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President Cyril Ramaphosa says progress made in stabilising the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal demonstrates how coordinated leadership and partnerships can help struggling municipalities recover. 

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, the President said the metro’s recovery shows that collaboration between government, business, labour and civil society can restore service delivery and rebuild investor confidence. 

The President recently met stakeholders of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group, a multi-sector initiative established in 2024 after residents and businesses raised concerns about deteriorating services and infrastructure in the city. 

READ | President Ramaphosa lauds eThekwini for early recovery

“At the time, the metro was beset by service delivery failures, deteriorating infrastructure and sliding business and investor confidence. 

“Two years later, the interventions undertaken to tackle poor service delivery and failing infrastructure are driving an effective sustained recovery in the metro,” the President said on Monday.

In addition, he added that the Durban Business Confidence Index has reached its highest level since its inception. Confidence in the manufacturing sector has also increased by nearly 16% quarter-on-quarter, reflecting renewed optimism in a city that hosts one of the country’s largest ports and a strong industrial base. 

Tourism has also rebounded, with more than 1.2 million visitors travelling to the metro during the recent festive season.
Infrastructure projects are underway, and improvements are being recorded in safety and security coordination across the city.

However, the President cautioned that stabilisation does not mean the metro’s challenges have been fully resolved.  

“While stabilisation is not the same as a complete turnaround and the metro still faces significant challenges, the experience of eThekwini offers a viable model for coordination and partnership that can be replicated in other metros and municipalities to enable them to recover,” he said.

The working group approach, he explained, draws on the principles of the District Development Model, which aims to improve service delivery through collaboration across national, provincial and local government.

The model also promotes partnerships with the private sector and civil society to accelerate local government turnaround strategies.

As part of these efforts, the eThekwini metro last year approved a Partnerships Framework to strengthen public-private cooperation, particularly in infrastructure and catalytic development projects. 

President Ramaphosa said business participation in local government reform is important because improved service delivery strengthens the economic environment in which companies operate.

Drawing on lessons from eThekwini, government has also established the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group to address governance, infrastructure, service delivery, safety and urban renewal challenges in the country’s economic hub.

Financial instability

Despite these initiatives, the President acknowledged that financial instability remains a major challenge for many municipalities.

He noted that around two-thirds of municipalities are in financial distress, often due to weak revenue management and rising debt levels.

“Without stronger revenue management and financial discipline, service delivery challenges will persist and backlogs will only worsen. 

“The revenues collected from service provision are meant to be reinvested into maintaining and upgrading infrastructure to improve service delivery. However, in far too many instances these resources are redirected to cover other costs,” he said. 

To address these challenges, government has allocated R27.7 billion over the next three years to support reforms in municipal water, sanitation, electricity and waste management services.

Reforms 

Government is also reviewing the White Paper on Local Government, which could lead to major reforms, including changes to municipal powers and responsibilities, improved appointment processes for senior officials and stronger cooperation with traditional leadership institutions.

President Ramaphosa said improvements in eThekwini form part of a broader programme of reforms aimed at boosting economic growth and improving business confidence. 

“These reforms in the energy, water, telecommunications and logistics sectors are already making an impact on the efficiency and competitiveness of our economy,” he said.

With local government elections approaching, the President called on all stakeholders to work together – not to campaign for the ballot box, but to strengthen municipalities and restore the promise of local government to uphold the dignity and improve the life of every citizen. 

“When local government fails, the impact is felt by communities, businesses and households. When local government works well, villages, towns and cities become engines of opportunity and growth,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has confirmed that his department has issued a notice instructing a Western Cape High Court Judge to vacate a State-owned property in Cape Town by April 15.

This is after receiving communication from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development confirming that he does not qualify for the benefit.

The notice instructs that the property be vacated within the stipulated period and restored to its original condition, so that the department can reallocate it in accordance with the policies governing the use of State residences for members of the judiciary.

Macpherson said the department takes its responsibility seriously to ensure that public assets are managed properly and used for the public good.

“The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has a duty to safeguard public property and ensure that it is used strictly in line with the applicable legal and policy frameworks.

“Once the department received confirmation from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development that the occupant no longer qualifies for the benefit, it became necessary to issue the notice to vacate,” Macpherson said.

The Minister aid the department will continue to take the necessary action, including legal action, where public property is unlawfully occupied or used outside the applicable rules.

“Public assets exist to serve the people of South Africa and cannot be treated as private benefits. 

“As we work to restore proper management across the State’s property portfolio, the department will continue to act wherever necessary to prevent the misuse or unlawful occupation of State property,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi will on Monday officially open the 24th National School of Government Public Sector Trainers’ Forum (PSTF) Conference at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Gauteng.

Hosted by the National School of Government (NSG), the two-day conference brings together learning and development practitioners from across the public sector to reimagine how public servants are trained and equipped to deliver on South Africa’s national priorities.

Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration Pinky Kekana will address delegates during the conference gala dinner later in the evening. The conference concludes on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

Strengthening skills for a changing world

Held under the theme: ‘Building Public Sector Capacity for Economic Growth, Digital Transformation, and Ethical Governance’, the conference seeks to reshape public sector education to ensure it has maximum impact.

In a rapidly changing global environment, organisers say the need for a skilled, ethical and adaptable public service has become more important than ever.

The 2026 PSTF Conference will serve as a key platform to critically examine public sector curricula to ensure they adequately equip public officials to respond to modern governance challenges and deliver effectively on national priorities.

“There is a growing recognition that our current teaching and learning practices must evolve to better prepare public servants for the complexities of modern governance,” said the Acting Principal of the NSG, Phindile Mkwanazi.

“This conference is a call to action for curriculum designers, training facilitators, and policymakers to co-create strategies that translate learning into tangible service delivery improvements.”

Platform for dialogue and collaboration

The conference is expected to facilitate robust peer learning and networking among practitioners responsible for building skills within the public sector.

Delegates will participate in expert keynote addresses from both local and international speakers, as well as critical dialogues on curriculum reform and interactive panel discussions.

Organisers say the engagements will provide a space for practitioners to exchange ideas and explore new approaches to public sector education and training.

Focus on five priority themes

Discussions at the conference will centre on five core sub-themes aimed at strengthening the capability of the public sector.

These include strengthening the curriculum to support a capable, ethical and developmental state; leveraging digital innovation and transformation in government learning and operations; and modernising methodologies for authentic public participation through data literacy and artificial intelligence.

Other themes include designing curricula with stronger workplace integration to ensure training translates into action, as well as preparing for the future of work by embedding competencies related to artificial intelligence, automation and cybersecurity.

A growing platform for public sector training

Over the years, the PSTF has grown into a premier networking platform for more than 1 000 training practitioners across the public sector.

Its strategic objective is to position Human Resource Development as a key enabler of government’s broader development agenda.

The forum’s governance includes the National School of Government, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), all provincial Offices of the Premiers, and key Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive approach to public sector education.

The 24th annual conference also invites human resource development practitioners, facilitators, instructional designers, policy analysts and digital transformation specialists to take part in what organisers describe as a critical national dialogue on strengthening the capability of the public service. – SAnews.gov.za

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