Head of the North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs – CoGTA and professor of practice in the Faculty of Humanities at the NWU, Dr Ben Bole spent his Monday, 13 April 2026, reflecting on the state and future of local governance in the country.
While delivering a public lecture at Senate Hall of North West University at Potch Campus on the Review of White Paper on Local Government, Dr Bole acknowledge that the White Paper has faced numerous challenged linked to widespread service delivery failures, financial instability and diminished public trust. With more than fifteen years in public governance, his work has exposed him to the complexities and pressures within the system.
According to the department of Cogta in the province, the lecture delivered by Prof. Bole in collaboration with the office of the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the North West University, Prof Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, and the Faculty of Humanities of the university forms part of the broader national consultation. Many municipalities in the country are faced by administrative incapacity, political interference, and failing infrastructure, prompting a current review to address the gap between its developmental vision and operational reality.
As an expert of Section 139 interventions in municipalities, Dr Bole acknowledged the municipal crisis, but indicated that there are pockets of progress, pointing out that some municipalities continue to function effectively.
“Drawing on this experience, Prof. Bole described local government as a shared responsibility but acknowledged that the burden of its failures is borne most heavily by ordinary citizens. He reflected on the evolution of the system while confronting persistent challenges, including declining service delivery, governance failures, and weakened institutional capacity. These, he noted, are not just technical issues, but deeply human ones that affect livelihoods, dignity and trust.”
“Positioning the review as a critical moment, he called for honest reflection and a shift away from routine, short-term interventions. Instead, he urged stakeholders to ask harder questions about what meaningful, lasting change should look like in practice.
“He outlined key areas under review, including governance systems, ethical leadership, financial sustainability, administrative capacity, and community participation – all essential to building municipalities that are not only functional but truly accountable to the people they serve,” said NWU Belinda Bantham.
