This article analyses the decline and near collapse of local government in South Africa through a... more This article analyses the decline and near collapse of local government in South Africa through a political and legal lens. Given the paralysis of constitutionally envisaged political accountability procedures in the post-Mbeki period, residents and local businesses have increasingly resorted to courts and chapter 9 institutions, in addition to local organisation, protest and a range of direct actions. Courts previously afforded municipalities a significant margin of discretion in dealing with local government affairs and stayed out of constitutionally mandated political oversight processes, but have, since 2016, become increasingly interventionist. Some recent judgements go as far as to bypass conventional accountability processes altogether and to endorse community self-help, thereby potentially signalling an evolution in judicial conceptions of civic responsibility. At a political level, however, the future of local government is treacherous, given the loss of faith among voters.
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed
For over two decades, South Africa has lacked a coherent and consistent national urban policy. Th... more For over two decades, South Africa has lacked a coherent and consistent national urban policy. The work of developing a vision of and practical steps towards post-apartheid cities has been left to local government, academics and consultants, with occasional spurts of interest from the national government. At the national sphere, and despite policy-making attempts from 1994 to the present day, the South African government’s willingness to remove the watermarks of exclusion, inequity and fragmentation leftover by apartheid have not been adequately consolidated or implemented. This chapter traces the history of attempts to develop urban and/or city policies and suggests why it has failed. Typically, genuine urban development requires a 50–80-year investment window. In the South African case and despite an IUDF in place, the government seems unable or unwilling to fully enact long-term urban development planning. Conversely, but equally problematic, the government is also reticent to act on proposals even for short-term policy shifts set forth in the IUDF, which may have the potential for far-reaching consequences in terms of long-term sustainable urban growth required by various Sustainable Development Goals.
Dennis Austin 1988.THE COMMONWEALTH AND BRITAIN. London: Routledge &a... more Dennis Austin 1988.THE COMMONWEALTH AND BRITAIN. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Chatham House Papers 41. pp. 83.Jacqueline Kalley 1988.PRESSURE ON PRETORIA: SANCTIONS, BOYCOTTS AND THE DIVESTMENT/DISINVESTMENT ISSUE. 1964–1988. A SELECT AND ANNOTA TED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Johannesburg: South African Institute of International Affairs. Bibliographical Series No. 17. R45. pp. 299.W. de Kock 1986.USUTHU! CRY PEACE.
ABSTRACT The paper tries to explain how, 14 years into democracy, the poor have moved from being ... more ABSTRACT The paper tries to explain how, 14 years into democracy, the poor have moved from being central to post-apartheid reconstruction to being depicted by political leaders as lacking moral fibre and depending on 'handouts'from deserving to undeserving poor. This has ...
This report is associated with an online interactive website which provides the State of the Gaut... more This report is associated with an online interactive website which provides the State of the Gauteng City Region review 2011 in full. Link to http://2011.legacy.gcro.unomena.net/
The first decade of freedom in South Africa began with high hopes for the youth, who enjoyed a we... more The first decade of freedom in South Africa began with high hopes for the youth, who enjoyed a well-organised sector, high-profile leaders and well-developed and supported policies for advancing their needs. But a decade later the hoped-for democracy dividend has largely failed to materialise. On the positive side, youth enjoy new rights and freedoms, while education is the main tangible output of democracy. But for the overwhelming majority of South Africa's youth, life is dominated by unemployment, crime and violence, and the relentless HIV / AIDS pandemic, which is scything down young people and leaving their babies to be brought up by grandmothers, creating a new generation without parents.
In the 1998 parliamentary debate on reconciliation and nation-building, then deputy president Tha... more In the 1998 parliamentary debate on reconciliation and nation-building, then deputy president Thabo Mbeki famously argued that South Africa comprised two ‘nations ’ divided by poverty: One of these nations is white, relatively prosperous, regardless of gender or geographic dispersal. It has ready access to a developed economic, physical, educational, communication and other infrastructure …
South Africa has a rich history of community-based development which provides a strong foundation... more South Africa has a rich history of community-based development which provides a strong foundation for community-driven development (CDD). With the advent of the democratic era in 1994, Government has pursued an explicit strategy to formulate public policy, plan and establish fiscal frameworks that are directly supportive of community empowerment. The frameworks that have been put in place to allow the local sphere to support community empowerment are impressive. Local councils are subject to validation through regular access to free and fair elections. Local government jurisdictions now cover 100 percent of South Africa's land area and all residents of the country, and the 284 local governments are explicitly tasked with responding to most service and infrastructure demands of communities. The planning process of the public sector is driven by Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) that are intended to be based on extensive consultation with communities. The country's medium te...
