Book review 15: Saving South Africa, Lessons from the Umngeni Municipality success story Chris Pappas & Sandile Mnikathi 

Local power, national renewal

I have always been fascinated by municipalities, because municipalities are the heartbeat of our communities. Their role goes far beyond collecting rates–they are the closest link between government and people’s everyday lives.  If we are serious about saving South Africa, we must begin at the grassroots level, with municipalities. Saving South Africa, lessons from the Umngeni Municipality success story offers a timely blueprint for how this can be done.

South Africa’s democracy has shifted the way citizens engage with authorities,yet the gap between lived experiences and public participation remains wide. Local governments which are the municipalities mandated by the Constitution to “promote a safe and healthy environment” in the local communities are constrained and interrupted by an array of challenges. 

In reflecting on this book, I want to highlight three of the most pressing: the digital divide, cadre deployment and the lack of public participation. 

Digital divide 

The SA Connect project, “South Africa’s national broadband policy launched in 2013 to bridge the digital divide by providing universal, affordable and high-quality broadband access to all communities and government facilities by 2030”.  Yet there is a significant disparity in access to digital technology and the internet–affecting low-income communities. The digital divide continues to speak to inequalities, inadequate facilities, limited connectivity and the lack of advanced digital infrastructure.   

Poor connectivity prevents many communities from actively participating in the digital community. This exclusion deepens inequality and widens the gap between opportunities and resources. The problem has been worsened by cable theft and the ongoing loadshedding crisis–both of which disrupt municipal capacity to deliver services. The result is a widening gap between those who can connect and those left behind. 

Cadre deployment 

Cadre deployment was established to assign political party members for critical positions in the public sector. The aim of cadre deployment is the political control of the ruling party to ensure that policies are implemented. It is often criticized for poor governance resulting in hiring unqualified officials and politically motivated candidates that fuel corruption due to their insufficient financial management skills. This practice leads to a decline in service delivery. 

The consequences are felt daily by citizens: water shortages, unmaintained roads and unreliable sanitation. Community responses sometimes incite violent protests that lead to infrastructure destruction meant to serve them. In this cycle, the democratic principles of transparency and accountability  are compromised because party loyalty is prioritized over community livelihoods. This raises the question of  who is serving whom?  

The lack of public participation 

South Africa’s democracy was built on the promise of giving voices to the voiceless. Yet, public participation in municipalities remains weak.

Barriers such as limited access to information and awareness, resource constraints, poor governance, social unrest and poor service delivery prevent citizens from engaging meaningfully. Citizens are often not aware of how they can effectively participate in local government.

The lack of trust by the citizens is rooted in the years of unfulfilled  promises. 

Disengaged and disempowered, many citizens remove themselves altogether from participating. For municipalities to rebuild trust, they must foster meaningful partnerships with citizens by improving communication, information sharing,  leveraging on technology and investing in capacity building initiatives–involving citizens in decision-making processes. 

Saving South Africa is more than a municipal case study–it is a call to reimagine local governance as the foundation of change and transformation. It also shows us that municipalities when governed with integrity unlock opportunities and can be the pathways to foster local economic development in South Africa. 

This is a book for all South Africans. It challenges us to look closely within our communities  and to believe that saving South Africa is a collective action at the local level. 

Book 15 in 2025.

A very insightful, powerful and informative read.

Phiwe Mncwabe is pan-African storyteller, blogger and founder of Botlhale Hub Afrika.

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