The critical importance of engineering input in the updated Local Government White Paper

The objective of universal municipal performance in South Africa may not be achieved if engineers are not involved in writing the updated White Paper on Local Government. 

This is a warning from the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA), an organisation which promotes excellence in the engineering profession for the benefit of municipalities and their communities.

Having provided comprehensive input for the White Paper review, the institute went on to raise concerns about the composition of the writing teams, says IMESA president Geoff Tooley. “More specifically, we have asked about the number of municipal engineers involved. To date, we haven’t received a response,” Tooley says. 

“This is concerning because it would be pointless for engineering bodies to submit proposed action items and not have engineers represented in interpreting and compiling the final White Paper revisions.

“The potential risk, if that is the case, is that the document could become more weighted in terms of legal and financial elements and not deal effectively with the engineering aspects that are fundamental to the local government turnaround strategy.

"Our appeal as IMESA is that we don’t miss this vital last step, because without sustained and equal engineering participation, the objective of universal municipal performance will not be possible.”

Tooley notes that at the recent 88th IMESA Annual Conference, the consensus from delegates was that municipal engineers must regain their place as joint decision-makers in infrastructure processes.

“In the past, this viewpoint has not always been shared by municipal officials and politicians,” he says. “The result has been a growing disconnect between engineering and political objectives, which has led to widespread service delivery shortfalls and growing community unrest.

Current 1998 Local Government White Paper revisions

“Revisions to the current 1998 Local Government White Paper will go a long way in correcting this gap, with our conference panel debate on the topic exposing the pain points and highlighting some of the solutions. 

“The original White Paper was meant to be transformative in a post-apartheid South Africa. Its key goals included establishing a new system of strong, accountable local government focused on socio-economic development.

"Citizens were also recognised as having the democratic right to truly participate in joint decision-making on matters affecting their lives and livelihoods.

“Nothing changes here in terms of the original objectives. However, the stark reality is that the initial goals didn’t materialise as planned. So, that’s the key difference in the new White Paper revisions. They set out to tackle the systemic failures and performance challenges since 1994 that have intermittently derailed the intended outcomes of the first White Paper.”

IMESA says it anticipates a collated draft of all the findings to be produced by the designated writing teams for final public comment.

“After that, in March 2026, the ultimate document will be submitted to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), as the custodian of the process, for actioning. But right now, however, we do not know whether the writing teams include vital representation from the engineering profession, and that is worrying,” Tooley says.

Audit reports highlight a troubling situation

This troubling situation has been consistently highlighted by the Auditor-General’s annual audit reports and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in the State of Local Government Report, according to an article published by the Dullar Omar Institute in September this year.

The think tank on multi-level governance and human rights said the current review of  White Paper on Local Government should be understood against this background.  

It said much of the ongoing discourse regarding local government in South Africa has focused on reviewing the White Paper on Local Government, with various platforms being established to facilitate this process.

“While the revisions and updates to the White Paper are essential, this article calls on stakeholders not to overlook the broader legislative context that influences the daily operations of municipalities.

"It must be stated, albeit obviously, that reviewing the White Paper on its own will not change the current challenges faced by municipalities, as many of the positions expressed in the 1998 White Paper have, over the years, been crystallised in legislation. Thus, legislation, too, needs reform - a process currently being undertaken by the South African Law Reform Commission.”

The think tank said amending the existing legal framework on local government presents considerable complexity, given that various sectoral departments have introduced regulations over time to govern local government.

Consequently, it says efforts to implement changes to sectoral laws in accordance with the revised White Paper on Local Government are expected to encounter substantive opposition without effective cooperation and coordination between and across spheres of government.

“Accordingly, it is imperative to implement and advocate for a whole-of-government approach that engages all relevant government departments in regulating local government, with enhanced interdepartmental cooperation and coordination serving as critical factors.

"This necessitates that the ongoing review of the White Paper should not be conducted exclusively by COGTA. The active participation and support of other government departments are essential for several reasons,” the institute said in its article. 

Local government elections 2026

The local government elections taking place next year (2026) could go a long way towards boosting consumer confidence, particularly in Gauteng, which has seen its housing market come under pressure due to the ongoing failure of service delivery, said Dr Andrew Golding, the chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group.

This is also true for most of the other housing markets in South Africa outside the Western Cape, the property group said earlier this month. 

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