It is with a profound sense of responsibility and commitment to the people of Gauteng that I rise to table Budget Vote of the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for the 2026/27 financial year.
We are tabling this Budget Vote at a juncture that could be defined as challenging for local government in Gauteng and indeed across the country.
Never before since the establishment of the sphere in 1996 has the local government been confronted with as many challenges as we see today.
Our municipalities face sustained service delivery pressures driven by rapid urbanisation, ageing infrastructure, increasing demand for services and persistent socio-economic challenges.
At no time before has there being a need to shift paradigm when it comes to the local sphere of government than now. It is in this regard that our budget follows the existing need to support innovative measures to put our municipalities on a trajectory for growth and sustainability.
Honourable members, for the 2026/27 financial year, the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has been allocated a total budget of R680.5 million, forming part of a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework allocation of R1.95 billion over the next three years.
This allocation reflects the strategic importance of local government in achieving the objectives of Growing Gauteng Together and advancing the developmental aspirations of our province.
The largest allocation of R295.9 million is directed towards Local Government. This programme supports municipal administration, municipal finance, public participation, capacity development, stakeholder engagement and municipal performance monitoring. A further R197.4 million has been allocated to Development and Planning. This programme drives integrated development planning, disaster management services, infrastructure support and municipal infrastructure interventions. Importantly, this allocation includes R80 million dedicated to addressing municipal energy challenges through the implementation of the Gauteng Energy Response Programme.
An amount of R165.6 million has been allocated to Administration to ensure that the department remains capable, professional and responsive in supporting municipalities, while R21.6 million has been allocated to Traditional Institutional Management to strengthen traditional leadership institutions, support cultural programmes and promote social cohesion.
While municipalities across Gauteng continue to demonstrate resilience in maintaining essential services, the reality facing our local government demand an integrated approach. This is an approach nested on the profound principle of intergovernmental relations as directed by Section 41 (2a) of the constitution.
For emphasis allow me honourable Speaker to quote Section 40 of the constitution: “In the Republic, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated.”
This, honourable members clearly shows that the drafters were not confused about the interrelated nature of our spheres of government. In other words, they knew then that we can never resolve the complex challenges facing government without leveraging on each of the spheres of government.
In line with this profound principle it is now a well known fact that as one Gauteng we have well established intergovernmental Relations (IGR) forums that bring together the Provincial Government, all our 11 municipalities as well as national government departments and entities to plan, resolve challenges and bring innovative solutions to the challenges that affect our communities not as stratified entities, but one government.
Allow me at this point to acknowledge our Champion for Water, the City of Ekurhuleni for their consistency in attending to the task at hand. To our Champion on Safety and Security, the City of Tshwane, your tenacity and energetic drive continue to give us strength. To our Champion on Disaster Management, Mogale City, yours has been a leadership characterised by consistency and grace, for that we appreciate you. To our champion on governance and public outreach, the City of Joburg, we are inspired by how you have led us in this very daunting task, you have done this without tiring and with pois, and for that we take our hats of to you and all the municipalities, who week in and week out sacrifice so much for an integrated, single focused Gauteng City Region that we are ambitious enough to transform it into a Smart City Region.
This may seem like a lofty ideal, but our IGR forums that enjoy the committed support of such important entities such as the South African Police Service, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Rand Water, the Centre for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Water and Sanitation and many sectors partner tirelessly to work towards making the lives of our residents easier.
We are confident that while the challenges we face are great, we are even greater together with all our partners as we are united. This definitely proves that Growing Gauteng Together (GGT) is not a slogan but a call to action and a unifier.
Honourable Members, it is precisely because of the “Together” in GGT that all of us, all three spheres of government, agreed on a unified programme of action towards changing the paradigm of local government. We met in Mogale City in October 2024 and decided to do away with uncoordinated interventions that didn’t help us in the past to fix our municipalities and agreed on the Gauteng Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS), our collective effort to go back to the basics and improve service delivery.
