognise that good governance is not an abstract process but an inclusive process. Traditional leaders play a significant role in our societies not only as custodians of our cultures but as leaders of our societies.As the ANC we fully acknowledge the Traditional leaders as community representatives and their ability to provide advice on issues affecting traditional areas in their advisory capacity on municipal councils. 

 We, therefore, of the view that the role played by traditional leaders must be central in local government. We need to make use of their participation frameworks to engage in discussions and address the governance issues faced by municipalities. We support the department’s initiative to create a strategy that outlines the advantages of traditional leaders, and we are confident that this plan will help them feel included in the government and integrated into the state mechanisms, ultimately enhancing the condition of local government.

 We encourage the department to implement actionable measures that will enhance local government’s internal capabilities. The ANC maintains that the foundation and motivation for state programs should be the aim of establishing a developmental state that is ethical and capable.

Consequently, we advocate for the professionalisation of public service in municipalities, which will enhance the training provided for local government management via the National School of Government. Furthermore, we maintain that a strong developmental state is one that has robust internal capabilities.

As a result, we should strive to phase out the reliance on consultants, who have been unreasonably draining municipal funds without delivering satisfactory outcomes. The recent discoveries from the Auditor General have highlighted that municipalities have engaged consultants at a high cost which then flags the possibility of  corruption. It is time to transition towards insourcing water tankers and honey-suckers. By doing this, we can eliminate political interference and the role of greedy entrepreneurs who focus on profits rather than serving the community

Ultimately, the ANC believes that the real effectiveness of the budget will be assessed by how it improves the lives of citizens through local governance.  While we are concerned about where the budget allocations are directed, our primary focus is to ensure that the public’s trust in local government is strengthened.  We aim to shift local government’s focus from party politics to prioritising programs that truly uplift the community.  

As the ANC, we endorse the budget and pledge to the people of South Africa that we will enhance our oversight functions.  We also encourage communities to continue to petition parliament and raising concerns that affect them, as well as to highlight any instances of maladministration and incompetence.  

Thank you.