Nonprofit organisation the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (Imesa) has warned that if engineers are not involved in writing the updated White Paper on Local Government, the objective of universal municipal performance in South Africa will not be possible.

Imesa president Geoff Tooley says that, in providing comprehensive input for the White Paper review, the institute raised concerns about the composition of the writing teams.

“More specifically, we have asked about the number of municipal engineers involved. To date, we haven’t received a response,” he reports.

“This is concerning because it would be pointless for engineering bodies to submit proposed action items and not have engineers represented in interpreting and compiling the final White Paper revisions, he adds.

“The potential risk, if that is the case, is that the document could become more weighted in terms of legal and financial elements and not deal effectively with the engineering aspects that are fundamental to the local government turnaround strategy.

“Our appeal as Imesa is that we don’t miss this vital last step, because without sustained and equal engineering participation, the objective of universal municipal performance will not be possible,” Tooley posits.

He informs that at the recent eighty-eighth Imesa Annual Conference, the consensus from delegates was that municipal engineers must regain their place as joint decision-makers in infrastructure processes.

This event saw more than 700 engineers and municipal officials convene to learn, share knowledge and network.

“In the past, this viewpoint has not always been shared by municipal officials and politicians. The result has been a growing disconnect between engineering and political objectives, which has led to widespread service delivery shortfalls and growing community unrest,” Tooley says.

“Revisions to the current 1998 Local Government White Paper will go a long way in correcting this gap, with our conference panel debate on the topic exposing the pain points and highlighting some of the solutions,” he adds.

Tooley highlights that the original White Paper was meant to be transformative in post-apartheid South Africa.

Its key goals included establishing a new system of strong, accountable local government focused on socioeconomic development.

Citizens were also recognised as having the democratic right to truly participate in joint decision-making on matters effecting their lives and livelihoods, he explains.

“Nothing changes here in terms of the original objectives. However, the stark reality is that the initial goals didn’t materialise as planned. So, that’s the key difference in the new White Paper revisions.

“They set out to tackle the systemic failures and performance challenges since 1994 that have intermittently derailed the intended outcomes of the first White Paper,” Tooley avers.

Imesa anticipates a collated draft of all the findings to be produced by the designated writing teams for final public comment.

“After that, in March 2026, the ultimate document will be submitted to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as the custodian of the process, for actioning.

“But right now, however, we do not know whether the writing teams include vital representation from the engineering profession, and that is worrying,” Tooley concludes.