Service delivery protests must be completely eliminated by 2014, Cooperative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka said on Wednesday.

"We must respond to issues before people go to the streets," Shiceka told a local government indaba in Boksburg, which included municipal and provincial government representatives.

He wanted a "responsive, efficient, effective and accountable" local government.

"We must be able to say by 2014 we are committed... to a clean audit by all municipalities. We must reduce infrastructure backlogs by 2014."

The indaba followed a wave of service delivery protests around the country, many of which turned violent. Communities largely called for the removal of councillors due to a track record of poor service delivery.

On Tuesday President Jacob Zuma, speaking at a meeting in Khayelitsha, condemned the violent nature of protests.

In his address Shiceka said politicians must ensure municipal managers accounted for their performances.

A turn around strategy for local government would be formulated by December, and from January to March next year, it must be discussed and implemented at municipal level.

Shiceka was releasing a report on the state of local government which highlighted a number of challenges, including electricity backlogs and financial mismanagement.

According to the report, 30% of the service delivery protests between January to July this year occurred in Gauteng, followed by 17% in the North West and 15% in the Free State.

The report also indicates an "escalating loss of confidence in governance", with protests increasing considerably in 2009 when compared with the last six years.

"Relationships at the local level are tainted by... contestation among the elite of local areas.

"A culture of patronage and nepotism is now so widespread in many municipalities that the formal municipal accountability system is ineffective and unacceptable to many citizens," the report read.