Democratic Alliance (DA)

Written by Luyanda Seluleko Mhlongo 

Published on 2 October 2026

Who is the party?

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a South African political party that describes itself as a liberal political party. Its policies focus on accountable government, economic growth, job creation, service delivery and the protection of individual rights. For local government, the DA places particular emphasis on effective municipalities, reliable basic services, financial management and creating conditions for local businesses to grow.

What is the DA promising for local government?

The DA's local-government programme focuses on reliable basic services, clean and accountable government, economic growth, jobs, infrastructure, electricity, water and safer communities. The party presents local government as an important level of government for providing services and creating an environment in which residents and businesses can participate in the local economy.

Water and sanitation

The DA identifies reliable water and sanitation as key municipal responsibilities. Its local-government policies emphasise maintaining infrastructure, reducing water losses and improving the management of municipal water systems. The party also supports investment in infrastructure and stronger municipal management to improve service delivery.

What this could mean for residents: 

For residents, these proposals are intended to improve the reliability of water services and reduce problems caused by damaged or poorly maintained infrastructure. Better management of water systems could also reduce the amount of treated water lost through leaks.

The actual outcome would depend on the municipality's infrastructure, budget and ability to carry out the proposed work.

Electricity and energy

The DA has made reliable electricity supply and energy security important parts of its economic and local-government policies. The party supports increasing competition and private investment in electricity generation and allowing municipalities that meet the necessary requirements to obtain electricity directly from independent producers.

The party also supports greater use of alternative energy sources and reducing dependence on a single electricity provider.

What this could mean for residents:
 

The proposal is intended to give municipalities more options for obtaining electricity and to improve the reliability of supply. For residents, this could mean that municipalities have additional sources of electricity available to them.

However, electricity generation and the national electricity system involve responsibilities beyond municipalities. A municipality's ability to procure electricity independently also depends on the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to it.

Jobs and local economic development

Job creation is a major part of the DA's economic policy. The party argues that municipalities can contribute to employment by creating an environment where businesses can operate, invest and expand.

The DA proposes reducing unnecessary regulations and making it easier for businesses to start and operate. It also supports infrastructure investment and local economic development as ways of encouraging economic activity.

What this could mean for residents: 

For residents, the proposal is aimed at making it easier for businesses to operate and create employment. This could include reducing delays in municipal processes and improving infrastructure needed by businesses.

Municipalities cannot create all employment themselves. Their role is mainly to support local economic development and create conditions that allow economic activity to take place.

Infrastructure and roads

The DA places emphasis on maintaining municipal infrastructure rather than allowing infrastructure to deteriorate. This includes roads, water systems, electricity networks and other municipal facilities.

The party has also argued that municipalities need long-term infrastructure plans and budgets that allow them to maintain existing infrastructure rather than only responding when infrastructure fails.

What this could mean for residents:

For residents, better infrastructure maintenance could mean fewer breakdowns and better-maintained roads, water systems and other municipal facilities. It also means that municipalities would need to plan for maintenance costs over several years.

Waste removal and clean communities

Waste management and keeping communities clean are part of the DA's local-government service-delivery priorities. The party supports municipalities having effective systems for refuse collection and waste management.

What this could mean for residents:

If implemented effectively, residents could receive more regular refuse collection and live in areas with better waste management. This would depend on the municipality having enough staff, equipment, infrastructure and funding to provide the service consistently.

Safety and gender-based violence

The DA supports stronger community safety measures and has proposed increasing the role of municipalities in preventing crime. This includes strengthening municipal law enforcement and community safety programmes.

The party has also policies dealing with gender-based violence, including improving support for victims and strengthening measures to prevent violence against women and children.

What this could mean for residents:

At municipal level, this could mean greater visibility of municipal law-enforcement officers and community-safety programmes. It could also mean stronger local support for people affected by crime and violence.

However, municipalities do not control the entire criminal justice system. The South African Police Service, which is a national government function, is responsible for policing and criminal investigations.

How does the DA say it will achieve and fund these promises?

The DA places strong emphasis on municipal financial management, responsible budgeting, collecting revenue and preventing waste and corruption.

The party argues that municipalities need financially sustainable budgets and should collect money owed to them while protecting residents who cannot afford basic services through appropriate indigent-support policies.

The DA also supports using partnerships with the private sector where appropriate, particularly for infrastructure and economic development. Its policies argue that private investment can help municipalities access additional resources and technical capacity.

Municipalities receive funding from their own revenue sources as well as transfers from national government. National Treasury explains that the local-government equitable share and conditional grants form part of the system through which nationally raised revenue is allocated to municipalities.

The DA's approach therefore includes improving municipal revenue collection, managing expenditure, preventing financial waste, maintaining infrastructure and using partnerships or investment where permitted.

Municipalities receive funding from their own revenue sources as well as transfers from national government. National Treasury explains that the local-government equitable share and conditional grants form part of the system through which nationally raised revenue is allocated to municipalities.

The DA's approach therefore includes improving municipal revenue collection, managing expenditure, preventing financial waste, maintaining infrastructure and using partnerships or investment where permitted.

Are these promises part of the duties of local government?

A few of the DA's priorities are directly connected to municipal responsibilities.

The Constitution gives municipalities responsibilities including water and sanitation services, electricity and gas reticulation, municipal roads, refuse removal, solid-waste disposal and street lighting. Municipalities also have responsibilities relating to local economic development.

Therefore, proposals concerning water services, electricity distribution, waste removal, municipal roads and local economic development are connected to functions that municipalities have.

Other issues require cooperation with other spheres of government. Employment policy, electricity generation, housing, policing and criminal justice are not solely municipal responsibilities.

For example, the Constitution places policing primarily under national government, while housing is a shared national and provincial legislative responsibility. Municipalities may support these areas through their own functions, but they do not have complete control over them.

Local government is also required to provide services in a sustainable manner, promote social and economic development and encourage community participation in local government.

In summary

The DA's local-government programme focuses on reliable basic services, infrastructure maintenance, financial management, economic development, job creation, electricity, water, waste management and community safety.

The party proposes improving municipal performance through stronger financial management, better infrastructure planning, increased revenue collection, reduced waste and greater use of investment and partnerships where appropriate.

Some of these areas, such as water, sanitation, electricity distribution, waste removal and municipal roads, fall directly within municipal responsibilities. Other issues, including broader employment policy, housing and policing, require involvement from provincial or national government.

This distinction helps residents understand what the DA proposes for local government and which responsibilities municipalities can legally perform themselves.