DCoG, National Treasury and SALGA Issue Guidelines for New Municipal Councils After 2026 Elections
- The IEC is set to announce the final 2026 Local Government Elections results on Sunday, 8 November, triggering a formal transition to new municipal councils
- DCoG, National Treasury and SALGA signed joint guidelines on 30 September 2026 to steer municipalities through the post-election handover process
- The guidelines address coalition negotiations, financial accountability, and service delivery continuity as incoming councillors prepare to take office
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG), National Treasury, and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) have issued a joint framework to guide the country's municipalities through the post-election transition following the 2026 Local Government Elections.
With the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) expected to declare final results on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the three institutions have outlined governance, financial, and administrative responsibilities for incoming councils. The guidelines were formally signed on 30 September 2026.
New councils must convene within 14 days
Under Section 29(2) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act of 1998, municipal managers are required to convene the first council meeting within 14 days of the election results being declared. For district municipalities, the same 14-day window applies but begins once all local council appointees have been confirmed.
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The inaugural meeting will cover the election of Speakers, mayors, executive mayors, and deputy mayors. Coalition arrangements may be agreed between parties ahead of this, though the guidelines are explicit that no coalition agreement may override the Constitution, the Municipal Structures Act, the Municipal Systems Act, or the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). Municipal officials must remain strictly impartial throughout any coalition negotiations, and municipal resources, including vehicles, facilities, and funding, cannot be used for political party activities.
Following the 2021 Local Government Elections, 76 municipalities were governed by coalitions, underscoring the significance of political stability arrangements in the current transition.
Handover reports and financial oversight
Outgoing and incoming administrations will be required to produce two separate handover reports before the first council meeting. A political handover report, led by the Speaker and Mayor, must account for the outgoing term's governance record. A second administrative report, compiled by the municipal manager, Chief Financial Officer, and senior management, must detail the municipality's finances, audit outcomes for the past three financial years, infrastructure projects, and service delivery backlogs.
The guidelines state: "Municipalities with unfunded budgets, adverse audit outcomes or persistent financial challenges may be subjected to interventions and funding-related measures in terms of applicable legislation. Municipalities must prioritise the payment of creditors, including Eskom and Water Boards, to avoid service disruptions and financial instability."
Fraud, corruption, and maladministration must be reported to the relevant authorities without delay, the three institutions stressed.
Induction programme and ward committees
SALGA will develop an Integrated Councillor Induction Programme in collaboration with DCoG, National Treasury, and the National School of Government, covering governance principles, financial management, and councillor responsibilities. Local and metropolitan municipalities have 120 days after the first council meetings to establish ward committees, which serve as a direct link between communities and their councils.
The District Development Model, adopted by Cabinet in 2019 and covering 44 district and eight metropolitan municipalities, will continue to coordinate planning and budgeting across the three spheres of government through its "One District, One Plan, One Budget" approach.
More on the 2026 local government elections
- Briefly News recently reported on Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma’s criticism of President Cyril Ramaphosa after the ANC’s vote share plummeted, with the DA projecting over one million Black votes.
- A viral TikTok showed Diepsloot streets being cleaned, with residents crediting DA mayoral candidate “Gogo Zille” while South Africans debated whether it was genuine or political.
- A South African man allegedly removed a transformer from a township after losing the local elections, and police detained individuals at the scene.
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Source: Briefly News
