The ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal has read the riot act to councillors regarding the state of municipalities in the province, warning that elected officials must take their oversight responsibilities seriously.
Going forward, they will be held accountable for governance failures in councils, the leadership warned.
ANC convener Jeff Radebe called on councillors to be well-informed about council matters. He stated that active participation is vital for transparency, efficient service delivery, and curbing corruption and mismanagement at the local level.
Radebe made these remarks while delivering his address at the Alliance Local Government and Service Delivery Summit this weekend.
“The ANC must take stock of the state of governance in our municipal councils. The 2026 municipal elections are upon us. We have so little time and so much work to do,” Radebe said.
“We gather at a time when our municipalities are at a crossroads. Progress is evident, yes, but so too are the challenges that will test our collective resolve. As leadership, we share the responsibility of turning this situation around,” he continued.
He detailed some of the challenges, noting that capital expenditure stood at R4.8 billion (31.9%) lower than the 50% target. Conditional grants to municipalities totalled R8.2 billion, with only R3.6 billion (36.7%) spent. The critical Municipal Infrastructure Grant of R3.6 billion had only been spent by 39.7%, while the Water Services Infrastructure Grant of R1.1 billion had only been spent by 44.1%.
“These inordinate delays have robbed our people of essential services. This province is crying out for much-needed municipal infrastructure and water provision. These statistics are shocking. This is a sorry tale,” he continued.
“Urgent intervention is required in debt management, budget accuracy, and compliance with financial reporting requirements. Let us raise the critical oversight and monitoring responsibilities of Exco members and councils. Exco councillors are part of the political executive and are responsible for policy implementation and oversight of specific portfolios, similar to Ministers and MECs.
“Each Exco councillor oversees a specific department and is individually responsible for monitoring departmental performance and ensuring alignment with the Integrated Development Plan and Budget,” said Radebe.
He emphasised that councillors are responsible for monitoring service delivery, ensuring that services are delivered efficiently and effectively in line with municipal policies.
Mayors and councils must report regularly on departmental performance and intervene when targets are not met, he said.
Councillors must take immediate action on remedial measures once they identify problems in service delivery or maladministration, Radebe stated emphasising that they represented the broader public and act as a bridge between communities and the municipality.
“Every ANC cadre who serves as a councillor must engage with residents to report service delivery issues. You must facilitate community meetings, report back, and channel community concerns into council processes through your ANC Caucus. You must ensure that these concerns are addressed by the municipality in which you serve,” he added.
Radebe stated that ward and PR councillors must hold their executive accountable—without fear or favour—and actively participate in the approval of budgets, interrogating poor performance and maladministration.
“Corruption and greed have become endemic in our country and movement. As the ANC, we must and will hold our councillors accountable. Money stolen from the government is money stolen from our people and our voters,” said Radebe.
Closing the summit yesterday, Radebe expressed the desire to rebuild municipalities and regain public trust. “We must fix the local government now. We must deploy capable individuals who understand that public office is not a reward, but a responsibility.”
THE MERCURY
