ACCELERATED SERVICE DELIVERY INTERVENTIONS ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA
BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA
On the 15th of September 2025, the African National Congress convened a historic Councillors Roll-Call in Soweto, bringing together 4,929 ward and proportional representation councillors to reflect on the state of local government and recommit to the constitutional mandate of delivering services to our people. It was at this Roll-Call that the ANC adopted an accelerated six-pillar Local Government Action Plan (LGAP) to respond decisively to the concerns raised by communities and the findings of oversight institutions.
Today, we present an update covering the period from 15 September 2025 to 19 April 2026. This report reflects the first six-month scorecard review of the implementation of the Local Government Action Plan. It provides a structured account of progress made, interventions undertaken, and systems established to improve the functioning of municipalities across the country.
This six-month review consolidates inputs from multiple levels of the organisation and government. It
incorporates reports from provincial and municipal interventions, engagements with metropolitan
municipalities, findings from councillor performance reviews, and insights from the ongoing work of the NEC Local Government Intervention Team. It is further informed by broader government processes aimed at reforming and strengthening the local government system.
Importantly, this is not a report of intentions. It is an account of implementation. It reflects the work that has been undertaken on the ground, the interventions that are being driven to stabilise municipalities, and the systems that have been put in place to ensure accountability and measurable progress.
Eight Cabinet-prioritised municipalities have been placed under structured turnaround programmes, each supported by Municipal Service Improvement Plans with clear targets, timelines and monitoring systems.
These interventions have already stabilised governance in six of these municipalities, restoring administrative functionality and refocusing operations on core services such as water, electricity, roads and sanitation.
At the time of the last submission from Eskom, municipal debt to Eskom at approximately R110 Billion.
At the same time, 71 municipalities are participating in the Municipal Debt Relief (MDR) programme.
However, only 11 municipalities are currently compliant, representing just 1.5% of the total exposure. In parallel, 13 of the most significant defaulters are being addressed through PAJA processes, while 7 municipalities have submitted council resolutions as part of the required governance steps.
Some municipalities that have qualified for potential write-offs have been inconsistent in meeting programme conditions and may therefore not realise the full benefit of the relief over the three-year period. While the programme is well-intentioned, only a limited number of municipalities are likely to realise its full benefit, as this depends on sustained discipline, proper ring-fencing of revenue, and the consistent payment of current accounts.
Metropolitan municipalities are the engine of the national economy. Our eight metros house 62% of the
population and generate over two-thirds of the national GDP. Yet, they face severe operational challenges.
Recent assessments show metro water losses averaging 34.6% and electricity losses at 20.9%, both
significantly outside acceptable benchmark ranges.
To arrest this, government is implementing the Metro Trading Services Reform (MTSR), linked to a R54 billion reform framework over six years. All metros are bound to eight minimum commitments due by the hard deadline of 30 June 2026. Future grant transfers are tied to compliance with those commitments. The message is clear: public money must support reform, performance, and accountability.
This work has been reinforced through the establishment of Service Delivery War Rooms across all nine
provinces, supported by a National Rapid Response capability that has resolved more than 320 high-priority service delivery incidents. These interventions have enabled the state to respond with urgency and coordination, ensuring that crises are addressed in real time and that service delivery is stabilised where it is most at risk.
The intervention in Knysna, where a potential Day Zero scenario was averted through the deployment of 122 emergency water collection points, stands as a clear demonstration of what coordinated state action can achieve.
In the area of core service delivery, every ANC-led municipality is implementing ward-level turnaround plans with defined minimum response standards, ensuring that the delivery of water, sanitation, electricity, roads, refuse removal and housing is structured, measurable and accountable.
In municipalities such as Enoch Mgijima, all ward committees are now fully operational, supported by
structured oversight systems, while the installation of 15,000 smart meters has generated a R36 million
revenue improvement in a single month and enabled full utilisation of infrastructure grants.
In Mamusa, infrastructure grant expenditure has improved significantly, with major water projects nearing completion, while similar interventions are underway in municipalities across the country, including Knysna, Dr JS Moroka, Msunduzi and the City of Johannesburg.
In electricity, the implementation of the Load Reduction Elimination Programme represents one of the most significant interventions in recent years, with load reduction already eliminated in the Northern Cape and Western Cape and progressively reduced across all remaining provinces.
Over 140 feeders have been restored, supported by the installation of more than 380,000 smart meters,
including 190,000 in load reduction areas, enabling targeted enforcement and protecting compliant
households from blanket interruptions. Microgrid solutions have been introduced in areas such as Evaton and Madimbo, while structured engagements with communities across multiple provinces have resulted in the halting of load reduction in affected areas, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining technical solutions with direct community engagement.
In transport and infrastructure, progress has been driven through coordinated investment and
implementation across all spheres of government. SANRAL has rehabilitated approximately 3,200 kilometres of national roads, provinces have upgraded 5,800 kilometres of provincial roads, and municipalities have improved more than 12,000 kilometres of local roads, restoring connectivity and enabling economic activity.
