South African municipalities are in dire straits. Our municipalities are failing us. Many have failed and many more will follow suit. The rot within our municipalities is spreading.

The most obvious reason is the glaring incompetence of municipal councilors. Our councilors are woefully unqualified for the complex task at hand. SALGA’s findings are damning: only a third have post-matric qualifications, and another third have only a matric.

How did we get here? Our constitution and cadre deployment system are the root causes of this crisis. This means many councilors, including the mayor, are political appointees chosen for loyalty, not competence. Political connections trump qualifications in our municipalities.

This is the opposite of what happens for example in the United States, where in elections for local office competence is paramount, not party loyalty. In the USA, the system is a proven success, while ours is a recipe for disaster.

What can South African voters do? Demand action from your elected representatives. Don’t tolerate incompetence. Force change by insisting on the removal of underperforming councilors through the party’s structures.

To lead this charge, local party branches are needed that truly represent the community and advocate for its needs.