The Constitution promises South Africans the right to an accountable and effective local government. Yet many (or perhaps most) local governments are failing in their responsibility to deliver even the most basic of services or listen to communities. 

It’s important to understand how local government should work so that you can better hold them to account. 

Municipalities must promote a safe and healthy environment and deliver services that enable local social and economic development. Critically, local governments have a responsibility to encourage the active democratic engagement of communities in the decisions they make and the services they deliver. 

Who is part of a municipality? 

Elected councillors Councillors are elected by the public through local government elections. They are paid a salary from taxpayers' money and sit on municipal councils that should represent the interests of communities. Councillors make decisions on municipal policies and bylaws, and approve budgets. Each council elects an executive committee, which is led by a Mayor (who is also a councillor). To find out more about the responsibilities of councillors and how to hold them accountable, click here. 

Municipal officials These civil servants are appointed, not elected. They include the Municipal Manager, the municipality’s Chief Financial Officer, and staff of the municipal departments (eg, parks, water, waste). They run the day-to-day administration and ensure that policies approved by the council are implemented. Holding civil servants to account is equally as important as making sure elected councillors are responsive to your community. You can find ways to hold them to account here.

The people That’s you! Everyone who lives in a given area, including residents, groups, community-based organisations and businesses, are part of the municipality and has an important role to play in how it is governed by reporting issues, providing feedback on legislation and paying rates and taxes. Too often, communities feel like they are outside of local government, so residents must demand not only to be consulted but also to have a role in municipal decision-making. 

How is local government structured?

South Africa’s local government is set up slightly differently in urban centres and more rural areas. The eight biggest cities in the country are represented by metropolitan municipalities that are solely responsible for carrying out all the functions of local government in each city. 

Rural areas and smaller towns are divided up into local municipalities, which are jointly responsible for local governance with district municipalities. Each district municipality is made up of a number of neighbouring local municipalities that fall in one district. 

Local authorities are one of three spheres of government, alongside provincial and national authorities. The national and provincial governments pass laws that set some priorities for local government and work to support and monitor municipalities. If a municipality fails to fulfil its duties, such as providing basic services or managing its finances, the provincial or national government may intervene. 

You can find a more detailed guide to how local government works and lots of advice on how to effectively engage municipalities in the Activist's Guide to Making Local Government Work. There are also great videos by the Civic Academy SA which explain how it all works. Find them here.

 A great resource to keep up with the latest analysis and issues in local government is the Local Government Bulletin from the Dullah Omar Institute.