The transformed local government system : some lessons

Abstract

Democratising the system of local government in South Africa required a \ntotal transformation of all the municipalities and the services they provide. \nLocal government as government closest to the people demanded \nparticular attention as the services they are expected to provide in a transformed \nsystem affect the daily lives of all inhabitants of the state. During the apartheid \nregime South Africa consisted of racially based local authorities responsible for \na limited number of municipal services. The major transformation commenced \nin 1998 with the establishment of comprehensive municipalities with extensive \nfunctions covering the total geographic area. The aim of this article is to briefly \ntrace the stages in the development of the new system of local government and \nadministration. Particular attention will be paid to the role of the elected municipal \ncouncil and its substructures and the administrative structure with a municipal \nmanager as the chief executive officer. The political administrative interface will \nbe addressed to explain the implications of democracy on the operations of \nmunicipalities. The challenges and prospects of the current system will also receive \nattention and to explain the lessons learned after 10 years.

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