The real crisis within many of our municipalities is not simply one of skills. It is instability in leadership, the politicisation of appointments, poor institutional management, poor people management, and undue political interference, says the writer.
Across South Africa, roads crumble, wastewater systems fail, refuse accumulates and infrastructure projects stall midway through completion. Increasingly, many citizens are asking the same question: what is happening to our municipalities?
Recently, I read about a briefing presented to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the 2024/25 audit outcomes and governance challenges affecting JB Marks Local Municipality, City of Matlosana Local Municipality and Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
The findings painted a deeply troubling picture of governance instability, weak financial controls, stalled infrastructure projects, deteriorating wastewater systems, irregular expenditure and severe failures in accountability. It made me realise that perhaps we are no longer asking the right questions.
The North-West University (NWU), of which I am the principal and vice-chancellor, alone produced nearly 13 000 graduates this graduation season, from diplomas to PhDs. Why then are municipalities in the North West Province still found wanting when it comes to skills? If municipalities continue to cite ‘skills shortages’, then the issue can surely no longer primarily be one of educational supply.
