​Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) hosted the Global Governance Space Seminar on Wednesday to discuss the role of sub-national government in the global governance space.
The seminar, held in partnership with the Secretariat of the World's Major Metropolises, explored collaborative approaches to urban governance, emphasizing its critical role in addressing the complexities of city life, such as severe traffic congestion, housing crises, and flooding, among other issues. 
The summit, which brought together panelists from all three spheres of government and representatives from African countries such as Namibia and Mozambique, is a continuation of the initial discussions held by the Gauteng delegation on the margins of the 4th International Conference on Financing the Sustainable Development Goals, which took place in Seville, Spain.
Gauteng is a signatory to the World Association of Major Metropolises (WAM) and currently serves as a Regional Secretariat for Africa.
Speaking at the seminar in Sandton, Premier Panyaza Lesufi cited financial constraints as a significant strain that could potentially lead to the deterioration of public services.
"In this connection, several proposals have been considered to make subnational government resilient and improve their capacity. This includes, but is not limited to, the desire to be represented at international forums so that we can negotiate directly for increased, adequate, and stable financing for the investment and maintenance of critical structures.
"Two, our desire to call for a review of government and working relations with central additional governments in terms of shared and concurrent, and thirdly our request to affiliate to cities and local government associations so that this can strengthen the voice of subnational government in further discourse on urban development and climate actions, and also influencing government structures," said Premier Lesufi.
Premier Lesufi, speaking in his capacity as the Regional Secretariat for Africa of the WAM, stated that there was a need to accommodate diverse perspectives from affected and interested stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, the business sector, communities, and government.
Drawing on Gauteng's experience, Lesufi noted that as a developing nation, South Africa faces increasing pressure on its local governments. These governments, he said, must respond to changing community needs and find solutions to a range of challenges.
"It is widely acknowledged that community needs are ever evolving as communities continue to grow within the urbanisation context; they expect better infrastructure, better housing needs, as well as social services.
"There is an urgent and immediate call for this sphere of government to improve delivery on services, boost economic competitiveness, strengthen fiscal management, and enhance resilience to crises," he said.
City of Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero, said that the 4th International Conference reminded them of a sobering truth: across the world, sub-national and regional governments are under rising pressure.
"We are tasked with maintaining world-class infrastructure while simultaneously expanding access to the most basic of services.
"Our lived reality tells us one thing: urban governance is central to global stability and prosperity. What happens in cities will determine whether the world achieves sustainable development goals. Whether we meet the climate transition, and whether residents feel the presence of democracy in their daily lives," said Morero.
He said that the global financial system, in its current form, was not adequately designed to support the developmental mandates of cities and provinces.
He called on stakeholders to use the seminar to deepen government's cooperation, sharpen its policy tools, and prepare a strong, united African voice.
"Therefore, the impact of global challenges will have to consider the following: rapid urbanization, which is swelling our cities and towns, stretching housing, services and infrastructure; rising informal settlements are changing the face of our communities, demanding bold and humane planning responses, and climate vulnerabilities from floods to heatwaves are intensifying the devastating impact, mostly visible at community level.
"These are not abstract issues. They are daily lived realities for Johannesburg and for cities across Africa. They underline why sub-national governments cannot be mere implementers of national directives. We must be co-architects of global governance, shaping agendas, mobilising, and finding solutions," he said.
The seminar reaffirmed the commitment to developing a clear roadmap for integrating climate resilience and disaster management into urban planning, while also strengthening partnerships between South Africa's subnational governments, peer regions across the continent, and global urban networks.