What are Municipal Services?

Municipalities are part of the local sphere of government. The local sphere of government together with the National and Provincial spheres make up the three spheres of government. The Constitution sets out what specific services the different spheres of government must provide in Schedules 4 and 5. Parts B of those Schedules set out the local government services, which affect our every day lives directly. These include:

- electricity
- water and sanitation services
- refuse removal
- municipal roads
- parks and recreation
- community halls and public places
- cemeteries

Some services are “shared services”, meaning that different spheres of government have to collaborate in providing them. This is discussed in the videos “What is Local Government?” and “What can I expect from my Municipality?”

To be able to provide the constitutionally mandated services, municipalities need substantial amounts of money.

Municipalities vary greatly in size, social structure and service requirements. This means that their ability to generate income and the costs they encounter also differs widely.

Whatever their size or structure, all municipalites have to secure their income from the same sources namely grants, loans, property taxes, and user charges.