Parliament, Monday, 6 July 2026 – The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration (Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water & Sanitation) will this week undertake oversight visits to Ngwathe Local Municipality in the Free State and Impendle Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal following the invocation of Section 139 of the Constitution by the respective provincial executive councils.
The visits are intended to enable the committee to engage directly with communities and stakeholders affected by the interventions, assess progress made since the interventions were implemented, and evaluate whether they are achieving their intended objectives.
The committee will also meet with the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier and the Provincial Public Service Commission to receive a briefing on the state of the provincial public service and administration.
"As representatives of the people, it is essential that the committee engages directly with communities and organisations affected by these interventions. The committee has adopted a standard framework that requires any decision to support or reject an intervention to be informed by the views of those directly impacted. Parliament also has a constitutional obligation to facilitate meaningful public participation," said Committee Chairperson Mr Kaunda.
NGWATHE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, the committee will visit Ngwathe Local Municipality following the court-mandated invocation of Section 139(1)(c) of the Constitution.
Section 139(1)(c) empowers a provincial executive to dissolve a municipal council and appoint an administrator where a municipality has failed to fulfil its executive obligations.
The intervention follows a ruling by the Bloemfontein High Court (and confirmed by the Constitutional Court), which found that the municipality had failed to meet its constitutional, legal and administrative obligations to residents. The court highlighted several challenges, including debt exceeding R1.5 billion, deteriorating infrastructure that has resulted in widespread sewage spills and water shortages, as well as chronic financial and administrative mismanagement.
The committee will engage political parties represented in the municipal council, business organisations, civil society organisations, and women and youth representatives to obtain their views on the intervention. It will also meet the Provincial Executive to assess progress made since the court order.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE KZN OFFICE OF THE PREMIER AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
On Thursday, the committee will meet the KZN Office of the Premier and the Provincial Public Service Commission as part of its programme to assess the state of the public service across provinces.
The committee has resolved to engage provincial Public Service Commissions to evaluate the effectiveness of provincial administrations and identify areas requiring improvement.
"It is important that the public service achieves its intended objectives and that the necessary measures are in place to ensure provincial administrations are functional and deliver quality services to the people. Our engagement with the Public Service Commission will help us understand where challenges exist and whether appropriate interventions are being implemented to strengthen service delivery," Mr Kaunda said.
IMPENDLE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
On Friday, 10 July 2026, the committee will visit Impendle Local Municipality following the invocation of Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution.
The intervention was implemented due to persistent failures in financial management, prolonged vacancies in critical senior management positions, and ongoing political instability within the municipality.
During the visit, the committee will engage political parties represented in the municipal council, business organisations, civil society organisations, and women and youth representatives to obtain their views on the intervention. The committee will also meet the Provincial Executive to assess progress made since the intervention was implemented.
Details of the visit (Day 1)
Date: Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Time: 10:00
Venue: Ngwathe Local Municipality Council Chambers
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, MR MXOLISI KAUNDA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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