Service Delivery Challenges under a Coalition Government: A South African Reflection

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22689965

Sihle Edmund Mpanza and Mashupye Herbert Maserumule (Faculty of Humanities in Office of the Executive Dean, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), South Africa)

The article focuses on South Africa’s coalition government and service delivery, as well as the opportunities and difficulties facing municipal government. The 2016 local government election was a watershed moment that drastically changed the political and local government environment in South Africa. Since then, party alliances have led additional local government councils in South Africa, primarily metropolitan councils, the majority of which have fallen. Coalitions should be based on contractual agreements that define how the coalition will abide by and how conflicts will be resolved. Local governments must strengthen the separation between politics and administration in municipalities, and local governments and political parties must strengthen ethical cultures and encourage values that promote policy-seeking political rather than vote or office- seeking agendas. The focus of this paper is to explain the intricacies of South African local government coalition governance. In order to maintain continuity and stability, the study’s conclusions advise coalition partners to sign coalition agreements.