Assessing the Current State of Leadership in Local Government in South Africa

Dr Vuyiwe Tsako discusses the prevalent issue of broken or diminished relationships in local government. With over 20 years of experience, she highlights that once leaders enter the system, there is no sense of safety, comfort, or devotion between political leaders, councilors, and the community.

Instead, leaders face high expectations, and trust and accountability are often absent during deployment, leading to a deterioration of relationships. Moreover, she outlines the complexities of maintaining relationships before, during, and after deployment, as previously held relationships can create confusion, but the local government environment can drastically change these dynamics.

Overall, Dr Tsako emphasizes that this is a common issue in South African local government.