Transcript Local Government

Local Government
Greg Ruiters
UWC and RU
Legal status
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Sphere not tier
Own powers vs centre
Large areas of discretion
Local government narrow def: “officials, and
politicians, some elected and non-elected and
their limited functions as designated by the
central state and the constitution of a country
within a specific local jurisdiction (demarcated
territory)”.
Generic issues
• Organizational structure /form (councilors, wards,
departments)
• Functions (who does what)
• Personnel system (permanent officials, managers, frontline
workers)
• Financial structure (IGG, ES, central grants, local/own
revenue )
• Inter-municipal relations (Partnerships, regional planning,
coordination, rel with prov)
• Citizen participation (democracy, accountability,
stakeholders)
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Broader context
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Local politics and economy much bigger than LG. LG one factor within a field of
different powerful groups operating at various scales.
Local capital/ global investors have power. But LG plays a role in capitalism in
securing local order and creating stable workforces and defending priv property
(Marx).
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LG .. .entrepreneurial and competes with other cities in neoliberal system
cities are forced to compete for three things: for investors; for administrative
functions; for events/spectacular/consumption
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a race to the bottom. Beggar your neighbour…bidding wars between cities
intensify. Public spending is cut back on libraries, culture, environment education
to make concessions to capital…
Can we make capital compete for us… rather than us compete for them??
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Local economic development is stressed as local government plays a much greater
role in economic affairs (land deals and subsidies for companies).
Exercise Can LG play prog. role?
• If…Yes… how…
• No… why …victim of stronger forces
LG in South Africa Phases
• Phase 1: 1993-1996 LGTA… 843 councils
amalgamated, but former white areras overrepresented
• Phase 2: 1996 -2000… 6 key new laws
(MStruA, MSYA, MdemA, MFMA, Prop Rates,
MelectA)
• Phase 3: 2000- New demarcations ( and first
proper elected lg..
Three types
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A (metros) 6… 270 councillors max
B (local mun) 231… 90 councillors max
C (Districts) 47
B and C two layered power sharing
# of councillors based on registered voters
Wards more or less equal in pop (15%
variation)
• ISSUES … please add
Issues
• Size plus number of towns ..Do we really have
local gov..or countries Read Atkinson for 150
km diameter… town hall
democracy…amalgamation nightmares
• What are key issues in general … read
subheadings only and guess content
(Atkinson)
• Is lg overloaded???...impossible mandate
Councillors and codes of conduct
• 50% of councillors represent wards and others party list .. Indep
ward councillors; 5 year term
• Councillors elect mayor, speaker and exco (if they want that system)
or can choose plenary system or maycomm…
• Mstruc A has code of conduct (schedule 5)…
• Attend meetings; fines and removal from office for non-attendance;
not use office for personal gain; not undertake contracts for council
without council consent or Prov Mec consent
• Declare financial interest within 60 days of office
• Not interfere with managers or give orders to council workers
• Not accept or give rewards (eg to voters)
• Not disclose priv. information
SYSTEMS ACT
• Encourage a “culture of participation and
transparency” meetings open to public;
regular info to public etc
• Performance to be monitored’ tariff systems
• Debt collection; contracting out/priv …altern.
delivery mechanisms,
Critical issues in S.Del
• Scale, issue/service and who should ….local is NOT lekker
• Bundles or services and qualities of place..Apartheid geography
…forever.. How do we break vicious cycle of race-class-space
• Funding basic services .. Rights…Public vs economic vs social goods
• Debt collection/ disconnnections/restrictions/illegalities
• FBS and “managing the poor”
• Surveillance vs helping
• Tariff systems (increasing blocks and cross subsidies)… steepness of
curve
• Affordability … (wiseman)
• Indigent lists (dignity/citizenship/discrimination) …wiseman
• Responsiveness … JHB billing crisis… information management
(Atkinson)…joined up or whole government vs departmentalisation
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Arguments/debates Localism vs
universalism and nation building
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Hill.. Lg parochial interests separatism. The citizen will learn more from national politics. … Hence in
FRANCE local government is not given many powers and national politics dominates completely.
democratic govt does not require locally elected lg. polls in lg are lower than ng showing low level of
interest
Lg vs universalism (see Langrod and Moulin)
True democracy cannot take into account the narrow aims of local communities. It has to be based on
majority rule, equality and decent and uniform standards. This means a strong central state (dev.welfare
state) that can redistribute from rich to poor areas and ensure everyone no matter where he is gets a fair
deal. Local self-government only worsens unevenness and inequality. It should not be a principle of or
criterion for democracy (see Whalen in Hill p 28)
Localism in “face to face” communities can be very oppressive (see Mansbridge in Ehrenburg). The
interests of the poor are better protected in larger units….the poor tend to keep quiet in small
communities and the rich dominate. Conflicts are suppressed for fear of retribution. Local strongmen
… Critique of civil society and social capital (see Ehreneburg…p 65 sk). USA thinks locally and acts globally.
People tend to be conformist, conservative and uncritical in small communities.
localism is the biggest problem for democracy in USA tends to enforce uniformity, small mindedness
(parochialism) discriminates in favour of elites; eliminates sense of public values
tends to enhance conservative values and promote law and order rather than liberal values such as
dissent.
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division of functions between lg and cg is not a matter of principle (as does the division
between private and public services)
French model – strong cg, prefects appointed by the center…democracy is mainly a national
issue
Lg not a good school for training national leaders…few come that route anyway and those
that do may have local biases and sectional interests and not see the big picture. Lg scale and
knowledge not appropriate for dealing national affairs. No easy transfer of learning and skills.
Local government leaders who go into national politics retain a narrowness of mind. They will
promote sectional interests.
Compulsion is easier to organise locally;
people who know each other exert all sorts of personnel pressures for conformity (boys club)
crushes initiative and even a more diverse impersonal, bureaucratic environment may be
better
local elites able to use public as a screen for their private activities (corrupt deals)
Devolving power to local level is a fallacy - it merely meant that few if any problems were
solved…
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Siyabonga
Dankie
RE a leboga
Enkosi