Many African countries have embarked in the process of decentralising the decision making process to local bodies. Decentralisation is an ambitious and a difficult goal for countries such as African ones, that suffer from a lack of resources and a tradition of dirigism or centralism. In the context of the current African State crisis, devolution of power to elected bodies closer to people (decentralisation) is considered to be one of the answers, which can promote democracy, increase the legitimacy of the State and bring development. Decentralisation in South Africa is all the more interesting because what is at stake there , is the rehabilitation of the State and the creation of a South African identity through a democratic praxis. Because of apartheid, South Africa has been a puzzle of territories and identities. The State apparatus with all its bodies (including the other spheres) has to make out of each South African a South African citizen . It is at the local level where problems are concrete and where communities are divided because they belong to a specific area. It is at the local level that a South African citizenry will emerge (or not), through the consciousness of the inter-dependence which exists between the groups. So, studying the decentralisation process in the 90s in South Africa, is looking at a country trying to (re)invent by itself; new ways of creating a nation , a citizenship, a sense of common belonging, through economic development, symbols; popular participation etc. In KwaZulu-Natal, the extent of the transformation of local government during the past 6 years has been impressive. New territories, new councillors, new organisation of the bureaucracy, new consultation processes and an emphasis on the disadvantaged, all these are necessary conditions to address global needs and create a sense of local citizenry. But in practice, there is always a limit to the capacity of adaptation of minds and systems to novelty. After 6 years of turmoil , one can reasonably say that the framework is set up but that councillors and officials have still to find their place in the system. They have to define their respective roles. But what is even more important, they have to integrate the " revolutionary" meaning of decentralisation and try to apply their minds to changing the structures they are heading in order to enable significant interactions with the population, a coherent development of their jurisdiction and their hinterland and an identity which goes beyond divided interests. Besides, local councillors have to become real sources of authority and have the courage to find their place amidst other spheres of government, competing powers and people who have technical knowledge. They have to frame strong policies backed by their constituencies. If not, local government will only become a place where conflicting interests reconcile, and not a source of power on its own. But maybe this will be demanding enough, although the process will be more akin to a new power relationship inside the same system with the same rules, than a revolutionary process. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

The prospects for the establishment of a system of developmental local government in South Africa appear to be dim. This dissertation examines development delivery in the broader state/market debate. From this debate a clear role is developed for local government as an agent of delivery. This type of local government is characterised by strength and a developmental outlook. An analysis is provided of the history of local government, as well as the legislation and policy that has been out in place to facilitate the transition between apartheid and post-apartheid local government. Through a series of interviews, participant knowledge and data collection, an assessment of the Mooi River TLC is made in terms of its strength and its developmental outlook. The future of local government is found to be constrained by a historical legacy as well as by the actions of groupings inside and outside the local sphere. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 2000.

