Velenkosini Hlabisa Calls for Change With Municipal Hiring Practices, SA Agrees With CoGTA Minister

• Velenkosini Hlabisa has called for the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, saying it didn’t reflect the modern realities of local government
• The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is calling for a law to prevent unqualified appointments at local municipalities
• Some South Africans agreed with the minister's statement, but others argued that it wasn't about qualifications, but rather attitude and experience

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG - Velenkosi Hlabisa believes that there needs to be a change when it comes to how municipalities hire officials.

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs was weighing in on some of the concerns affecting municipalities during a dialogue with political parties in Midrand on Monday, 24 June 2025.

Minister calls for update of the White Paper of 1998

During the dialogue, Hlabisa called for an update of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, saying that it didn’t reflect the modern realities of local government.

The document aimed to establish a framework for local government in South Africa. It outlines the crucial role of municipalities in providing essential services like water, sanitation, and electricity, and in ensuring a safe and healthy environment for residents.

“There is a need for the review of the White Paper of 1998 because it is 27 years old. Firstly, it does not address the issue of fighting for democracy,” Hlabisa said.

CoGTA Minister wants law to prevent unqualified appointments

Hlabisa also weighed in on calls for more professionalism in senior management, saying that the updated White Paper needed to clearly outline expectations for managers. He also said that there needed to be a recruitment process conducted through professional standards, which would ensure that municipalities only employed competent people.

The minister stated that there were capable South Africans who were better suited for the job, but it was occasionally unqualified individuals who were appointed to the speaker, deputy mayor, and mayor positions.

There have been numerous cases of people being appointed to positions despite their lack of qualifications or checkered past. In December 2024, former Transport Minister Dipou Peters was elected the new Speaker of the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality. Peters was previously involved in State Capture, and her appointment raised questions.

The Public Protector also found cases of illegal hiring processes conducted at the Bushbuckridge Municipality in Mpumalanga in April 2025. Many people who were hired were found to have no qualifications for the posts.

South Africans share thoughts on the minister’s statement

Social media users weighed in on Hlabisa’s thoughts, with some agreeing with him, while others expressed their reservations.

@Sthamber said:

“It is absolutely correct. South Africa will only go forward when the leaders are chosen through merit, not race or political connections. It is hard to achieve that, though.”

@MLANDO60870174 added:

“It's like Hlabisa. He is a qualified minister.”

@wgodfrey32 noted:

“Unqualified white leaders were running those municipalities perfectly. It's the attitude you should deal with.

@62Lulamamavuso1 agreed:

“We want to build our municipalities with people who are fully experienced in the work.”

@ShakerShabalala added:

“Qualifications are useless sometimes. Experience is what's important.”

@NoxManGP suggested:

“The law must stop provinces from being led by people who didn't even win 20% of the vote.”

@kwanelenala6 stated:

“Political parties should stop deploying unqualified leaders.”

@degavmon1 said:

“You'd think common sense would prevail. But no, it actually needs a law.”

Free State municipality hires 71 people for 43 jobs

Briefly News reported that the struggling Nketoana Municipality was in the spotlight after cases of irregular appointments were uncovered.

The Chief Financial Officer of the Free State municipality found in one instance that 71 people were hired for 43 advertised positions.

South Africans shared mixed reactions to the news, with some joking that the municipality was fighting unemployment.

Source: Briefly News