Passenger rail recovery has seen the restoration of 31 corridors and the upgrading of 68 stations, increasing daily commuter capacity by approximately 450,000 trips, while Transnet has stabilised freight operations, achieving an 8% increase in volumes, supporting industrial activity and export performance.
In water and sanitation, interventions have been intensified through direct operational support by the
Department of Water and Sanitation, which has deployed technical teams to municipalities experiencing
severe service delivery challenges. These interventions are focused on restoring functionality in wastewater treatment works, repairing pump stations, reducing leakages and strengthening bulk supply systems, while improving operational capacity within municipalities.
The President has established The Presidential Water Task Team to address the critical water challenges and make interventions to ensure collaboratrive governance and oversee infrastructure repairs. During the recent water crisis in Johannesburg, coordinated intervention by national government stabilised the system through a combination of leak repairs, pressure management and improved operational coordination, preventing collapse and restoring supply reliability. In Matjhabeng, the completion of 22 water and sanitation infrastructure projects has improved system performance and reliability, while in Knysna, groundwater integration and wastewater improvements have strengthened resilience and reduced environmental risks.
Nationally, more than 420 boreholes have been drilled or refurbished, 67 water treatment works upgraded, and over 1,200 kilometres of reticulation networks repaired, improving water access for approximately 2.8 million households. In infrastructure financing and delivery, national government has committed R54 billion over three years to repair water and electricity infrastructure in major metros, while 13 major water infrastructure projects are under active implementation, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the uMkhomazi Water Project.
The establishment of the Emfuleni Water and Sanitation Special Purpose Vehicle represents a new institutional model for delivery, linking infrastructure investment with governance reform and operational control, and is already driving progress in the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure.
Municipal finance has been stabilised through the implementation of Eskom debt relief amounting to R55.3 billion for 71 municipalities, with successive tranches already delivered, restoring financial viability and enabling reinvestment into service delivery and infrastructure.
The African National Congress notes the ongoing and constructive interventions undertaken to address the financial and operational challenges facing municipalities in relation to electricity distribution, particularly the growing debt owed to Eskom. Central to this intervention is the Distribution Agency Agreement (DAA), a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Electricity and Energy and Eskom, designed to stabilise municipal electricity systems while restoring revenue collection and service delivery.
Through the DAA, Eskom is empowered to install smart meters, formalise previously illegal or unregistered connections, enhance revenue collection, operate and maintain electricity infrastructure, and crucially, transfer skills through the training and development of municipal employees to ensure long-term sustainability.
The programme is already being implemented in municipalities such as Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality, Emfuleni Local Municipality, and Merafong City Local Municipality, where early signs point to improved operational efficiency, enhanced revenue streams, and more reliable electricity services. Engagements with additional municipalities are ongoing, reflecting a broader commitment to restoring stability, strengthening local government capacity, and ensuring that communities receive consistent and quality basic services.
Governance interventions have resulted in over 180 compliance actions, including Section 139 interventions and administrative stabilisation, while improved audit outcomes in municipalities such as Mbombela, Mamusa and Bela-Bela demonstrate the impact of capable and accountable leadership.
Institutional reform is being advanced through the finalisation of the White Paper on Local Government 2026 and the implementation of a professionalisation framework, supported by the filling of critical vacancies and training programmes that are strengthening capacity within municipalities and ensuring that improvements are sustained over time.
The reconnection of the state with the people remains central to the work of the ANC, with structured
community engagement programmes ensuring that service delivery challenges are addressed directly and that accountability is reinforced. More than 4,500 ward committee meetings have been convened, supported by a national Councillor Performance Review covering over 3,000 councillors, ensuring that public representatives are held accountable for delivery and performance.
Local economic development has been repositioned as a central driver of transformation, with the National LED Summit adopting a binding framework for re-engineering local economies, unlocking more than R18 billion in pipeline investments and supporting over 6,500 small enterprises, strengthening township, rural and industrial economies and advancing inclusive growth.
Communication and accountability have been strengthened through the establishment of the ANC Service Delivery and Corruption Hotline, supported by weekly monitoring systems that track and resolve communityreported issues, ensuring that the state remains responsive and accountable to the people.
As part of social compacting and ensuring our traditional leadership play a critical role in leading and the development of our people at the local level, reforms are made are being made to strengthen their
participation through engagement within their organised formations.
The progress achieved over this period is real, measurable and grounded in the lived experience of
communities, reflecting a state that is increasingly focused on implementation, coordination and outcomes.
At the same time, we are clear that the work ahead requires sustained effort to accelerate delivery, deepen impact and ensure consistency across all municipalities.
The African National Congress remains resolute in its commitment to building a capable, developmental state that delivers services, restores dignity and advances a better life for all, recognising that the unity of the Alliance, the effectiveness of the state and the lived experience of the people are fundamentally interconnected.
Through disciplined governance, coordinated intervention and measurable delivery, the ANC continues to act on its responsibility to the people of South Africa, ensuring that progress is not only achieved, but sustained, deepened and experienced in every community across the country.
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