Nominated councillors’ P50m expenditure justifiable - Motshegwa
Itumeleng Suping | Monday November 24, 2025 06:00
Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, had stated that so far P50 million has been spent on 157 nominated councillors across 61 constituencies and 31 district and town councils. In response to a question in Parliament this week, he revealed the councillors were appointed through the Local Government Act No. 18 of 2012, section 13(1).
The said section provides for nominated councillors in the constitution of councils (Local Authorities), he stated.
Motshegwa said the implication therefore, is that for a council to be truly and legally constituted, it must have been elected and specially nominated, and by subsequent order, published in the Gazette.
The Minister was responding to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) for Bobirwa, Taolo Lucas, who had asked whether Motshegwa Ministry was amenable to a review of the nomination dispensation for councillors.
“The current and sitting nominated councillors have to run their respective full terms of council candidature, i.e, from November 2024 through October 2029. An observation still stands that in some Local Authorities, acute skills gaps exist, especially amongst those councillors who would have been elected,” the Minister said.
He added Mhe ministry will take into consideration the issue of relevance of the specially elected or nominated councillors constituting councils during the review of the Local Government Act, 2012.
Meanwhile, Lucas had also sought clarity on whether the spending was justifiable given the country’s economic challenges.
His question highlighted growing concern amongst some policymakers and members of the public regarding the sustainability of current government expenditure.
The exchange between Lucas and the Motshegwa highlights a growing national conversation regarding public spending, governance efficiency and the structure of local representation.
While the Minister defended the current system’s rationale, particularly the need to address skills deficits, he also acknowledged that review of a nomination process may be necessary.