JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — A proposed Gauteng Megatropolis plan to merge Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni into a single, unified city region has ignited a fierce debate within the Gauteng Legislature. The notion, championed by the African National Congress (ANC), has drawn mixed reactions from political parties, with some welcoming the governance debate while others dismiss it as political rhetoric ahead of the upcoming November Local Government Elections.
The proposal, put forward by the ANC through its First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, has left some ambiguity regarding whether the province’s three major metropolitan municipalities would officially form a single “City of Gauteng.”
ActionSA has raised serious concerns about the practical implications of the Gauteng Megatropolis, questioning whether amalgamating the province’s major metros would yield any tangible service delivery benefits for residents. Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA Gauteng Chairperson, pointed to the previous amalgamation of municipalities in the West Rand as a cautionary tale. Ngobeni noted that the creation of the West Rand district municipality has not improved conditions for residents, citing worsening challenges such as sinkholes in Mogale City and dilapidated infrastructure in Randfontein. “Has it changed anything for the people of the West Rand? Not at all. In fact, things have gotten worse,” Ngobeni stated, emphasizing that such restructuring is not a viable solution.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have introduced a more radical vision tied to the Gauteng Megatropolis conversation. The EFF is advocating for a single Gauteng municipality alongside the complete removal of the provincial sphere of government, including the office of the Premier. Nkululeko Dunga, EFF Gauteng Chairperson, explained that this model would mean having one mayor for the entire province. Dunga argued that the constitution should be amended to eliminate provincial structures, allowing the national government to interface directly with municipalities. Under this proposed framework, municipalities would be granted the functions and capacity currently managed by provincial governments.
In contrast, the ANC maintains that the Gauteng Megatropolis concept is about strategic governance optimization rather than outright amalgamation. Lebogang Maile, an ANC Gauteng Provincial Task Team (PTT) member, clarified that the party has long supported the creation of a “Gauteng city region” with a metropolitan-style governance system. Maile explained that this does not necessarily require merging the existing metros. Instead, the two non-metro districts, West Rand and Sedibeng, could either be incorporated into existing metropolitan municipalities like Johannesburg or be upgraded to metropolitan status themselves to address service delivery struggles.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has strongly criticized the initiative. The DA accused the ANC of attempting to redraw municipal boundaries as a strategic maneuver to bolster voter support in metropolitan areas where the party is currently losing political ground.
As the November Local Government Elections approach, the Gauteng Megatropolis proposal remains a contentious focal point, highlighting deep ideological divides over municipal governance, service delivery, and political strategy in South Africa’s most populous province.