IMATU WELCOMES THE REVIEW OF THE WHITE PAPER ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU), representing more than 110 000 employees in the local government sector, welcomes the publication and public release of the Discussion Document for the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government (WPLG98), as gazetted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on 10 April 2025.

As the largest politically independent trade union representing workers in local government, IMATU views this review process as a timely and critical intervention in the face of a deteriorating local government landscape. For years, IMATU has raised concerns about systemic weaknesses in governance, poor service delivery, ethical failures, and unsustainable municipal finances. This review represents an opportunity to address the root causes of these failures.

We commend the Department for recognising the need for a bold, transparent, and inclusive reform process that challenges outdated assumptions and places results over rhetoric. IMATU particularly supports the stated intent to:

• Stabilise and professionalise core municipal services;
• Rethink the local government fiscal framework to ensure a viable and equitable revenue base;
• Tackle the overpoliticisation of service delivery and strengthen ethical, competent leadership across all municipalities; and
• Align local government reform with broader social, economic, and climate imperatives, including digital transformation and the just energy transition.

IMATU also welcomes the invitation from the Department to submit written comments on the Discussion Document and will be making a comprehensive submission informed by the lived experiences and practical knowledge of our members on the ground. We view this as an essential opportunity to influence a more functional, ethical, and developmental local government system.

Quotes attributable to IMATU’s General Secretary, Mr Johan Koen:

“This review comes at a pivotal moment for our democracy. We cannot afford another lost decade of local government failure. Our members are ready to work towards a system that is ethical, efficient, and centred on the needs of the people. We welcome the Department’s call for open consultation and look forward to making our voice, and the voices of our members heard.”