On Tuesday, 19 August 2025, Mayors and Municipal Managers from across the Western Cape gathered in Swellendam, in the Overberg district, for a meeting of the Premier’s Coordinating Forum (PCF).

The PCF is a consultative intergovernmental body, chaired by Premier Alan Winde and designed to strengthen partnerships and relations between the Western Cape Government and the province’s municipalities.

Premier Winde emphasised the importance of maintaining stability in well-functioning local governments and assisting those facing governance issues. “Our province and residents remain under pressure: ongoing fiscal constraints require us to confront the Western Cape’s challenges through innovation and determination. We will continue implementing our Provincial Strategic Plan (PSP) 2025-2030, our blueprint towards building a prosperous and resilient province. Underscoring everything we do is the need to grow the province’s economy and instil resilience.” He reminded PCF attendees, “The main objective of the PSP is to help the private sector so that they can create jobs. By doing this, we can help our residents to lead the lives they deserve and value.”

Impact of increased US Tariffs

The new tariff regime imposed on South Africa by the United States (US) government was also discussed at the PCF. The 30% tariffs will have huge implications for the agriculture sector, particularly the Western Cape citrus industry.

But provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer pointed out that while 4% of South Africa’s agricultural exports go to the US, 66% is exported to other African countries, offering both the country and province further opportunities to boost export production on the continent. If the Western Cape increases its agricultural exports by 5%, more than 20 000 jobs can be created.

Amid the new tariff regime and ongoing uncertainty, the PCF committed to exploring other markets to accelerate export-led growth.

A study has been commissioned by the provincial Department of Agriculture to get a better understanding of the impact of the tariffs and to seek out solutions, such as market diversification. The Western Cape Government is engaging with stakeholders. “Economic diplomacy is being stepped up,” stated Premier Winde. He added, “We will continue solidifying relations with existing international partners. We will also fully leverage platforms such as the Regional Leaders Summit – which the Western Cape will host this year – to further open up our export market. The upcoming Western Cape Investment Summit (WCIS) is also a key opportunity where we will position our province as South Africa and Africa’s leading investment destination.”

The inaugural WCIS will be held from 5–7 November 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Update on Energy and Water Security

The Premier’s Special Adviser on Energy Alwie Lester gave an update on the provincial government’s energy security efforts. With the province making promising progress in building up its energy security, Mr Lester pointed out, “We must now adapt the Western Cape Energy Resilience Programme to mitigate against any energy disaster of which load shedding is just one, and we must intensify our focus on generating affordable, accessible and sustainable energy supply in the province.”

By driving Investment and planning more carefully, the provincial government, working closely with numerous municipalities, is steadily stabilising the Western Cape’s power system. Load shedding has abated for now, but the Premier reiterated that this does not mean residents and businesses must let their guard down. “We must push ahead and keep unlocking renewable energy in our region,” he stated. Mr Lester explained that nationally, dependency on Eskom has decreased due in large part to private sector-led renewable energy solutions. In the Western Cape, around 1000MW of non-Eskom energy is under development for the current financial year.

The PCF also received an update on the development of the provincial government’s water resilience dashboard. The dashboard monitors in real time the implementation of the province’s Water Resilience Strategy (WRS). The overarching priority of the plan is to secure a target of 341 million cubic metres of water per year for the residents of the province by 2035. The dashboard features an early warning system that tracks, among other metrics, water usage and dam levels as a proactive measure to avoid as far as possible a “Day Zero” scenario.

Animal Diseases Outbreaks

During a presentation by Dr Christi Kloppers, the Overberg’s State Veterinarian, on the status of animal disease outbreaks, he called for increased vigilance across the province, especially in the agricultural sector. “Outbreaks of animal diseases have far-reaching socio-economic consequences,” said Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer. While biosecurity is everybody’s business, municipalities in particular must be on high alert.

In the presentation, it was stressed that where livestock is kept on municipal land, it is the responsibility of municipalities to take necessary biosecurity measures. Under Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, owners or managers of land on which animals are kept must:

• Take all reasonable steps to prevent the infection of animals;
• Prevent diseases from spreading;
• Take measures to eradicate the disease;
• Apply prescribed and suitable treatment for animals; and
• If there is a suspicion that it is a controlled animal disease, this must be reported to the State Veterinarian.

“Every outbreak we can prevent or manage offers protection to our economy and food security,” Premier Winde said, adding, “US Tariffs are hitting us from one side, animal diseases from another and in the middle, we also have to manage climate change. I urged our municipal partners to take the necessary measures to prevent and control outbreaks.”

Auditor-General of South Africa celebrates clean audits in Western Cape

Representatives from the Auditor-General of South Africa used the occasion of the PCF to celebrate good governance across Western Cape Government departments and entities, as well as municipalities. Awards were handed out recognising institutions that achieved clean audits – unqualified audit opinions with no findings – under the Municipal Financial Management Act and the Provincial Financial Management Act for the 2023/34 financial year. Eighteen provincial departments and entities and 20 municipalities in the Western Cape achieved clean audits.

Premier Winde concluded the meeting by emphasising the critical importance of local government in driving growth and job creation. “You are at the coalface of service delivery. Our residents deserve the best possible services. Across our government and economy, from energy security to safety, we are planning and preparing, taking steps to protect our growth targets and accelerate job creation,” he stated.