Stellenbosch:Municipal reforms are crucial to advancing social justice, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Deputy Minister Namane Dickson Masemola. He emphasized the need for stronger support from national and provincial governments and decisive interventions where failures persist to restore institutional stability, improve performance, and rebuild public confidence.
According to South African Government News Agency, Deputy Minister Masemola delivered these remarks on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile at the 8th Social Justice Summit at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape. He highlighted that financial distress, weak governance, poor planning, and capacity constraints continue to undermine service delivery in many municipalities, affecting communities through unreliable services and limited economic opportunities.
Masemola stressed the importance of building municipalities that are sustainable, well-managed, and responsive to community needs. He pointed to the recently approved Revised White Paper on Local Government as a framework for reform, emphasizing professional administration, financial sustainability, and accountability.
With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaching, Masemola urged for a shift from planning to implementation. He presented five proposals at the summit, including clear project pipelines, district plans assessed through a social justice lens, and publishing district delivery scorecards. He called for prioritizing infrastructure maintenance and strengthening partnerships across various sectors.
Masemola also underscored the need for addressing inequalities rooted in apartheid and ensuring development reaches historically excluded communities. Despite progress since 1994, poverty, unemployment, and inequality remain significant challenges. He urged newly elected municipal councils to govern effectively, deliver services, and restore public trust, while cautioning against the destruction of public infrastructure.
The Deputy Minister highlighted the importance of using credible data to target interventions and ensure that development reaches every community, leaving no one behind.