Ramaphosa sets November 4 as date for municipal elections

South Africa will hold its next municipal elections on November 4, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, setting the date for a crucial vote that will determine leadership across the country’s municipalities.

Ramaphosa used his address to an extended meeting of the President’s Coordinating Council in Ekurhuleni on Thursday to outline the context in which the country heads towards the 2026 local government elections, placing emphasis on governance failures, service delivery challenges and the need for systemic reform.

Addressing premiers, mayors, ministers and municipal officials, Ramaphosa framed the meeting as a “historic” gathering of all three spheres of government, convened to improve co-ordination and align national, provincial and local priorities. He reiterated that South Africa’s system of co-operative governance requires these spheres to function in an integrated manner, with national government setting policy, provinces overseeing implementation and municipalities responsible for delivery.

He said the purpose of the meeting was not merely to catalogue failures in local government, but to identify practical solutions. However, he acknowledged that many municipalities face deep structural constraints, including:

• weak revenue bases;
• limited technical skills;
• governance instability; and
• poor financial management.

These challenges, he said, have resulted in deteriorating service delivery, including frequent water and electricity disruptions, failing infrastructure and declining public trust.

Ramaphosa highlighted the forthcoming white paper on local government as a central reform instrument intended to “reimagine” the structure and functioning of municipalities. He stressed the need to unblock infrastructure development, particularly in energy, water, roads and public transport, arguing that these sectors are foundational to economic growth and social development. Municipalities, he said, must be positioned at the frontline of delivery to support industrial activity and local economic participation.

A key theme of the address was the need to reduce bureaucratic delays and improve the efficiency of the state. Ramaphosa called for the professionalisation of local government, insisting that appointments must be based on merit, supported by accountability and transparency. These reforms, he said, are being driven through Operation Vulindlela and the district development model, which aim to improve co-ordination and execution across government.

The president devoted significant attention to the national water crisis, describing it as one of the most immediate and widespread challenges affecting municipalities. While acknowledging progress in expanding access to water since 1994, he noted that reliability and quality have deteriorated. He cited data indicating that the proportion of households experiencing water interruptions lasting more than two days increased from 24% in 2012 to 34% in 2024.

He attributed the crisis to factors including ageing infrastructure, illegal connections, weak maintenance, poor monitoring and institutional instability. Municipal financial strain was also highlighted, with water losses in metropolitan areas averaging 34% and municipal debt to water boards having tripled between 2018 and 2025.

Ramaphosa outlined ongoing reforms in the water sector, including:

• the establishment of new water management institutions;
• improved licensing processes; and
• the reinstatement of oversight reporting mechanisms such as the Blue, Green and No Drop reports.

He also referenced the National Treasury’s metro trading services reform programme, which aims to improve financial sustainability and unlock investment in municipal services.

He reiterated the establishment of a national water crisis committee, first announced during the state of the nation address in February, which will co-ordinate a national response through a dedicated water action plan.

The president concluded by outlining five principles to guide reform efforts:

• restoring accountability;
• protecting the financial integrity of water services;
• strengthening technical capacity;
• enforcing consequence management; and
• making co-operative governance functional in practice.

He stressed that all spheres of government must align around shared responsibilities, clear timelines and measurable outcomes.

The country must move beyond diagnosis to implementation, emphasising that South Africans expect reliable service delivery and effective governance as the country approaches the November elections, he added.

Business Day