In this dissertation a study was undertaken of environmental
administration in city-status local authorities in South Africa. Local
authorities in South Africa constitute the third tier of government.
They are established to provide essential goods and services to the
community and to contribute to the national goal of community
welfare. The services rendered by a local authority affects the quality
of life of its inhabitants. South Africa is presently undergoing a period
of transition and there are demands placed on local authorities to
improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. Local authorities have
become increasingly sensitive to environmental matters.
Environmental administration plays a pivotal role in improving the
quality of life of the community.
In order that local authorities carry out their environmental functions
efficiently and effectively, it is essential that the enabling generic
administrative processes, managerial, functional, auxiliary and
instrumental activities be instituted and executed. The enabling
administrative processes include policy-making, organising,
financing, staffing, determining methods and procedures and
exercising of control. In the execution of these duties it is imperative
that the normative factors, namely respect for environmental rights,
ethics of environmental conservation, requirements of administrative
law, maintenance of public accountability, fairness and
reasonableness, efficiency and effectiveness and transparency and
freedom of information be taken cognisance of.
Attention was focused on the policy-making process emphasising
environmental concepts and applications, environmental projects,
pressing environmental issues, environmental awareness and external
participation. Organisational structures in the form of committees are
regarded essential to ensuring effective environmental administration.
Appropriate and specific financial allocations are necessary
for the environmental administration function. Well defined staffing
practices are basic to ensuring that municipal functionaries involved in
environmental administration achieve their objectives. Methods and
procedures have to be constantly reviewed in the light of overall
changes in environmental administration. The exercising of control is
vital to ensure that the processes of environmental administration are
performed within the context of the normative factors.
The recommendations contained in the dissertation are directed at
continuous review of environmental administration in local authorities
within a conceptual framework which constitutes the following
functions, policy-making, organising, financing, staffing, determining
methods and procedures and exercising of control. Focus was placed
on processes such as :
(i) the formulation of environmental policy;
(ii) designing separate organisational structures;
(iii) specific budgetary allocations;
(iv) the need for staffing practices to ensure that
objectives are achieved;
(v) the need for uniform and constant review of methods and
procedures; and
(vi) establishing codes of conduct relevant to environmental
administration. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/5074 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Reddy, Vimla. |
| Contributors | Sing, Deoram. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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