To quote our Premier, Honourable Panyaza Lesufi in his inaugural speech for the Sixth administration: “Leave no one behind”. We are leaving no singular municipalities either it be local or district or metro, no one is left behind. Gone are the days of shifting blame and perpetual grandstanding, Gauteng works together as one. As the Local Government Turnaround Strategy enters its second year since adoption, the strategy, which is founded on collaboration and support, it is now beginning to show results.
Supported by its various work streams, the strategy was designed to strengthen governance, improve service delivery, promote sustainable socio-economic development and deepen integration between the three spheres of government through structured intergovernmental relations.
These workstreams focus on governance, finance, infrastructure, water security, energy resilience, disaster management, public safety, petitions and public outreach, digital transformation and local economic development. The strategy recognises a simple truth: local government challenges cannot be solved in silos. They require integration, coordination and accountability. Most importantly, they require a collective commitment to building capable municipalities. As directed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, we must build sustainable capacity not only within local government, but across the state. When Premier Lesufi isolated the thirteen priority challenges, otherwise known as the G13, facing Gauteng, we recognised that lasting solutions would require more than fragmented interventions. They would require integrated programmes, shared accountability and measurable outcomes.
Honourable Speaker, the true measure of any strategy is not its intentions, but its results. Since the launch of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, measurable progress has been achieved across several key areas. Progress under the governance workstream indicates improvements in municipal oversight and accountability. Audit findings resolved increased from 35 per cent in the third quarter of 2023/24 to 55 per cent during the same period in 2024/25. Repeat audit findings reduced from 30 per cent to 28 per cent, while non-compliance findings declined from 35 per cent to 27 per cent. Two municipalities, Midvaal and West Rand District Municipality maintained clean audit outcomes and all municipalities now have functional Audit Committees. And I am pleased to announce in this house that as one Gauteng, our municipalities have adopted the innovation of interim audits in the lead up to the Auditor General’s annual audit processes. This will ensure that we proactively deal with audit findings before final audits are conducted and finalised.
The professionalisation of municipal administration has also gained momentum. The filling of senior management positions improved from 70 per cent in March 2025 to 86 per cent in March 2026. All Municipal Manager and City Manager positions are now occupied and 88 per cent of critical technical posts have been filled. These improvements are strengthening institutional capacity and improving the ability of municipalities to deliver services effectively. Municipal financial management is also showing encouraging signs of progress as provincial government debt payments amounting to R209 million were received by municipalities by March 2026.
Our municipalities have also worked towards finalising debt settlement arrangements regarding Rand Water obligations, with several municipalities having improved their payment performance to key service providers. While municipal debtors remain unacceptably high at R173 billion and Eskom debt has risen to R31 billion, the Local Government Turnaround Strategy has created a platform through which these challenges are being actively addressed. Honourable Members, water security emerged as one of the defining challenges confronting Gauteng during the year under review. Interruptions in water supply exposed vulnerabilities within portions of the municipal and bulk water infrastructure network and highlighted the urgent need for greater coordination and investment. Through the Water Security Intergovernmental Relations Forum and the Provincial Water Operations Centre, municipalities, Rand Water, provincial government and national departments worked together to strengthen planning, improve communication and coordinate interventions.
This collaborative approach enabled government to respond more effectively to supply disruptions, monitor reservoir performance and support municipalities during periods of system pressure. The Department continues to support initiatives aimed at improving reservoir monitoring, strengthening municipal readiness, enhancing infrastructure planning and developing digital solutions that enable real-time visibility of water infrastructure performance.
Water security is not merely a technical challenge. It remains fundamental to economic growth, social stability and public confidence in government. For this reason, it remains one of the foremost priorities of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy. Honourable Speaker, the province continues to pursue energy security as a key enabler of municipal sustainability and economic growth.
