SALGA Constitution
The SALGA Constitution is the foundation of the organisation. It defines its mandate to represent, promote, and protect the interests of local government, ensuring that municipalities across South Africa have a unified voice.
At its core, the SALGA Constitution sets out principles of ethical leadership, accountability, and effective service delivery. It guides how SALGA operates, from decisionmaking and resource allocation to building capacity and supporting transformation in municipalities. By establishing clear responsibilities and governance processes, it strengthens developmental local government and helps municipalities respond to the needs of communities.
Following deliberation at SALGA's National Conference on the 3rd of March 2022, SALGA's constitution was amended to give effect to its impetus towards a unitary structure.
One of the most significant amendments to the Constitution was the inclusion of the provision that SALGA would have the following categories of membership:
- Municipalities established in terms of the Structures Act
- Provincial associations
- Associate members
This marked a significant change from SALGA being recognized for representing the majority of provincial local government associations. It also provided for associate members—organisations strongly involved in local government matters and complying with criteria set by SALGA’s National Executive Committee.
Membership of the association is voluntary. SALGA accounts to its members in terms of the SALGA Constitution (as amended in 2016) and its Governance Framework regulating its structures and mandating processes. The organisation has a National Executive Committee comprised of elected councillors (primarily mayors and office bearers in municipalities) that is responsible for the affairs of the organisation between National Conferences and Members’ Assemblies, which are the highest and second highest decision making bodies of the association respectively.
Its administration is headed by a Chief Executive Officer.
SALGA is listed as a Schedule 3A public entity and is therefore accountable for its revenue and expenditure in terms of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999. It is called to account to Parliament annually on its performance and expenditure as a consequence of its listing in terms of this Act. South African Local Government Association is an autonomous association of all 257 South African local governments, comprising of a national association, with one national office and nine provincial offices.
