Calming coalition chaos in South Africa
Coalitions are increasingly becoming part and parcel of South Africa’s governance system, however political instability across dozens of the country’s coalition-governed municipalities has meant service delivery has taken the back seat.
This was outlined by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in a recent presentation to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
The entity offered a few solutions to bring calm so that residents no longer bear the brunt of messy horse-trading.
Broadly, proposals include a framework to guide coalition formation and governance. They advocate for the collective executive system over the mayoral system to enhance stability, inclusivity, and transparency while also suggesting a separation between party politics and governance.
Following the 2021 local government elections of South Africa’s 257 municipalities, there was a 204% increase in coalitions – from 27 to 82.
These were seen in many municipalities with large populations, with Salga saying that 34.5% of the population lives in 9 of the largest coalition-governed municipalities.
In Gauteng, the economic hub, for example, 99.26% of the population lived in a hung municipality after the 2021 elections, with the only exception being Midvaal.
Analysis from Salga pinpointed 32 municipalities which have “unstable coalitions,” many of which are in municipalities (and metros) with large populations and GDP contributions.
For example, political instability has resulted in a revolving door of mayors in Gauteng’s three metros of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. Since November 2021, Johannesburg has seen six administrations, Ekurhuleni has seen four, and Tshwane has seen three.
In the Auditor General’s (AG’s) most recent report, AG Tsakani Maluleke did not mince her words on the detrimental impact instability has on the functioning of the sphere of government that is closest to the people.
“Two years into the administrative term, some… still have instability in their councils and struggle to take the lead in ensuring service delivery to all their residents in a financially responsible manner,” said Maluleke.
“[In those with identified issues] the lack of transparency, accountability and institutional integrity not only leads to non-delivery of services, but also harms the people these municipalities are intended to serve,” she added.
This means many cannot deliver basic services such as water and electricity, face crumbling infrastructure and cannot process regulatory approvals that investors rely on.
Salga’s proposals for coalitions
An immediate intervention proposed is “a need for a framework that can guide political parties and independent councillors on the formation and sustainability of coalitions.”
They said that a key focus of a coalitions framework is to:
- Resolve challenges of instability; and
- Encourage cooperation in coalitions.
Salga developed a guiding framework for tabling to political parties which deal with two stages of coalition governments:
- Coalition formation stage:
- Coalition governance stage:
Another suggestion is that hung municipalities should consider using the executive committee system instead of the executive mayoral committee system.
In a collective executive system, a municipal council elects an executive committee representing council interests, with a mayor serving a more ceremonial role.
In contrast, a mayoral executive system gives executive authority to a directly elected executive mayor, who appoints a mayoral committee, often from the majority party.
The collective system is argued to promote greater transparency and accountability through broader representation and open meetings.
Additionally, Salga said that although seemingly impossible, there needs to be a separation between party politics and governance.
There is a case to be made out that a line should be drawn between the legitimate exercise of influence by political party structures external to the council, and the proper functioning of the majority party caucus in the council,” said Salga.
Legislative response
One of the proposed interventions by national government is seen through the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, 2024, which has been published for public comment.
“The Bill comes as a result of a public outcry for a framework, or guidelines or legislation given rise [of hung municipalities, and this increase] signaled the need to strengthen coalition governance to address challenges related to poor governance, service delivery and instability in municipal councils,” said Cogta.
Some of the key provisions in the bill include introducing legally binding coalition agreements, a minimum threshold, rules around no-confidence votes, and a collective executive system.
Briefly, the Bill seeks to:
- Set a minimum threshold of 1%;
- Bind coalition agreements;
- Change municipalities with a mayoral executive system, in which no party obtained a majority of seats, to a collective executive system;
- Have council elections or impeachments to be by a show of hands;
- Set out further grounds and rules for removal of municipal office-bearers from office.
Another proposed intervention is through the use of Operation Vulindlela, a joint initiative between the National Treasury and the Presidency, to revitalise South Africa’s crumbling municipalities.
“For services to be delivered, local government has to work. Too many municipalities are failing on governance, financial and service-delivery measures. These constraints affect every aspect of peoples’ daily lives,” President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted in his 2024 State of the Nation Address.
Phase two of Operation Vulindlela is to focus on the reforms in local government, with a particular focus on major metros.
Read: Ramaphosa’s pen brings the GNU’s first major hurdle – with more to come
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