The Department continues to coordinate provincial interventions aimed at strengthening municipal energy systems through smart metering programmes, transformer replacement initiatives, solar high mast installations, energy planning support and alternative power solutions for critical infrastructure. These interventions are designed to improve municipal revenue management, reduce infrastructure losses, strengthen energy planning and improve the resilience of critical services.
Together with municipalities, Eskom and sector departments, we are building a foundation for long-term energy security across Gauteng. Honourable Members, technology and innovation are increasingly becoming critical tools in transforming local government. Digitisation sits at the centre of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy. Under the theme “Building Gauteng as a Smart City Region through Integration, Innovation and Digital Solutions”, the province recently launched the Gauteng Smart City Performance Monitor. The platform provides real-time visibility of municipal performance across governance, financial management, infrastructure delivery, climate resilience and disaster preparedness.
For the first time, residents will have access to integrated municipal performance information, strengthening transparency, accountability and public participation. The Smart City Performance Monitor forms part of a broader digital transformation agenda that includes integrated CCTV networks, smart water management systems, land invasion monitoring platforms, digital dashboards and the Provincial Integrated Indigent Register.
All these innovations are helping government move towards more responsive, data-driven and accountable governance.
Honourable Speaker, climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of disasters across our country. Floods, fires, severe storms, sinkholes and other climaterelated risks require government to continuously strengthen preparedness and response capabilities. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre continues to play a critical role in coordinating disaster management activities across Gauteng.
The province responded to numerous incidents during the year under review, including floods, fires, food poisoning outbreaks and severe weather events. Support was also provided beyond Gauteng’s borders through disaster response efforts in Limpopo Province.
To strengthen municipal readiness, support was provided for fire and rescue services, specialised equipment, emergency response capability and advanced training programmes.
The Department continues to invest in technology-driven solutions that improve early warning systems, risk identification and disaster response coordination.
Honourable Members, the revitalisation of Gauteng’s urban centres remains a key priority. Through CBD Fridays and broader urban renewal interventions, government continues to work with municipalities, law enforcement agencies, business and communities to restore safety, cleanliness and economic activity within our cities. Similarly, through the Safety and Service Delivery Intergovernmental Relations Forum, municipalities and law enforcement agencies continue to strengthen coordinated responses to infrastructure crime, illegal activities and service delivery disruptions.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between municipal law enforcement agencies and SAPS has strengthened coordinated operations across the province and demonstrated the value of integrated governance.
Honourable Speaker, public participation remains the cornerstone of developmental local government. Through the Community Development Workers Programme and various stakeholder engagement platforms, the Department continues to strengthen communication between government and communities. The review of the White Paper on Local Government, municipal demarcation consultations and numerous community engagements undertaken during the year demonstrate our commitment to participatory governance.
The Department also remains committed to supporting traditional leadership institutions in line with Chapter 12 of the Constitution.
The recognition of traditional communities and traditional councils in Gauteng represents an important milestone in preserving cultural heritage, strengthening social cohesion and promoting inclusive governance.
Honourable Members, as we table this Budget Vote, we do so with a clear understanding that the future of Gauteng depends on the strength and capability of its municipalities. This budget seeks not merely to fund programmes, it seeks to strengthen institutions, to improve governance, secure essential services, build resilience. It seeks to accelerate digital transformation and to restore public confidence and trust in local government. The year under review has demonstrated that when silos are replaced with coordination, when planning is matched with implementation and when accountability is matched with political will, meaningful local government turnaround is achievable.
The task before us now is to accelerate implementation and deliver measurable improvements in the lives of our people. Together, we will continue building municipalities that are capable, ethical, resilient and responsive. Let me take this opportunity to thank the Head of Department for CoGTA Dr Darion Barclay and his management team for their continued support. I would also like to thank our stream leads from various municipalities whose commitment cannot be doubted. Let me thank our Portfolio Committee under the capable leadership of Honourable Mzi Khumalo for the support they continue to provide this department. It is therefore my privilege to table Budget Vote 7 of the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for the 2026/27 financial year.
