Browsing Research Articles - Dullah Omar Institute by Issue Date
Now showing items 21-40 of 144
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The functioning of ward committees: Challenges and prospects
(Dullah Omar Institute, 2007)Ward committees were formally introduced in 2000, and many municipalities soon commenced the process of establishing them. The establishment rate of ward committees across the country now stands at over 90% and is growing, ... -
Defining local government powers and functions
(Sabinet, 2007)The functional areas of provincial and local government competency are listed in Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution, with those appearing in part A of each schedule confined to provincial government and those in part B ... -
Community participation: The cornerstone of (local) participatory democracy
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2007)Community participation is key to the functioning of local government. One of the constitutional objects of local government is to encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in local government. ... -
DPLG's policy review process: Local government under the spotlight
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2007)On 31 July 2007, the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) initiated a policy review process of provincial and local government. It will ultimately result in a first White Paper on Provinces and a discussion ... -
A secret ballot?
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2007)The Municipal Structures Act provides that the elections of office-bearers must takes place in a secret ballot. However, it does not stipulate what the consequences would be if every councillor did not, in fact, cast his ... -
Implications for local government of a single public service
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2008)The Department of Public Service and Administration has published for comment a draft Public Administration Management Bill aimed at creating a single public service. The long-awaited Bill is being promoted as the magic ... -
Subsidiarity in the Constitution slapstick asymmetry or a 'rights based' approach to powers
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2008)What is subsidiarity? Subsidiarity is a general principle that says that governance should take place as close as possible to the citizens. It translates into the protection of lower levels of government against undue ... -
Rules and orders: The building blocks of good governance
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2008)How does a municipality make its decision-making procedures clear and legally sound? How does it ensure that every councillor can participate meaningfully in council meetings? How does it keep council and committee meetings ... -
Who can appoint commissions of enquiry: conducting a 'section 106 investigation'
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2008)If the member of a province's executive council (MEC) responsible for local government suspects maladministration, fraud, corruption or any other serious malpractice in a municipality, that MEC must designate a person or ... -
Court condemns political interference in municipal manager's appointment
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)Amathole District Municipality, a municipality controlled by the African National Congress (ANC), advertised the position of municipal manager. The recruitment process was subject to the municipality’s Recruitment Policy, ... -
The political-administrative interface in local government - Assessing the quality of local democracy
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)Municipalities have registered a tremendous democratic and service delivery record, yet the public perception of them is troubling. Municipalities are too often identified with corruption, inefficiency and inaccessibility. ... -
Formulating the pillars of a turnaround strategy About Previous issues
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)The turnaround strategy (TAS) for local government is gaining momentum. Initiated by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CGTA), the TAS is aimed at identifying the drivers of the distress in ... -
Are ward committees working? Insights from six case studies
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)The research presented in this book sets out to offer a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the functioning and value of ward committees. In-depth qualitative studies of six ward committees are described. They provide ... -
Position paper on the provincialisation of personal primary health care services
(South African Local Government Association, 2009)Primary health care (PHC) was internationally accepted in 1978 as the preferred system for health care. It is defined in the Declaration of Alma Ata and includes essential care, which is appropriate, available and affordable ... -
Book Review: Improving local government
(Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, 2009)Academic literature that engages in a comparison of local government systems, policies and practices and their impact on democracy and development is hard to come by. Yet, these comparisons are critical as they shed light ... -
New leaders, persistent challenges...What lies in store for local government?
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)The outcome of the elections of 22 April is critical for local government. The success of ‘developmental local government’ depends to a large extent on the choices the incoming national and provincial governments make ... -
Wolf in sheep's clothing?
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)Section 156(1) of the Constitution is the basis for the status of local government in the Constitution. It provides that municipalities have authority over the matters listed in Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution. ... -
Post-election analysis: Editorial
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)The 2009 national and provincial elections have come and gone. As expected, the results have reshaped politics. The new President has promised a marked improvement in the service delivery and performance of the public ... -
Bridging the gap between theory and practice: Reviewing the functions and powers of local government in South Africa
(Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, 2009)The purpose of this practice note to evaluate the current allocation of functions and powers in the Constitution, and furthermore to propose a set of criteria to guide decisions on where powers and functions are best ... -
The withholding of rates and taxes in five local municipalities
(Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2010)The Community Law Centre, in partnership with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and SALGA, recently completed a research project on the phenomenon of rates withholding in five South African municipalities. ...
