GENERIC ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Since human beings started living in groups they have not been able to provide for all their needs on their own. Currently, there are more than 200 states in the world, and each represents a unique society with its own physical and social characteristics, including a system of government with its own particular public institutions (Thornhill, 2012:4). Below, there is a description of the state known as the Republic of South Africa and its local government. South African cities and towns are relatively young in comparison with those of Asia, Europe and North Africa. The development of local government in South Africa owes its origins to a number of factors. Such origins are found in the colonial history of the country, mainly from the Dutch and British influences. The Dutch occupied the Cape of Good Hope from 1652 to 1795, and again from 1803 to 1806 (Tsatsire, Tylor & Raga, 2009:130).

The foundations and beginnings of local government

In 1652, the board of directors of the Dutch East India Company authorised the establishment of a provisions station at the Cape of Good Hope for ships travelling between Europe and the Far East. Cloete (1997:9) states that local authorities emerged gradually at the Cape of Good Hope after Jan van Riebeeck, representing the Dutch East India Company, arrived in Table Bay on 6 April 1652. Gradually, despite company policy to the contrary, the Cape developed a colony of Free Burghers who demanded local services and a voice in the government of the territory (Craythorne, 1997:2). This was the first call for local government in South Africa.

Local government and the policy of separate development

It was in local government that the apartheid value system manifested itself most visibly. This was where laws separated communities in terms of race. It is not surprising, then, that the first signs that apartheid was untenable as a political value system also manifested itself at this sphere of government. As a result of apartheid, urban settlements were skewed, with Black people being relegated to the so-called ‗township‘ residential areas, which were often located a far from towns and areas of work (Tsatsire et al., 2009:133). Apartheid local government had many distinct features, such as strict control of urbanisation along racial lines. It also refused to acknowledge the expanding urban population, partly caused by ―illegal‖ Black migration. It was characterised by racial segregation of settlements, racially divided local authorities, and racial disparities in access to services and housing.

Evaluation of local government

Before venturing into a critical analysis of the progress achieved to date with regard to local government transformation, it is important to recall some of the key benefits envisaged from engaging local government in development and service delivery (De Visser, 2005:19). Firstly, local government is the sphere of government that is closest to the citizens. At least in theory, municipalities are best able to obtain and understand people‘s wishes and aspirations for the area. They are also suitably placed to identify and unlock local potential, and mobilise resources present in that area. These characteristics do not automatically lead to higher quality and legitimacy of decisions but they can potentially to do so. Whether this potential is realised depends on whether municipalities are indeed configured and behave responsively,

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Central tenets of the system

Section 40(1) of the Constitution identifies each sphere of government as distinctive, interrelated and interdependent (RSA, 1996a). These three labels define the guidelines underlying South Africa‘s system of intergovernmental relations. The status of local government in the South African system of government can be explained by making use of this constitutional terminology. Local government‘s ‗distinctiveness‘ as a sphere of government manifests itself in a number of ways. Firstly, municipalities are headed by democratically elected councils, in terms of section 157(1) of the Constitution (RSA, 1996a). The electoral framework laid down in the Constitution, the Municipal Structures Act (RSA, 1998c) and the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act, 27 of 2000 (RSA, 2000a), provide that municipal councils are comprised 50% of ward councillors, elected on a constituency system, and 50% of councillors elected proportionally via a party list, in terms of section 20 of the Municipal Structures Act (RSA, 1998c).

CONTENTS :

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 LOCAL SPHERE OF GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
- 1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH
- 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
- 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
- 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
- 1.6 DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPTS
  - 1.6.1 Basic municipal services
  - 1.6.2 Councillor
  - 1.6.3 Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditiona Affairs (COGTA)
  - 1.6.4 Executive Mayor
  - 1.6.5 Evaluation
  - 1.6.6 Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
  - 1.6.7 Informal settlement
  - 1.6.8 North West province
  - 1.6.9 Metropolitan municipality
- 1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
  - 1.7.1 Research approach
  - 1.7.2 Research methodology
  - 1.7.3 Methods of data gathering
- 1.8 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER 2: CONTEXTUALISING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
- 2.1 INTRODUCTION
  - 2.1.1 A search for identity
  - 2.1.2 Public Administration versus public administration
  - 2.1.3 How to study ‗theory and scope‘
- 2.2 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
  - 2.2.1 Foundation phase
  - 2.2.2 Development phase
- 2.3 THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
  - 2.3.1 Definition of Public Administration and public administration
  - 2.3.2 The practice of Public Administration and Management
- 2.4 GENERIC ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
  - 2.4.1 Policy and policy-making
  - 2.4.2 Financing
  - 2.4.3 Personnel provision and use
  - 2.4.4 Organising
  - 2.4.5 Work methods and procedures
  - 2.4.6 Control over the administration
- 2.5 FUTURE TRENDS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
- 2.6 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3: COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- 3.1 INTRODUCTION
- 3.2 THE STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
  - 3.2.1 Sovereignty and local government
  - 3.2.2 Types of local government
  - 3.2.3 The advantages of local government
  - 3.2.4 The structure of local government
- 3.3 ORIGIN, NATURE AND REFORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BRITAIN
  - 3.3.1 The Local Government Act (1972)
  - 3.3.2 Local Government Commission for England (1992)
  - 3.3.3 Elections
  - 3.3.4 2009 structural changes to local government in England
  - 3.3.5 Officials
  - 3.3.6 Funding
- 3.4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN UGANDA
- 3.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4: SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
- 4.1 INTRODUCTION
- 4.2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
- 4.3 MOVING TOWARDS TRANSITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- 4.3.1 Local government transformation
- 4.3.2 Evaluation of local government
- 4.3.3 Central tenets of the system
- 4.4 THE NATURE OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL STATE IN SOUTH AFRICA
CHAPTER 5: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF WARD COMMITTEES