The politics of service delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context
Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa
| Field | Value | |
| Title | The politics of service delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context | |
| Creator | Reddy, Purshottama S. | |
| Description | The post-1994 democratic developmental South African state opted for a strong local government system which has been constitutionalised, in terms of Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The politicisation of the local bureaucracy was inevitable as the ruling party sought to ensure that the executive leadership of municipalities shared the same political ideology and vision to facilitate local development. This raises the question, where does politicisation commence and end, and what is the ideal local political interface for efficient and effective service delivery and, more importantly, to ensure good governance? These questions have to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a ‘struggle democracy’ and development has to take place in historically disadvantaged areas, where services have been poor or non-existent. The historically advantaged areas have to also be maintained and upgraded, as they are key to financial sustainability of the municipalities. The increasing service delivery protests is a matter for concern, if one has to take cognisance of the popular adage highlighted in official literature, ‘if local government fails, South Arica fails’. Given that the struggles for a democratic South Africa were fought at the grassroots level, this has to translate to an improved quality of life for local communities. Consequently, sound political management is key to enhanced municipal service delivery and ultimately good local governance. This paper reviews political trends and developments up to 2016, but excludes any discussion on the recent local government elections. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2016-12-03 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/td.v12i1.337 | |
| Source | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa; Vol 12, No 1 (2016); 8 pages 2415-2005 1817-4434 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/337/351
https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/337/350
https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/337/352
https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/337/342
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