While attending the North West Provincial Local Government Indaba (KgothaKgothe) on 10 February 2026 at Sun City, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Namane Dickson Masemola urged for cooperation and working together to ensure that municipalities are able to deliver on their constitutional mandate.
Dr Masemola urged leaders to restore public confidence by placing communities at the centre of service delivery and ensuring municipalities fulfil their constitutional mandates.
“The Deputy Minister urged commitment from the local government leadership in the province to turn the situation around for the benefit of communities, emphasising that all municipalities must work for the benefit of the people.”
There was more emphasis on the theme – “Fixing Local Government- Every Municipality Must Work”, as councillors are expected to respond to this theme by emerging from KgothaKgothe with an actionable action plan that will set local government in the province on a path towards effective and efficient municipalities.
Kgothakgothe looked at various areas identified as key to resolving the challenges facing local government. The reports presented included – (1) The state of Local Government in NW; (2) State of municipal financial performance & urgent implementation of improvement plans; (3) Reflections on municipal audit outcomes; (4) Indaba Resolutions; (5) the review of White Paper on Local Government; (6) Building blocks towards ideal municipality; (7) State of Readiness for the 2026/27 Local government elections; (8) Determination of municipal boundaries outcomes, etc.
Despite continued national and provincial efforts to support municipalities in the province, unfortunately, challenges in municipalities persist. The department indicated that the Review of White Paper on Local Government, which is described as “a bridge between analysis and action”, is important as it emphasised the need for reforms that would benefit communities.
Meanwhile, the session is a recognition of the commitment by the provincial government and the ensure sector to move decisively towards greater coherence, coordination, and collaboration, ensuring that all national and provincial interventions in municipalities are aligned, complementary, and geared towards a single developmental agenda for maximum impact in the lives of many South Africans, especially those who were marginalised by the apartheid regime.
MEC Gaoage Oageng Molapisi reaffirmed the departments commitment to delivery, “We need to deliver services and restore the dignity of our people through local government that works for all”. Dr Masemola announced that the first draft of the reviewed White Paper on Local Government has been completed and released for public consultation throughout February and March 2026.
“This White Paper provides the national policy framework for the local government sphere as defined in the Constitution. It is unique in that it addresses an
entire sphere of democratic government, with no equivalent white papers for the national or provincial spheres.”
“Of importance, it serves as an All-Of-Government and Intergovernmental Framework guiding all departments and regulators with authority over local government and acts as a blueprint for future legislation and regulations.
“Deputy Minister highlighted that the First Draft Of The Reviewed White Paper on Local Government has been completed and released for public consultations and comments during February and March months (2026).”