This study focuses on Local Government restructuring with particular reference to KwaDukuza Municipality. The objectives of the study are firstly, to investigate the challenges facing local government with particular emphasis on local government financing, establishes key factors and challenges facing local government financial management, and lastly, provide a recommended course of direction for effective financial reform, methods of financial restructuring and business re-engineering within the broader context of the South African local government system. The research, design and methodology used in the study involves both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. An extensive range of literature was also consulted during the study. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted with staff and councillors of KwaDukuza Municipality. The findings exemplified in the study of KwaDukuza Municipality are a reflection of the broader set of challenges experienced by most municipalities across the country. Examples cited include debt management, expenditure control, budget reform and restructuring, asset management, financial reporting, procurement, and internal control. The challenges are viewed as pertinent aspects irrespective of the size of the municipality. The recommendations brought forward by the study involve a range of issues including capacity building, staff training and development, institutional capacity, community participation, performance management, monitoring and control, rather the budget as an instrument of empowerment and development. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

As the third sphere of government, and the one 'closest to the people', local government has been given a mandate of promoting and ensuring community participation in its municipal governance. Both the Municipal Structures Act of 1998 and the Municipal Systems Act of 2000 establish broad principles as well as responsibilities that local government has in promoting a system of participatory governance. The National Youth Policy of 2000 recommended municipalities to establish mechanisms and structures for youth participation in its decision making process. A proposed local youth machinery that municipalities may implement consists of Youth Units/desks, Councillors for the youth, Youth Councils and a support system to ensure effective functioning of the above structures. Other opportunities for youth participation in local government include the IDP and Budget processes and ward committees. Using uMsunduzi Municipality as my case study, the study looked at the extent to which youth structures realised young people's participation in local government and the difference this makes to its decision making processes. A significant finding of the study was that Youth Units are best positioned to facilitate meaningful youth participation and remain the only youth structure with a potential of bringing greater youth involvement in the IDP/Budget process and ward committees. However, for Youth Units to be effective, functional and be able to play their leadership role they need both financial and human resources from the municipality. Without this kind of support they remain irrelevant and useless to the youth in ward committees who continue to remain marginalised. An understaffed Youth Unit without enough money and resources will always struggle to move youth participation from tokenism to meaningful participation in government participatory structures and processes. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The ushering in of the new democratic government came with high expectations from all South Africans in terms of how development processes were to unfold. The previous system had made it virtually impossible for people on the ground to be informed of all developments within areas where they lived. This resulted in great suspicions on the part of communities as they only saw things just happening, in many instances such activities had no direct impact on their lives. The new government, as elected by the people, had to address this matter in order to ensure that all development processes had a meaning to the daily lives of ordinary South Africans. This assumes that for development to be meaningful, such development should be based on a realistic understanding of the needs of the people. Such needs can only be determined through a process of consultation, and in that process communication between government, other development agencies and communities is vital. Institutions of local government have been seen as critical pillars in the process of uplifting the standards of living of people in South Africa, and therefore this sphere of government is critical for government to be seen as making a positive contribution to people's daily livelihoods. The ability of this sphere of government to address the needs of local people is therefore dependent upon the extent to which communication with residents would be prioritised, and the level at which communities would be accorded an opportunity to make contributions to local development initiatives. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 2002.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 2000.

In this dissertation a study of the management of change in local government is undertaken with specific focus on the North Local Council area of the Durban Metropolitan Council. In the previous era municipalities were structured to coincide with the system of separate development under apartheid. The new democratic order in South Africa at national and provincial levels ushered in the need to transform municipalities in various ways as follows: From a system of apartheid to a system of democracy. From being financially unsustainable to being sustainable. From merely providing basic services to being developmental in nature. From being tiny enclaves to covering broader catchment areas. From doing isolated land use planning to undertaking integrated development planning holistically. From being the sole service provider of municipal services to being service facilitators in certain instances. From being the regulator of development to being the facilitator of development. The above challenges were presented to all the roleplayers in municipal government to transform municipalities to meet these challenges. Change impacts on everyone in one way or another within the system that has changed. In a public environment this could mean millions of people. Municipal government was programmed to change over three phases, namely, the pre-interim phase, the interim phase and the final phase of transformation. Municipal government is currently in the interim phase of transformation and will reach the final phase of its transformation after the next municipal elections which