Parliament, Tuesday, 6 October 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday heard how municipal entities are preparing for the upcoming local government elections on 4 November.
The committee received a briefing from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) on their annual reports for the 2025/26 financial year, when the issue came up.
SALGA told Members that preparations are underway to support municipalities and newly elected councillors following the local government elections. At the same time, the MDB said it had completed the ward delimitation work required for the elections and handed the wards over to the Independent Electoral Commission.
Members were informed about SALGA’s phased development programme for incoming councillors. SALGA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Sithole Mbanga, said initial induction for incoming councillors was planned for January 2027. This will be followed by training linked to councillors’ portfolios, with opportunities for accredited learning. The committee heard that this forms part of a wider effort to professionalise municipal leadership and improve governance.
The Chairperson of the committee, Dr Zweli Mkhize, last week said the committee will need ongoing reports on professionalisation efforts in local government. He said training and professionalisation must produce visible improvements in the performance of municipalities.
On Tuesday, Members specifically pressed SALGA on how it could help municipalities appoint capable and ethical people and address corruption. Members also asked about senior appointments and long-term commitments by outgoing councils before the elections. The committee was informed that SALGA and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs developed transition guidance to prevent outgoing councils from making long-term commitments their successors would have to consider. He cited lengthy contracts and strategic appointments as decisions requiring care and said municipalities must still fill critical operational posts and maintain essential functions.
Turning to SALGA’s performance, Members pressed the leadership on whether the association’s support to municipalities was producing visible improvements. SALGA reported achieving 86 of its 87 annual targets in the 2025/26 financial year and receiving its 14th consecutive unqualified audit opinion. Members questioned how those results related to persistent poor audit outcomes in municipalities as well as inadequate service delivery and municipal infrastructure. They also asked how SALGA would strengthen capacity and respond when municipalities did not take up its support.
The committee also heard from the President of SALGA, Mr Bheki Stofile, that the number of coalition-governed municipalities could rise after the elections. Mr Stofile said SALGA had hoped that the proposed Coalitions Bill would be in place before the elections. He said that existing provisions of the Municipal Structures Act relevant to the formation and functioning of councils will apply in the meantime.
Members further sought clarity on SALGA’s delisting as a Schedule 3A public entity under the Public Finance Management Act. Dr Mkhize said the accountability question is critical to determine what the obligation of SALGA is to report to Parliament. He welcomed the association’s explanation of its intended flexibility and its commitment to continued auditing and reporting.
The committee also heard from the MDB, which said it had published 4 273 of a targeted 4 488 wards by 31 March this year. It told Members that litigation prevented it from meeting its 31 March 2026 annual target.
Dr Mkhize said the committee heard reports from residents who felt they had discovered the boundary changes too late. He asked the MDB to explain how it consults affected communities, how ward boundaries are determined and whether inadequate consultation had contributed to the litigation it faced. Dr Mkhize stressed that the practical effect of a boundary on residents’ access to representation and services had to be understood. The Chairperson of the MDB, Mr Thabo Manyoni, undertook to provide the committee with a detailed written account of the disputes and the reasons behind them.
Mr Manyoni also proposed working with SALGA on its post-election councillor induction programme. He said newly elected councillors should understand how municipal boundary redetermination and ward delimitation work, so that they can assist communities more effectively when questions and disputes arise.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, DR ZWELI MKHIZE.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Alicestine October (Ms)
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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