CONFERENCE: LITIGATING MUNICIPAL FAILURE?

Date:                                               20 February 2026
Venue:                                             Equitas Auditorium, Bloemfontein campus, University of the Free State
Time:                                               08:30 - 17:00 (Day session)
Keynote and cocktail function:            17:30 - 20:00 (Dr Henk Boshoff, South African Human Rights Commission)
RSVP:                                              10 February 2026 (Details on programme and registration form).

You are hereby invited to a conference hosted by the Free State Centre for Human Rights on the rise of litigation against South African municipalities, largely driven by the systemic failures of local government structures. Communities, civil society organisations, and private actors have increasingly turned to the courts to compel municipalities to fulfil their constitutional and statutory obligations, particularly in relation to service delivery, procurement integrity, financial management, and spatial governance.

This conference, Litigating Municipal Failure in South Africa?, seeks to explore the nature, scope, and impact of this type of litigation. The question mark in the title is intentional, signalling a space for critical reflection. While litigation has often been a necessary tool for protecting rights and restoring accountability, it also raises complex questions about sustainability, the separation of powers, capacity constraints, and the unintended consequences of judicial intervention in local governance.

The purpose of the conference is therefore to:
• Examine the forms of litigation emerging in response to municipal dysfunction.
• Reflect on the role of the judiciary in addressing local governance failures, including concerns around overreach, enforcement challenges, and remedies.
• Critically consider whether litigation is the most effective strategy, or whether alternative mechanisms might offer more sustainable solutions.
• Facilitate a multidisciplinary conversation between legal practitioners, academics, municipal officials, civil society, and policymakers.

By bringing together a range of perspectives, the conference aims to develop a nuanced understanding of the place of litigation within South Africa’s broader governance landscape.

We look forward to hosting you on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State.