‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here?

The document examines the tensions between political leadership and administrative officials in South African municipalities, highlighting how the abuse of appointment processes has facilitated state capture and patronage networks. It analyses recent legislative changes, specifically the 2022 Municipal Systems Amendment Act, and proposes further reforms to introduce independent checks and balances in the appointment of senior officials to ensure a professional, impartial bureaucracy.

• Tensions in the political-administrative interface often manifest as inappropriate political interference in operational matters, particularly public procurement, and the use of appointment and dismissal processes to build patronage networks.
• The lack of independent checks and balances in the appointment of municipal managers allows political criteria to influence hiring, despite formal prohibitions, which can lead to the politicisation of personnel practices throughout the administration.
• The 2022 Municipal Systems Amendment Act prohibits all municipal employees from holding positions in political parties, requiring those who do to either resign from their employment or their political office within one year.
• The 2022 Municipal Systems Amendment Act mandates that 'Section 56 managers' be made permanent employees, moving away from contracts linked to political terms to potentially increase senior management stability.
• Current appointment processes for municipal managers remain heavily discretionary, as selection committees are chaired by the mayor and composed of municipal councillors without independent oversight.
• To improve the interface, the authors propose introducing independent bodies—such as the Public Service Commission (PSC) or professional associations—into the selection process, while allowing the municipal council to retain the final appointment decision.
• The transition to permanent senior management may inadvertently 'lock in' political allies and patronage networks, necessitating more robust performance management and disciplinary systems.

APA

Meny-Gibert, S., & Brunette, R. (2023). ‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here? Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231120_StateReformLocGovPolicyBrief_OSF.pdf

Chicago

Meny-Gibert, S., and R. Brunette. ‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here? Public Affairs Research Institute, 2023. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231120_StateReformLocGovPolicyBrief_OSF.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meny-Gibert |first1=S. |last2=Brunette |first2=R. |title=‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here? |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=November 2023 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231120_StateReformLocGovPolicyBrief_OSF.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{menygibert2023stabilising, author = {Meny-Gibert, S. and Brunette, R.}, title = {{‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here?}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231120_StateReformLocGovPolicyBrief_OSF.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }