Closing remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the first session of the Extended President's Coordinating Council Meeting, Birchwood Hotel, Ekurhuleni

Honourable Ministers, Mayors, colleagues,

Thank you for the frank, serious and constructive spirit that has characterised this engagement.

Our discussions today have reinforced the central point that our water and sanitation crisis is not confined to one municipality, one province or one institution.

It is rooted in long-standing weaknesses in governance, infrastructure maintenance, technical capability and financial discipline.

That is why our response must be integrated, sustained and measurable.

As we conclude this part of the programme, we can agree on three key points:

First, the commitments discussed here must now move into implementation.

Plans must be sharpened and roles clarified. We must honour timelines and be rigorous in reporting.

Second, the principle of cooperative governance must become fully operational.

The three spheres of government must act in concert, guided by the National Water Action Plan, and supported by the mechanisms that are now in place through the National Water Crisis Committee and related structures.

Third, the public must begin to see results.

They must see improved maintenance, stronger operational performance, better wastewater compliance, more credible implementation and clear accountability.

The work ahead is substantial.

But this engagement has demonstrated that there is both clarity on the challenge and a shared recognition that the time for incremental responses has passed.

Let us leave this session with a renewed determination to ensure that every municipality works, that every sphere of government plays its part and that the people of South Africa experience the state through delivery.

The Constitution enjoins us to hold elections every five years. The current term of office of the municipal councils elected on 1 November 2021 expires on 1 November 2026.

Accordingly, the elections for the next term of local government must be held between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027.

I have, therefore, in terms of section 159 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, read together with section 24(1) of the Local Government; Municipal Structures Act, 1998 ("the Municipal Structures Act"), and in consultation with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), have set the date of Wednesday, 04 November 2026 as the date for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

I thank you.