The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) in the Greater Pretoria region has made a comprehensive submission to national government as part of the process of reviewing the White Paper on Local Government.
The deadline for public submissions on the White Paper is 30 June 2025.
In its submission, the party calls for a modernised local government model that prioritises enforceable service delivery, fiscal discipline and public accountability.
In the Freedom Front Plus’s view, the time is ripe to professionalise and decentralise local government. Communities deserve results, not rhetoric. The proposed reforms aim to restore control, oversight and service delivery to residents.
Key proposals in the submission include:
• Ward-based budgets: Make statutory allocations based on poverty levels and infrastructure costs.
• Infrastructure maintenance: Municipalities should, as part of a mandatory ward maintenance plan, allocate at least 8% of their asset value to repairs and maintenance within each ward annually.
• Decentralised sub-councils: Establish sub-councils in metropolitan areas to ensure faster and more accountable service delivery to communities.
• Procurement reform: ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certification for capital projects, reverse auctions and tender processes that balance Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) with cost-effectiveness.
• Performance-based remuneration: 30% of senior municipal managers’ compensation should be tied to independently verified performance outcomes.
• Public-private partnerships: Co-funded local projects supported by a reform-friendly legal framework.
The submission also emphasises the importance of digital tools enabling participation, weather-resistant infrastructure and restoring public trust through reliable service delivery.
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