South Africans are fed up with municipalities failing to provide basic services. 

Understanding what municipalities are responsible for can help us fight for our rights and for what local government must deliver on.

Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as the right to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how much you earn. It is also where money collected from rates and taxes goes. For example, do you know that government has to provide some free electricity, water and other services to people who earn less than a certain amount? Find out more here

Reliable electricity

Lighting up communities with power is one of the most basic and essential government services. Municipalities buy electricity from producers (in almost all cases, Eskom) and then resell the power to residents and businesses. A big portion of the revenue municipalities earn comes from electricity sales. 

The responsibility for getting electricity to the nation is shared between Eskom and municipalities. Between loadshedding on Eskom’s side and municipalities owing millions of rands to Eskom, our people face massive problems when it comes to getting power. 

Clean water

Municipalities are responsible for sourcing, treating, and distributing water to households and businesses.

Most local governments buy water from regional water utility companies like Magalies Water, Silulumanzi, Rand Water or uMngeni-uThukela Water. In some cases, utility companies are state-owned or the result of public-private partnerships. Poor infrastructure maintenance, chronic leaks, illegal connections, and financial mismanagement affect too many municipalities’ ability to supply clean, reliable water. 

Municipalities are required by national law to have a policy to provide basic free water and electricity to households who cannot afford to pay for it. You can find out more about ensuring your right to free basic services in the Activist's Guide to Making Local Government Work.

Safe sewage disposal and sanitation

Municipalities have a responsibility to safely and hygienically dispose of sewage and treat wastewater. They are supported by the Department of Water and Sanitation on a national and provincial level. Municipalities have to maintain infrastructure such as sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants, and provide new infrastructure when communities grow in size. All too often, municipal wastewater treatment plants are poorly managed. Every day, raw sewage spills into our rivers, threatening public health and the environment. 

Regular refuse removal

The waste services departments of municipalities are responsible for keeping streets clean and collecting and disposing of refuse from homes and businesses. In some larger municipalities, a state-owned company like Pikitup is mandated to carry out refuse removal on behalf of the municipality. In many informal settlements and rural areas, basic refuse removal services don’t exist. Much of the work of waste management – especially recycling – is carried out by informal reclaimers who collect, sort, and sell recyclable materials such as cardboard, plastic, paper, and metal from bins, streets, landfills, and businesses.  

Parks, libraries and recreational areas

Public spaces and institutions like local parks and libraries are so important for social wellbeing, education, and keeping a community together. Municipalities have a responsibility to make sure that public spaces and libraries are safe, accessible, and adequately funded.

Effective stormwater systems

Floods in South Africa’s coastal cities in recent years have shown how essential well-functioning stormwater systems are. In some municipalities, stormwater infrastructure is managed by the local roads department and in others, by the water department. In either case, municipalities must design, implement and maintain stormwater drainage systems that reduce the negative impacts of flooding and keep stormwater and wastewater separate. Ageing infrastructure and drains clogged with rubbish are major problems in many towns and informal settlements often lack any kind of proper drainage planning. 

Well-maintained municipal roads

To hold the government to account for a pothole-ridden or poorly maintained road, it's essential to find out who is responsible for a given road. In most cases, larger roads and highways (marked as N-routes like the N1 or N11) are maintained by the national government through the state state-owned South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). Provincial and regional routes (R-routes) are the responsibility of provincial authorities. Smaller roads and streets, including often overlooked walking areas, are the responsibility of your local or city municipality to maintain.  

Dependable fire-fighting services

Local authorities must form fire brigade services that work to prevent fires and that protect people and property against fires when they do break out. 

Land use and town planning

Along with the Department of Human Settlements, municipalities are responsible for zoning, building control, and land use planning. They approve building plans, manage development applications, and ensure land is used in ways that align with spatial development plans. These plans are tools used by government and municipalities in South Africa to make sure that land use helps the country develop in a way that promotes economic growth and social equity. 

Environmental health services

Municipalities must contribute to public health through efforts including water quality monitoring, inspections to ensure safe food handling and efforts at environmental pollution control. Environmental health services are closely connected to many other parts of municipal service delivery, such as sanitation and regular refuse removal. When these aren’t carried out, the health of communities suffers. 

Municipal public transport

The Constitution says municipal public transport is a local government function, but in practice, only a handful of South Africa’s municipalities operate state-owned or subsidised public transport like the ReaVaya in Johannesburg and MyCiTi buses in Cape Town. Municipalities need to do more to support both the infrastructure needed for public transport and the actual provision of transport. 

When all else fails - organise!

When your local or metro municipality is failing your community in its duty to provide basic services and you are tearing your hair out trying to get things sorted - it's time to organise your community. Find out more here. 

Image Credits: South African Tourism