South Africa is heading towards the 2026 local government elections amid a governance crisis as hundreds of elected councillors entrusted with municipal budgets cannot read or write proficiently.
A department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) skills audit revealed in 2023 that more than 300 KwaZulu-Natal councillors were illiterate, raising questions about how they managed multimillion-rand budgets and projects.
Cogta minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has since called for education requirements for public representatives to be revisited, warning that illiteracy undermines oversight and accountability.
A PhD study by Nonhlanhla Ngcobo, a lecturer in the faculty of law at North-West University (NWU), has added depth and urgency to the debate, revealing councillor illiteracy as a wider national governance crisis.
Ngcobo’s thesis, “The duty of municipal councillors to realise section 24 of the constitution”, investigated whether they had the capacity in terms of literacy, legal knowledge and policy understanding to fulfil their constitutional obligation to ensure a safe and healthy environment.
The study limited its inquiry to councillors in six municipalities: the eThekwini and City of Tshwane metropolitan municipalities; the Sedibeng and Bojanala Platinum district municipalities; and the Emfuleni and Rustenburg local municipalities. Seven councillors from each were interviewed.
“I was focusing on councillors’ duties in realising environmental rights,” said Ngcobo. “But as I conducted interviews, it became clear that many councillors didn’t even understand their constitutional responsibilities. That’s where the literacy issue emerged.”
Some councillors struggled to read and interpret policy documents, budgets and municipal reports, she said.
“When you’re sitting in a meeting discussing budgets, those numbers aren’t spoken; they’re written. How are councillors voting on budgets they can’t even read?
“If I cannot read, I can easily be misled or lied to. And how do you oppose something if you can’t even read what’s written about it?”
The study linked illiteracy to weak service delivery and financial mismanagement. Councillors play a key role in approving integrated development plans (IDPs), key documents that outline municipal service delivery priorities and budgets.
“Councillors have power,” said Ngcobo. “They might not handle the money directly, but they vote on the plans and budgets that determine how municipalities function. Without their informed oversight, nothing happens — no water, no electricity, no waste collection.”
Prof Susan Booysen from the Wits School of Governance said, “So much of government, even at local level, depends on reading, scrutinising and understanding written documents. Councillors deal with budgets, policy documents, correspondence from constituents, and even written media. You cannot do that properly without literacy.”
She said illiterate councillors risked becoming “seat warmers” who obeyed party leaders instead of exercising independent judgment. “It hollows out democracy, because representation becomes symbolic rather than meaningful.”
But there is room for improvement. “We recognise the legacy of poor education, but there are adult literacy programmes available. It’s not elitist, it’s about being able to serve your community responsibly.”
Booysen urged council leaders and political parties to provide tutoring and training where required. “They can mentor councillors, guide them on interpreting documents, and make sure they aren’t thrown in at the deep end.”
Ngcobo believes introducing a minimum education requirement of at least a matric would improve things. “We’re not saying do away with community leadership, we’re saying add to it. If a councillor has community trust and basic education, they are less likely to be manipulated and [will be] better equipped to serve the people.”
Ngcobo said some political parties ran leadership academies for future councillors, but this was not mandatory. “If the government creates a framework for what kind of councillors we need, parties will have to comply.”
She said voters “should be asking candidates, ‘Do you actually understand what your party promises, and how you will make it happen?’”
“Each councillor represents the people,” said Ngcobo. “Whether it’s 300 or 3,000, the fact that we have councillors who cannot read or write is a national crisis.”
Local government credibility was at stake. “For democracy to work, representatives must be able to access and understand information. Otherwise they are not representing their people; they are simply filling the seats.”
Mcebisi Ndletyana, professor of political studies at the University of Johannesburg, reflected on historical criteria for nominations within the ANC.
“The ANC’s selection process was never based on education. The opposite was true for parties like the DA. It became common for [ANC] councillors to come into meetings without having opened or read the reports.”
Ndletyana said some officials were corrupt or complicit. “When councillors don’t read … budgets increase without explanation. Councillors who haven’t read can’t question why.”
Asked what this said about the electorate, he replied, “It suggests that voters haven’t taken qualifications or competency seriously. People often vote based on loyalty or popularity rather than capability.”
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) cautioned that Ngcobo’s research was based on a fraction of the 9,473 councillors elected in 2021. A sample of about 4,000 councillor profiles showed that more than 46.6% had grade 12 and 31.1% had post-matric qualifications.
Salga said it provided practical training, mentorship and access to simplified policy tools to help councillors perform their duties effectively, regardless of educational background.
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