We are pleased to share the paper Local Government: Crises Decades In The Making And How To Deal With Them. The paper is written by Terence Corrigan, IRR Projects and Publications Manager and funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
As local elections approach, the failures of many of our municipalities have become front of mind for South Africa. Dysfunctional towns and cities constitute some of the most acute burdens on the quality of life and economic prospects of the country. Their malaise is turning into an existential issue for South Africa’s future.
And while the everyday symptoms – gaping potholes, burst pipes and uncollected refuse on our streets – claim public attention, beneath them lie a series of profound political and structural problems. Local government, as it is currently constituted, is not designed to succeed in South Africa’s current realities.
Beyond the polls on November 4, South Africa’s local government system needs to be fundamentally reformed.
