The Constitution promises South Africans the right to an accountable and effective local government. But we all know that too often, many municipalities fail in their responsibility to deliver even the most basic of services or listen to our communities. It’s important to understand how local government should work so that we can better hold them to account. 

Municipalities must promote a safe and healthy environment and make sure we get the services we need for our families and communities to thrive. Importantly, 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 municipal council elects leadership: some operate under an executive mayoral system, where the mayor leads with a mayoral committee, while others use an executive committee system, also chaired by a mayor. 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. Think of them as the people running the day-to-day workings of a municipality, the municipal manager, the chief financial officer, and department staff (parks, water, waste, etc.). They’re the ones making sure council decisions actually happen. Holding them accountable matters just as much as keeping councillors on their toes.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 have an important role to play in how it is governed by reporting issues, providing feedback on legislation and paying rates and taxes. 

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, towns and secondary cities, are divided up into local municipalities, which are jointly responsible for local governance with district municipalities. Each district municipality is constituted by a number of local municipalities. 

Municipalities are one of three spheres of government, alongside provincial and national authorities. National and provincial governments pass laws that set the framework for how municipalities operate. In addition to law-making, they also have a duty 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.

Acknowledgements:

Author: Maru Attwood 

Thanks to Professor Tinashe Chigwata of the Dullah Omar Institute for his feedback on fixlocal’s local government series.