Who will govern after the next election? The real question behind mayoral candidates in South Africa
With the next local elections approaching, it's time to shift the focus from charismatic candidates to the governance teams behind them. What questions should every South African citizen ask before they cast their vote?
In South Africa, mayoral elections have become a theatrical event, with candidates carefully chosen and scrutinized by the media. However, beneath the surface, a more important question remains unanswered: who will actually govern the municipality alongside the elected mayor? The current system in major cities like Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni has seen multiple executive mayors in ten years, with no single party holding a majority since 2016.
This lack of clear governance structure has led to the need for a new bill, the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, aimed at addressing the instability caused by informal coalition agreements. To improve the governance of South Africa's municipalities, candidates should be asked about their governing team, coalition strategy, institutional reform agenda, performance metrics, and contingency plans for when things go wrong.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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