Not another ‘night at the museum’ : ‘moving on’ - from ‘developmental’ local government to ‘developmental local state’

Abstract

Since the government transformation in 1994, various efforts have been made in South Africa to institute a developmental local government system to facilitate and enhance growth and development in all sectors of society and to (re)structure and (re)develop the fragmented urban regions in the country. This article argues that the local government system (including the municipal development planning system) in South Africa is not appropriate to effectively facilitate the type of development that is required in this country (and in this globalising space and time). In view of the above, this exploratory inquiry aims to unpack and explore the developmental status and characteristics of local government in South Africa. The article concludes with some challenges, questions and propositions in an attempt to stimulate interest, debate, further research and to determine a possible path towards a ‘new developmental local state’.

Sedert die regeringstransformasie in 1994, is daar verskeie pogings in Suid-Afrika aangewend om ’n plaaslike bestuur daar te stel wat ontwikkeling en ekonomiese groei in alle sektore van die samelewing bevorder en om die gefragmenteerde stedelike omgewings in die land te (her)struktureer en te (her)ontwikkel. Daar word geargumenteer dat die huidige plaaslike regeringstelsel (insluitende die munisipale ontwikkelingsbeplanningstelsel) in Suid-Afrika nie meer geskik is om die tipe ontwikkeling wat in hierdie veranderende wêreldruimte en tyd vereis word, effektief te fasiliteer nie. In lyn met die bogenoemde, het hierdie verkennende ondersoek ten doel om die ontwikkelingstatus en eienskappe van plaaslike regering in Suid-Afrika te ontrafel en te ondersoek. Hierdie artikel eindig met ’n aantal uitdagings, vrae en voorstelle, met die doel om belangstelling te prikkel, debatte en verdere navorsing te stimuleer en om ’n moontlike nuwe koers na ’n nuwe plaaslike ontwikkelingstaat te bepaal.

Haesale ho tloha ka diphetoho tse entsweng ke mmuso ka selemo sa 1994, ho entswe matsapa a mangata ka hara Afrika Borwa ho hlophisa mokgwa wa ntshetsopele wa mmuso wa lehae ho thusa ntshetsopele le ho ntlafatsa kgolo le ntshetsopele mafapheng ohle a setjhaba esitana le habopa hape le hontshetsa pele hape mabatowa a aroarohaneng ka hara naha. Ditabeng tsena ho qoqwa ka hore mokgwa wa tsamaiso wa mmus wa lehae (ho kenyeletswa le mokgwa wa mmasepala wa moralo wa ntshetsopele) ka hara Afrika Borwa ha o a nepahala hore o ka thusa ka matla mofuta wa ntshetsopele e hlokehang ka hara naha ena (le ka hara sebaka sena sa lefatshe le nako). Ka ho tadima tse mona hodimo, patlisiso ena ya thuto,2 e lebeletswe ho hlophisa le ho ithuta maemo a ntshetsopele le kamoo mmus wa lehae o tadimehang kateng ka hara Afrika Borwa. Qetellong, pampiari ena e fana ka diphepetso, dipotso le ditlhahiso, e le ho leka ho tsosa thahasello, diphehisano kgang, ho tswela pele ho etsa dipatlisiso, le thuto e ka bang teng mabapi le Mmuso wa Lehae wa Ntshetsopele o motjha.hahuwang teng, haholoholo ya bohlokwa ba bohaufi bo boholo ba mesebetsi (diprojeke) ya matlo ho fihlella menyetla ya phedisano le moruo ho tswa tjhadimong ya moahi.