South Africa cannot sustainably restore its trade markets, investments and economic growth if the country’s local government is not restored first.
Municipalities ought to drive the economy, not hold it back.
Gauteng, in particular, being the economic heartbeat of South Africa, cannot realise its full economic potential while municipalities struggle to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, roads, sanitation and refuse removal.
For businesses, poor local government is not merely an administrative problem – it results in actual economic losses.
Water outages halt production, crumbling roads increase logistical costs, poor waste management affects industrial areas and municipal mismanagement undermines investor confidence.
The result is less production, less investment, fewer job opportunities and, ultimately, a smaller tax base that must, in turn, finance municipal services. This forms a vicious cycle of economic and municipal decline.
Simply allocating larger amounts to municipalities is not the answer. Funds without accountability will not restore a broken system.
Municipalities should go back to the basic principles of competent governance, financial discipline, effective revenue collection, transparent procurement, regular infrastructure maintenance, and consequences for mismanagement and non-performance.
There should also be greater scope for private-sector participation where municipalities lack capacity.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) believes that the local government election on 4 November 2026 is about far more than just service delivery. It is about economic recovery.
We need municipalities that enable businesses to grow, attract investors and create jobs – not municipalities that hinder economic growth.
Restoring local government will serve as the foundation for restoring the South African economy.
The Freedom Front Plus will play a stabilising role in bringing this about, employing its unique value system to get South Africa’s local government and economy back on the right track.