This article analyses the decline and near collapse of local government in South Africa through a... more This article analyses the decline and near collapse of local government in South Africa through a political and legal lens. Given the paralysis of constitutionally envisaged political accountability procedures in the post-Mbeki period, residents and local businesses have increasingly resorted to courts and chapter 9 institutions, in addition to local organisation, protest and a range of direct actions. Courts previously afforded municipalities a significant margin of discretion in dealing with local government affairs and stayed out of constitutionally mandated political oversight processes, but have, since 2016, become increasingly interventionist. Some recent judgements go as far as to bypass conventional accountability processes altogether and to endorse community self-help, thereby potentially signalling an evolution in judicial conceptions of civic responsibility. At a political level, however, the future of local government is treacherous, given the loss of faith among voters.
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed
For over two decades, South Africa has lacked a coherent and consistent national urban policy. Th... more For over two decades, South Africa has lacked a coherent and consistent national urban policy. The work of developing a vision of and practical steps towards post-apartheid cities has been left to local government, academics and consultants, with occasional spurts of interest from the national government. At the national sphere, and despite policy-making attempts from 1994 to the present day, the South African government’s willingness to remove the watermarks of exclusion, inequity and fragmentation leftover by apartheid have not been adequately consolidated or implemented. This chapter traces the history of attempts to develop urban and/or city policies and suggests why it has failed. Typically, genuine urban development requires a 50–80-year investment window. In the South African case and despite an IUDF in place, the government seems unable or unwilling to fully enact long-term urban development planning. Conversely, but equally problematic, the government is also reticent to act on proposals even for short-term policy shifts set forth in the IUDF, which may have the potential for far-reaching consequences in terms of long-term sustainable urban growth required by various Sustainable Development Goals.
Dennis Austin 1988.THE COMMONWEALTH AND BRITAIN. London: Routledge &a... more Dennis Austin 1988.THE COMMONWEALTH AND BRITAIN. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Chatham House Papers 41. pp. 83.Jacqueline Kalley 1988.PRESSURE ON PRETORIA: SANCTIONS, BOYCOTTS AND THE DIVESTMENT/DISINVESTMENT ISSUE. 1964–1988. A SELECT AND ANNOTA TED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Johannesburg: South African Institute of International Affairs. Bibliographical Series No. 17. R45. pp. 299.W. de Kock 1986.USUTHU! CRY PEACE.
ABSTRACT The paper tries to explain how, 14 years into democracy, the poor have moved from being ... more ABSTRACT The paper tries to explain how, 14 years into democracy, the poor have moved from being central to post-apartheid reconstruction to being depicted by political leaders as lacking moral fibre and depending on 'handouts'from deserving to undeserving poor. This has ...
This report is associated with an online interactive website which provides the State of the Gaut... more This report is associated with an online interactive website which provides the State of the Gauteng City Region review 2011 in full. Link to http://2011.legacy.gcro.unomena.net/
The first decade of freedom in South Africa began with high hopes for the youth, who enjoyed a we... more The first decade of freedom in South Africa began with high hopes for the youth, who enjoyed a well-organised sector, high-profile leaders and well-developed and supported policies for advancing their needs. But a decade later the hoped-for democracy dividend has largely failed to materialise. On the positive side, youth enjoy new rights and freedoms, while education is the main tangible output of democracy. But for the overwhelming majority of South Africa's youth, life is dominated by unemployment, crime and violence, and the relentless HIV / AIDS pandemic, which is scything down young people and leaving their babies to be brought up by grandmothers, creating a new generation without parents.
In the 1998 parliamentary debate on reconciliation and nation-building, then deputy president Tha... more In the 1998 parliamentary debate on reconciliation and nation-building, then deputy president Thabo Mbeki famously argued that South Africa comprised two ‘nations ’ divided by poverty: One of these nations is white, relatively prosperous, regardless of gender or geographic dispersal. It has ready access to a developed economic, physical, educational, communication and other infrastructure …
South Africa has a rich history of community-based development which provides a strong foundation... more South Africa has a rich history of community-based development which provides a strong foundation for community-driven development (CDD). With the advent of the democratic era in 1994, Government has pursued an explicit strategy to formulate public policy, plan and establish fiscal frameworks that are directly supportive of community empowerment. The frameworks that have been put in place to allow the local sphere to support community empowerment are impressive. Local councils are subject to validation through regular access to free and fair elections. Local government jurisdictions now cover 100 percent of South Africa's land area and all residents of the country, and the 284 local governments are explicitly tasked with responding to most service and infrastructure demands of communities. The planning process of the public sector is driven by Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) that are intended to be based on extensive consultation with communities. The country's medium te...
Input at workshop kick-starting the GLOBUS investigation into the Eu foreign policy and global ju... more Input at workshop kick-starting the GLOBUS investigation into the Eu foreign policy and global justice 9with particular reference to BRICS countries).
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