Municipal Collapse, Constitutional Rights, and Service Delivery: South Africa at a Crossroads

Letters to the editor

Cadre deployment led to municipal rot

News that ANC councillors are to face performance assessments ahead of the upcoming elections should not deceive anyone about the ANC’s sudden commitment to good governance.

If the ANC was honest about the competence of its councillors it would have been conducting quarterly assessments as the DA did when I was a councillor. It would appreciate that electoral success is earned between elections – not on the eve of them.

A particularly amusing statement by the ANC’s task team manager, Mike Mabuyakhulu, is that “we know what the challenges are.”

Well, of course you do because the ANC’s incompetence and dereliction of duty has caused the dysfunctionalism that now prevails countrywide.

This new ‘task team’ is just another recycled pretense of good intentions. Whatever happened to the three task teams that ‘investigated’ ­Msundusi/Pietermaritzburg municipality? And the recent one in eThekwini that included former Metro manager Mike Sutcliffe? Just reports which cost millions to compile now gathering dust.

If the ANC was sincere about improving service delivery, it would focus on the root cause of the dysfunctionalism that plagues municipalities, namely, the appointed officials. Councillors do not run municipalities. The officials do. No councillor can tell an official what to do. He can request, he can monitor, he can advise, he can vote funding, but he cannot do the official’s job.

It is common knowledge that many officials are ANC cadres who have no suitable qualifications other than loyalty to the ANC. So, if Mr Mabuyakhulu wants to promote service delivery, his task team must rigorously assess the officials the ANC has appointed. They are the ones responsible for the appalling decline and disintegration of once functioning towns and cities. They are the rotten apples to root out.Of course, sadly, that is not going to happen.

Embedded nepotism, ­kleptocracy and state capture prevails which, as 30 years have demonstrated, have become synonymous with ANC rule. | DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff

Reform must respect religious practice

Muslim communities across South Africa are raising urgent concerns over a proposal by the Department of Home Affairs that would require an electronic death certificate to be issued before any burial can take place.

This administrative change, currently under discussion, could have severe consequences for Muslim families whose faith requires burial as soon as possible, preferably on the same day as death.

Islamic burial rites emphasise dignity, simplicity and urgency. Any delay – particularly over weekends or public holidays when government offices are closed – risks preventing families from fulfilling essential religious obligations. Home Affairs offices do not operate around the clock, and technical outages are not uncommon, raising fears of unavoidable postponements.Community leaders argue that the requirement could infringe constitutional protections.

Section 15 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, while Sections 30 and 31 protect cultural and religious practices and the rights of communities to observe their traditions. Forced delays, they say, may violate these rights by making timely burial impossible.

Beyond legal concerns, families warn of emotional harm. Prompt burial is deeply tied to spiritual beliefs and mourning practices. Delays can intensify grief, create distress and leave families feeling they have failed in their duty to the deceased.Civil society groups are calling for consultation and practical solutions, such as ensuring continuous certificate availability. Without accommodation, they caution, the policy could place religious communities in an impossible position.

The proposal has sparked widespread debate about balancing administrative efficiency with constitutional freedoms. Critics argue that modernisation should not come at the expense of long-standing religious obligations.

They warn that, unless exemptions or emergency systems are created, families may face weekend and holiday delays beyond their control. Some fear it could also increase tension between communities and authorities.

Observers say the outcome will test how well South Africa’s democracy protects diversity and respects deeply held beliefs at times of loss.

For now, Muslim organisations are urging authorities to reconsider the proposal before it is finalised. They emphasise that administrative processes must accommodate the realities of religious life.

The coming weeks may determine whether accommodation or conflict defines this sensitive issue. | Adiel Ismail Mountview

Basic services are a constitutional right

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent deployment of Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to tackle Johannesburg’s worsening water crisis, prioritising action over attending the 2026 State of the Nation Address, was a necessary and welcome move.

However, dispatching national leaders to deal with Johannesburg’s crisis alone will not resolve the broader problem facing citizens across South Africa. Municipalities around the country face similar challenges and also need urgent national attention.

Residents in many municipalities are confronted daily by unreliable water supply, frequent electricity outages and unsatisfactory refuse collection, among other service-delivery failures. In many cases, local leadership does not appear to grasp the scale of hardship people are experiencing.

This situation has developed over many years. The causes – poor financial planning, a lack of skilled staff, weak oversight and mounting pressure on ageing infrastructure due to growing demand – have long been known. Many warnings have been issued, and solutions have already been identified.

What is now needed is decisive, hands-on intervention from the President and the Presidency. Skilled professionals and practical technical support must be deployed where they are most needed to fix failing systems and restore basic services.

Access to water, electricity and other essential municipal services is not a luxury, it is a constitutional right. | MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg

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