Municipal government : acknowledging democratic imperatives

Abstract

Since the new democratically elected national government assumed power in 1994 all systems of government and administration on all spheres in South Africa had been reconsidered. Every process, procedure and structure had been scrutinized to ensure that every remnant of the previous apartheid system was eradicated and replaced by a fully democratic system of government with a commensurate system of administration and management. This article reviews the system of municipal government and administration that was established since 1994 to determine whether it meets the requirements of a truly democratic system i.e. a system in which the citizens are afforded maximum opportunities to participate in governance.