A Critical Analysis of South Africa's Transition to Democratic Local Government: Prospects for Sustainable Development

Ntsime, Patrick

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Title:	A Critical Analysis of South Africa's Transition to Democratic Local Government: Prospects for Sustainable Development
Author:	Ntsime, Patrick
Year:	2003
Periodical:	Africanus
Volume:	33
Issue:	1
Pages:	35-55
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	development democracy local government Development and Technology Economics and Trade Politics and Government
Abstract:	This paper analyses the transformation of local governance and the national development paradigm from apartheid South Africa to the new democratic era. The 1993 Local Government Transition Act proclaimed rights of recognition for any persons, institutions and bodies performing functions of local governance. However, the new development paradigm is confronted by a myriad of effects of apartheid, which have both short and long-term implications for the new government. It is necessary to use the old order and its bad practices as the context for constructing a new sustainability paradigm. The system of territorial alignment and its criteria resemble five dimensions which were previously used by the Demarcation Board in South Africa: the territorial dimension seeks to bring about a coherent process of local governance; the functional dimension focuses on the dichotomous relationship between decentralization and centralization; the fiscal dimension is characterized by fiscal efficiency of and fiscal equity between municipalities; the electoral dimension sets the scene for democratic governance through public participation. However, there are competing political interests and power structures which can affect the quality and the outcome of such participation. Development planning for basic services is an important aspect of the political dimension. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]