are expected to take place any time between November 2000 and February 2001. During the apartheid era municipal government had numerous failings. The system of separate development saw the White minority having the best land which was close to economic activities and tourist facilities much to the detriment of the Black majority who were only allowed to occupy land that was far from any economic activity. Based on this method of land allocation there were wealthy White municipalities and poor Black municipalities. Blacks, mainly the labourer class, contributed to the economic growth of White municipalities whilst the areas in which they lived lacked the infrastructure and other municipal services some distance away from where they worked. The challenge to transform municipalities means that the basic needs of people ought to be linked to economic activities. This is quite a challenge given the innumerable constraints in the environment. Separate developments coupled with abject poverty the majority of people suffered from, will take time to overcome. The Indians in Chatsworth, Whites in Umhlanga Rocks and the Africans in Kwa-Mashu will be with us for a long time to come. It must be accepted that real change to overcome the effects of apartheid will not happen overnight. It will take time. However, every effort must be made to speed up the process of change to enable South Africans to benefit sooner rather than later from its chosen course of democracy. The key to achieving this would be to integrate development for which integrated development planning is a prerequisite. This dissertation provides a historical overview of municipal government in South Africa during the apartheid era and thereafter proceeds to document the post apartheid transformation of municipalities, with special focus on the North Local Council of the Durban Metropolitan region. The study also documents and evaluates new legislation that will set municipalities on the 'final phase' in its transformation. The penultimate chapter is dedicated to 'change management' which includes the theory of change and the final chapter make's general conclusions and offers several recommendations. RECOMMENDATIONS: The following recommendations have been made at the end of the study. These include: ? Municipalities must be democratic and transparent Democracy and transparency must be prevalent at the local sphere of government before South Africans can claim that their country has transformed from the legacy of apartheid to a fully fledged democracy. The way municipalities are structured is therefore important to the measure of transparency and democracy that could be achieved. If, for example, they are too large, with vast areas that are inaccessible, democracy and transparency could be compromised. ? Municipalities must be financially viable For municipalities to be effective they must be financially viable. Many of the apartheid structured municipalities relied on the national government for their funding which was grossly insufficient. This position needs to be remedied in the restructuring and demarcation of municipalities so as to ensure their financial viability. ? Promote mixed use zoning of land wherever feasible Bringing people closer to their places of employment will reduce travelling time and costs as well as improve their social well-being. ? Recognise that each town or area will have features that are unique and must be taken into account in any transformation The legislature is required to establish a framework for the orderly transformation of municipalities from apartheid to democracy. In so doing the legislation must be flexible to enable people to live out their new found democracy. ? Change must be processed in manageable portions To enable change to be managed properly it must be processed in manageable portions to enable resources allocated to manage change cope. ? Any new system must be given adequate time to settle Change and especially major change takes time. It must be afforded the time to settle. For example, the Durban Metropolitan Council started to reap the benefits of its transformation in 1999 although the transformation process began in 1994 and took effect in 1995 with the establishment of the transitional councils. However, in March 1998 the national government pronounced that the transformation of municipalities across the country was inadequate and embarked on a new transformation process. ? Senior management must be made part of the change process The technical expertise and experience of senior management must be utilised by their councils during the transformation of municipalities. ? The organisation must fit reality on the ground Municipalities must be able to meet the requirements of its citizens and consumers. When municipalities are being transformed the realities on the ground must be taken into account. ? A process for change must be determined and then change must be implemented according to that predetermined process Change must be planned and managed and must be recognised as a process and not an event. ? Avoid organisational change that is ineffective Change is instituted to improve any given situation. If change does not improve the situation or makes it worse than it already is, then such change must be avoided. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.U.R.D.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the potential of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in South African local planning. Planning is facing great challenges in contemporary South Africa and one of them is to consider new technologies to enable effective and efficient planning for the future. In meeting the overall aim of the study, a number of goals were set. The first goal was to provide an overview of GIS implementation in local governments from an international perspective. This goal was achieved by reviewing literature on the subject which encompassed the technology's evolution and factors affecting implementation. Practical examples were cited to demonstrate the application of GIS in planning. The second goal was to examine the role of GIS within the South African planning context. An investigation of the relevant legislation provided a context within which GIS could be implemented at the local level. In order to arrive at the second goal, a suitable planning process was derived from a review of applicable planning theory. The third goal was to illustrate practically how GIS could be implemented and integrated into the planning process at the local level. This goal was achieved by carrying out a project within the Pietermaritzburg suburb of Mountain Rise. The results of the case study showed that GIS has a potentially significant role to play in planning at the local level. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.