SONA 2026: DA wants Ramaphosa to take harder line against dysfunctional municipalities

With a local government election looming, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to take a harder line against dysfunctional municipalities.

Chief whip George Michalakis believes accounting officers should be held personally liable for wasteful expenditure.

With Ramaphosa due to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night, Michalakis said his party won’t be giving the Government of National Unity (GNU) a free pass just because it forms a part of the coalition.

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Michalakis said despite the green shoots the country has started to show under a GNU, there’s still much work that needs to be done, particularly at local government level.

He said his party has not taken its foot off the pedal in pointing out where government is failing the people.

Michalakis said it’s unacceptable that a major metropolis like Johannesburg is facing a water crisis.

“It has economic repercussions for the country. We can’t say we win on a, b, c and d on the economy, but municipalities are failing to such an extent that all the good work that is being done in the GNU is then compromised by local municipalities that just fail to get the basics right.”

He said municipalities must be compelled to ringfence revenue generated from the sale of water and electricity, to ensure the money is used only for the provision of these services.

Michalakis said his party will also continue to push for policing powers to be devolved to municipal level to bolster the fight against crime.