Pretoria: Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called on South Africa's middle class, professionals, and business community to play a more active role in strengthening local government accountability and service delivery. Simelane emphasized that an 'activist middle class' should leverage their education, professional capabilities, networks, and institutional access to ensure government accountability without replacing the State.
According to South African Government News Agency, Simelane expressed her views during The Platform on Thursday, a weekly webinar series, where she discussed the role of an activist middle class in improving local government functions. She clarified that this activism should not be misconstrued as party-political mobilization or perpetual outrage on social media. Instead, she described activist citizens as informed, organized, lawful, evidence-based, and persistent in their approach.
Simelane elaborated on the importance of citizens utilizing their resources to serve the broader democratic good, insisting that the State fulfills its duties, contributing practical capabilities when needed, modeling ethical conduct, and creating inclusive spaces for community participation. She outlined five key roles for the middle class, starting with sustained democratic oversight.
The minister urged citizens to engage with municipal plans, budgets, and performance reports, participate in decision-making processes, use lawful channels to provide feedback, and consistently follow up on government commitments. Simelane emphasized that collective and specific activism is most effective in achieving change.
Simelane also stressed the importance of paying for municipal services, supporting protections for indigent households, complying with regulations, safeguarding public facilities, and responsibly reporting failures. She encouraged professionals to offer their expertise to communities and public institutions, enhancing understanding and improving public proposals.
Furthermore, Simelane called for stronger ethical business practices within the human settlements sector, urging businesses to reject unethical practices and prioritize quality work, timely payments, and local supply chain investments. She highlighted the need for public-private partnerships to ensure shared risk, transparent value, and public benefit.
The minister also focused on the inclusion of women, youth, and marginalized groups in economic opportunities, noting that 40 percent of annual procurement spend is targeted for women-owned businesses across her department's entities. Simelane stressed that these targets should be assessed by evaluating women's abilities to finance delivery, build track records, and progress into leadership roles.
Lastly, Simelane emphasized that the government must publish realistic priorities, improve project preparation, provide clear feedback, and address failure and corruption. She called on stakeholders to address specific local problems, define verifiable results, and clarify contributions from the State, business, professions, and communities within a lawful and defined timeframe.