By Mzwandile Ndlovu
For South Africa to prosper municipalities must become engines of social justice that engage with citizens, deliver on services and sustainable development and are held accountable for their governance.
This was the crux of the message from a public lecture hosted by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) subject group Public Administration, in partnership with the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) North West Chapter, on 18 March. The theme of the lecture was “An ideal municipality post-2026 local government elections in South Africa”.
Dr Moraka Shopola, a lecturer in Public Management and Administration at the NWU, said the discussion was necessary as it coincided with the year of review of the White Paper on Local Government (1998). “The seminar successfully bridged theory and practice, fostering engagement between academia and policymakers, while contributing to improved service delivery and sustainable development," he said.
Mogomotsi Senokwane, member of the Mayoral Committee for monitoring and evaluation at the Mahikeng Local Municipality, outlined the province’s vision for post-2026 municipalities, emphasising accountability, citizen participation and evidence-based governance.
“Public office is not a leader’s way to accumulation, but a platform for systems, consequences and oversight. Alignment with the constitutional mandate in Section 195 demands administration that is accountable, transparent, development-oriented, data-driven and performance-oriented,” he said.
Mogomotsi emphasised the need to move from compliance reporting to impact management. “We must link integrated development plan priorities to measurable outcomes, use analytics to optimise service delivery and establish community feedback mechanisms as tools for accountability,” he said. “Monitoring and evaluation must not be a peripheral function. It must be the strategic nerve centre of government, deepening democracy and community participation.”
Citizen voices
He called for municipalities to strengthen citizen engagement. “Local government must move beyond tokenistic consultation toward meaningful engagement. Ward committees and community development forums must ensure that communities are co-producers of development,” said Mogomotsi.
On development and fiscal management, Mogomotsi said municipalities must address spatial inequalities, support small businesses and invest in infrastructure to stimulate local economies. “We must reduce reliance on grants, explore public-private partnerships, improve revenue collection and eliminate waste. Fiscal discipline is necessary for sustainable development, political stability and cooperative governance.”
In a time when many municipalities are run by coalitions, he stressed the need for political stability. “Coalitions must operate on shared developmental objectives, respect institutional integrity and adhere to the principles of cooperative governance outlined in Chapter 3 of the Constitution,” Mogomotsi said.
He closed with a call to action for all municipalities. “Post-2026 municipalities must be capable in administration, ethical in leadership, participatory in governance, innovative in financing and transformative in development. This is not an idea in abstraction. It demands conscious leadership, discipline and active citizenry. Municipalities must become engines of social justice for the sake of our people and the future,” he concluded.
From left are Dr Moraka Shopola, Dr Eunice Chesa, Mogomotsi Senokwane and Prof. Gilbert Motsaathebe.
