LLMMphil Local government Module: Local Government Theme: 1 International Developments, South Africa

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LLM/Mphil Local governmentModule Local
GovernmentTheme 1 - International Developments,
South African transformation and developmental
local government

• Jaap de Visser
• jdevisser_at_uwc.ac.za

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Development and local government

• What is development?
• Improvement of material well-being
• Choice
• Equity

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Is decentralisation good for development?

• Material well-being
• Statistics ? decentralisation can be positive for
  econ. growth
• Choice
• Democracy economic argument theory of fiscal
  efficiency
• Citizen participation
• Accountability
• Vertical communication through IGR
• Equity
• Compound regional disparities
• Corruption
• Macro economic dangers

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Momentum for decentralisation in Africa

• Pre-colonial highly devolved to traditional
  structures
• Colonialcentralised
• Postcolonialcentralised
• Millenium Development Goals
• Eg. Goal 7Ensure Environmental Sustainability
• Target 10 Halve, by 2015, the proportion of
  people without sustainable access to safe
  drinking water
• Target 11 By 2020, to have achieved a
  significant improvement in the lives of at least
  100 million slum dwellers
• 2. NEPADs African Peer Review Mechanism for good
  governance
• Measures of budgetary/fiscal decentralisation?
• Does decentralisation facilitate development?

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• SADC ? Local government desk (Local Government
  Protocol??)
• African Charter for Local Self-Government??
• Compare European Charter of Local Self-Government

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Maximising benefits minimising dangers

• Benefits why decentralise?
• Efficiency argument
• Citizen participation
• Bottom-up development
• Etc.
• Dangers why not?
• Inequity
• Corruption?
• Macro economy
• Etc.

• Institutional principles
• I Autonomy
• II Supervision
• III Cooperation

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I Autonomy

• What makes a municipality autonomous?
• Democracy
• Powers
• Financial autonomy
• Administrative autonomy

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II SUPERVISION

• Regulatory framework
• Monitoring and intervention
• Redistribution

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III COOPERATION

• Normative framework
• Vertical integration of planning
• Instruments of IGR
• Difference with Supervision relation of equality

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Local government in South AfricaTransformation

• Local government prior to 1994
• Racist separate LG structures for racial groups
• Subservient administrative arms of provincial
  government, creature of statute
• Exploitative resource allocation, revenue
  generation
• Illegitimate rent boycotts, protests

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Theme 1 Questions Question 3 Indicate at least
four legal and or institutional characteristics
of the new system of local government that
represent a radical break with the pre-1994 era.
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• Wall to wall, inclusive LG
• Mandate
• LG no longer creature of statute dependent on
  provincial legislation
• Etc. (see LGLSA 1-14/15)

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Questions Theme 1Provide three reasons why, in
your view, the drafters of the 1996 Constitution
opted for a state structure with strong,
constitutionally protected municipalities.

• Motives for strong local government?
• ANCs aversion against provinces
• Consolidate role of civic movement in 80ties
• Entrenching participatory government
• New role for cities

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Questions Theme 1Explain in what respects
(relevant to local government) the Constitutional
Court rejected the first text of the Constitution
in its First Certification judgment.

• LG structures not delineated
• LG may not impose excise tax
• Diminution of provincial powers

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• Find the developmental mandate of local
  government in the Constitution.

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I Autonomy

• Democracy?
• S 157(1) Constitution
• Powers
• S 156(1) Constitution
• Schedules 4B/5B
• Financial autonomy
• S 229 Constitution

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II SUPERVISION

• Regulatory framework
• Chapter 7 Constitution
• Monitoring and intervention
• S 155(6), (7) Constitution
• S 139 Constitution
• Redistribution
• S 227 Constitution equitable share
• Conditional grants
• programmes

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III COOPERATION

• Normative framework
• Chapter 3 Constitution
• Vertical integration of planning
• Integrated Development Planning
• Instruments of IGR
• Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act