Pretoria: The public has been given until 30 June 2025 to provide comments on the discussion document concerning the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, formally released the document on 10 April 2025, inviting participation from all South Africans, civic organisations, academics, municipalities, and various government bodies.
According to South African Government News Agency, the initiative is seen as a crucial and timely step towards establishing a reimagined and results-driven local government system in the country. The discussion document, identified as Notice No. 6118 in Gazette 52498, kicks off a national conversation aimed at drafting a revised White Paper on Local Government by March 2026.
The department states that the review is designed to foster new perspectives, encourage honest reflection, and prompt decisive action towards developing an effective local government structure that serves the South African populace. Hlabisa highlighted that the focus is on addressing core issues rather than just symptoms, urging for courageous problem-solving.
The document stresses the importance of four key components for an efficient local government system: governance, institutional arrangements, service delivery and infrastructure, and financial arrangements. It also aims to reevaluate and update outdated concepts from the 1998 White Paper and bolster cooperative governance among the country's three government spheres.
The review seeks to align reforms with other legislative efforts, such as modifications to the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Municipal Structures Act, and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act. It also aims to improve integration with traditional leadership, boost community participation, and tackle systemic challenges like municipal financial sustainability, excessive politicisation, climate risks, and spatial inequality.
Submissions can be made in writing through email to [email protected]; [email protected] and [email protected]. Alternatively, comments may be posted to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Attention: Mr. Thabiso Richard Plank (WPLG26 Policy Review), Private Bag X802, Pretoria, 0001. The physical address is 87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia, Pretoria.
For more details and access to the full discussion document, interested parties are encouraged to visit the official website at https://www.cogta.gov.za/index.php/docs/white-paper-on-local-government-1998-review-of-the-white-paper-on-local-government/.