Return to search

Metropolitan management and planning in South Africa

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of and the need for metropolitan planning and government structures in the
development of cities have become evident over the last century. Internationally, the
approach to metro governance has evolved from informal metro management structures into,
for example the more formalised two-tier or single tier systems of London and Toronto. The
recent changes in these systems indicate that there is not one system that is universally
accepted as the best.
South Africa has not escaped the metropolitan development process and the resulting
problems that went hand in hand with this. The first form of metropolitan planning in South
Africa occurred in 1940, with the inception of the Joint Planning Committees. Later, in 1986
the institution of Regional Services Councils served as the first form of metropolitan
governance. In 1995 the first democratic Local Government elections hailed the entry into
democratic metropolitan government structures. With the proclamation of six new
metropolitan areas South African metropolitan governments adopted the two-tier
metropolitan system.
Since 1995 South African local government structures have undergone major
transformations. Proponents of the current two-tier system failed to anticipate the pressures
of Central Government for change to the one tier, megacity or unicity model. Critics of the
government's plans argued strongly for the retention of the current two-tier model and for
minimal organisational change. The disruption that yet another transformation will cause, is
one of the main objections.
In the Cape Town and Durban Metropolitan Areas the consensus seems to be that the
present two-tier system is working well and that it should be retained. In the case of
Johannesburg Metropolitan Area many problems were encountered, especially the inability
to redistribute local government income. The consensus there is that a unicity model will
work better.
Whether the unicity model is the answer to urban sustainability for all metropolitan areas of
South Africa, is still a disputed fact. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van en die behoefte aan metropolitaanse beplannings- en
regeringstrukture in die ontwikkeling van stede het oor die afgelope eeu baie ooglopend
geword. Die benaderings tot metropolitaanse bestuur in internasionale kringe het beweeg
van die meer informele metropolitaanse bestuurstrukture na die meer formele een- of
tweevlak stelsels van byvoorbeeld Londen Of Toronto. Die onlangse veranderinge in hierdie
stelsels is 'n bewys dat daar nie een stelsel beataan wat universeel as die beste aanvaar
word nie.
Suid Afrika het nie die proses van metropolitaanse ontwikkeling en die gepaardgaande
probleme daarvan vrygespring nie. Die eerste vorm van metropolitaanse beplanning in Suid
Afrika was die instelling van die Gesamentlike Beplanningskomitees in 1940. Later in 1986
met die totstandkoming van streekdiensterade was daar vir die eerste keer sprake van 'n
vorm van metropolitaanse regering. Met die eerste demokratiese verkiesing van plaaslike
regeringsisteme in 1995 is ses tweevlak metropolitaanse egerings in suid Afrika ingestel.
Sedert 1995 het plaaslike owerhede in Suid Afrika grootskaalse veranderinge ondergaan.
Voorstanders van die huidige tweevlak stelsel het nie daarin geslaag om die druk van
Nasionale Regering om te verander na 'n eenvlak, unistad of megastad sisteem, af te weer
nie. Kritici van die regering se planne het hewige argumente aangebied vir die behoud van
die huidige sisteem asook vir minimale organisatoriese veranderinge. Die hoof beswaar was
die grootskaalse ontwrigting wat nog 'n transformasie proses sou meebring.
In die Kaapse en Durbanse Metropolitaanse Gebiede is daar konsensus oor die
werkbaarheid van die tweevlak stelsel en ook dat dit behoue moet bly. Johannesburg
Metropolitaanse Area daarenteen het etlike probleme ondervind, veral met die verdeling van
munisipale inkomste. Daar is konsensus dat' n unistad model waarskynlik beter sal werk.
Of die unistad model die antwoord is op stedelike volhoubaarheid in alle metropolitaanse
gebiede in Suid Afrika, is steeds 'n debatteerbare punt.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51827
Date03 1900
CreatorsKoopman, Claudia
ContributorsClaassen, P. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format109 leaves : illustrations
RightsStellenbosch University

Page generated in 0.0014 seconds