Democracy Starts Locally

South Africa’s struggle for functioning municipalities

South Africa’s local government elections will take place on 4 November 2026. Voters will elect councils for district, local and metropolitan municipalities across all nine provinces. These elections will determine not only political majorities, but also how citizens experience the state in their daily lives.

Water, electricity, waste collection, public transport and local safety are municipal issues. When these services fail, people’s economic opportunities and trust in democratic institutions suffer.

Against this background, the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched its manifesto in Johannesburg on 8 August. Its full campaign theme is “Getting South Africa Working for All.” The party promises professional administrations, reliable basic services, safer communities and stronger local economies.

Local democracy is not sustained by elections and political promises alone. It depends on citizens experiencing their municipality as capable of solving problems, managing public funds responsibly and delivering essential services. The DA’s manifesto therefore focuses not only on specific reforms, but also on restoring trust in local institutions.

A crisis of local government

South Africa’s municipalities face serious institutional and financial challenges. According to the Auditor-General’s report for the 2024/25 financial year, only 39 of 257 municipalities achieved clean audits.

Many municipalities struggle with weak financial management, poor revenue collection, inadequate technical expertise and political instability. The consequences are visible in everyday life: failing water and sewage systems, electricity outages, irregular waste collection and neglected roads.

Germany faces different but related problems. German municipalities are also under financial pressure, face growing investment needs and often struggle with slow administrative procedures and staff shortages. The difference is that Germany generally debates how to modernise a functioning system, while many South African municipalities first need to restore basic institutional capacity.

This distinction matters when considering whether the German model can offer useful lessons.

What can Germany offer?

The DA’s proposals include merit-based appointments, more transparent procurement, stronger oversight and better financial management. It also wants municipalities to ring-fence revenue from water and electricity so that it can be reinvested in the infrastructure needed to provide those services.

From a German perspective, these priorities are convincing. Professional administration, transparent public spending and clear responsibility are essential for effective government in any country. Germany can offer experience in areas such as vocational training, public administration, municipal finance, infrastructure planning and long-term maintenance.

Liberal politics in Germany also emphasises reducing bureaucracy, limiting unnecessary state interference and creating space for individual and economic initiative. These principles are relevant in South Africa as well. Municipalities should be capable enough to deliver their core responsibilities, but they should not create unnecessary obstacles for citizens, entrepreneurs and civil society.

However, Germany cannot provide a ready-made blueprint. South Africa’s history, spatial inequality, institutional challenges and economic structure are fundamentally different. A reform that works in a wealthy and comparatively stable European system cannot simply be transferred to a country where many communities still lack reliable basic services.

The role of private actors

The DA also proposes greater use of private investment and public-private partnerships in water, electricity, waste management and infrastructure. This reflects a liberal idea: public authorities should not be tied to one model of service delivery if other providers can achieve better results.

Such partnerships may help municipalities access capital, technical skills and management expertise. But they also create risks. Private involvement cannot replace public responsibility. Municipalities must still set standards, protect affordability, award contracts transparently and hold providers accountable.

The question is therefore not simply whether the state or the private sector should provide a service. The more important question is which arrangement delivers reliable and affordable services while protecting the public interest.

A question of trust

The DA’s manifesto is strongest where it treats functioning government as a condition for freedom and opportunity. People who face constant power cuts, unsafe transport or unreliable waste collection have fewer opportunities to work, study and organise their lives independently.

This also applies in Germany, although usually in less immediate ways. Delayed permits, inadequate digital services, poor public transport and neglected infrastructure can also restrict economic and social participation.

The two countries therefore face a shared liberal challenge, but from different starting points. South Africa must restore confidence in the basic capacity of local government. Germany must ensure that its municipalities remain financially capable, innovative and responsive rather than becoming too slow and overregulated.

The DA’s proposed reforms will succeed only if they are accompanied by implementation, institutional capacity and accountability. Germany can provide useful experience, but not universal answers. The most productive relationship is therefore not one of imitation, but of mutual learning.

Democracy becomes credible locally, where citizens can see whether public institutions work, public money is used responsibly and political participation can lead to meaningful change.