Ekurhuleni:President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to launch the Cabinet-approved Revised White Paper on Local Government (WPLG), 2026, this Thursday. The initiative seeks to address ongoing issues in municipal governance, financial management, institutional capacity, and service delivery.

According to South African Government News Agency, the launch will occur at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, under the theme 'Every Municipality Must Work From Policy to Collective Action.' The Revised White Paper builds on national dialogue, including the 2022 Presidential Local Government Summit resolutions and stakeholder consultations, aiming to reform the local government system.

The policy framework acknowledges different capacities and challenges faced by metropolitan, secondary-city, rural, and small-town municipalities. The event follows President Ramaphosa's pledge in the 2026 State of the Nation Address to finalize a revised White Paper for reimagining the local government system and addressing its structural and operational challenges.

Additionally, the launch will introduce the Implementation Plan and Transition Management Body, facilitating the transition from policy development to implementation. A Research Compendium will accompany the White Paper, consolidating the research that informed the policy review.

Expected to attend the event are political and administrative leaders from all 257 municipalities, national and provincial government representatives, Parliament, oversight institutions, as well as leaders from organized local government, traditional and Khoi-San communities, organized labor, business, civil society, academia, and development partners. The engagement aims to strengthen stakeholder ownership of the revised policy and reinforce a shared responsibility among government and society in building capable, accountable, and developmental municipalities that deliver reliable services and respond to community needs.