By Yuri Ramkissoon
In 2023, the Presidency stated that 163 out of 257 municipalities were dysfunctional due to poor governance, ineffective and sometimes corrupt financial and administrative management, and poor service delivery and planning.
This extends to substantive climate issues, where local government does not have the expertise to prioritise and implement climate actions. Likewise, corruption, and importantly state capture, have weakened institutional abilities to respond effectively to climate change and its increasing impacts.
In KwaZulu-Natal, for example, the Auditor-General found that the response to floods in 2022 was too slow, and corruption (through irregular tenders, unfinished contracts and more), and a lack of preparedness and adaptation from previous disasters exacerbated the impacts of a devastating disaster.
As the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), when we released our maiden State of Climate Action Report (Socar) last week, we added to the narrative and brought to light once again, the challenges and deficiencies in our country, key economic sectors and many municipalities, towns, cities, and generally on governance and it relates to addressing the greatest challenge of our time – climate change
Despite strong climate commitments, climate action in South Africa is stymied by governance, resource and capacity issues that impacts the state in general, but local government remains the most challenged
The Socar noted several governance issues that have impacted climate action in the country and acceded that despite well-defined climate policies, issues such as capacity constraints, corruption and structural failures, variable political-will and mixed messaging have hindered the effective implementation of climate policies in South Africa.
Echoing prior findings from other sources, the Socar shows structural and systemic failures within the local government sphere, impacting climate action, worsened by obscurity in the allocation of environmental competencies, with departments working in silos, and poor alignment of policies and programmes.
In his maiden Budget Vote speech Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Velenkosini Hlabisa, reaffirmed what should be the role of our third tier of government, indicating that “Our system of local government was created with the intention of improving co-ordination across the three spheres of government in aid of integrated planning, implementation and monitoring, which underpins the principles of a capable and developmental state”.
The Minister further reaffirmed the human-element to the assertion and stated that, “This mandate, we believe, is the cornerstone that will drive the country to a developmental, efficient and ethical local government that is able to impact the lives of citizens positively.”
The Budget Speech further acknowledged the occurrence and an increase in various types of disaster events across our country, which resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods. It recognised that only with urgent and appropriate interventions, will lives and livelihoods be saved.
Though the speech fell short of making the link between these disasters and climate change, it nevertheless showed a commitment to climate action, agreeing with consensus that recent climate disasters require a shift, which focuses on heightened implementation under the seventh Administration of the Government of National Unity.
Despite the many competencies assigned to local government, including disaster management and many climate functions, the structural and systemic issues highlighted greatly impact this sphere, exacerbated by a shrinking revenue and an outdated funding model, limited agency and more.
Similar to the issue of misalignment between state departments, there is a disjoint between national and local policies and policymaking and implementation – particularly when implementers are required to fund policies that they did not develop – including a lack of consideration of metropolitan local development plans by the national government
The PCC’s report provides several suggestions for improving governance, including at a local level, to improve climate responses. A more robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework could help track the effectiveness of policy implementation and its contribution to achieving climate and just transition goals. In addition, bolstering political will across government tiers and aligning local initiatives with national directives will also help.
Investment in and commitment to a just transition is important to ensure that South Africa’s decarbonisation and adaptation goals are met. Local government must appreciate the circumstances of people who are most vulnerable to climate change and ensure that their needs and aspirations are factored into decision-making guided by the principles of equity and redress, and sustainability.
While practical programmes that support a pathway to a low-carbon, green economy are important, governance structures must be strengthened to enhance the efficacy of all climate responses in South Africa.
As the coal face of service delivery, local government should seize the opportunity presented by the recently assented Climate Change Act, to embrace the function and build its systems and capability to enable it to discharge its responsibility for appropriate climate responses and actions.
Yuri Ramkissoon is a climate and research analyst of the Presidential Climate Commission.
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