The long road to local democracy
Talking as colleagues about inclusive plans for the future marked the early years of the local government transition.
The lighter side of local government
Self-helping a way to somewhere else.
10 years of highs and lows
10 years of highs and lows.
Delivery and discontent
Parliament went to the heart of the matter this year when a special committee, chaired by Lechesa Tsenoli, investigated the many causes of service delivery protests – and made a series of recommendations on what should change. This is an extract from the final report tabled in September.
The crisis of ‘service delivery’
Government has failed to listen to people, choosing instead to dump services on them, says MARTIN LEGASSICK, so it’s no wonder that community-based social movements are on the rise.
The damaging assumptions
Much of the idealism and optimism of the White Paper era has gone, says DAVID SCHMIDT, but now there’s an opportunity to tackle its unintended consequences.
Talking to Lechesa Tsenoli
The sign on his office wall says ‘short-term pain, long-term gain’, and that’s what’s needed now. Passionate about local government, the chairperson of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Co-ordinated Oversight on Service Delivery reflects on 10 years of progress and problems.
Driving service delivery
As the only city manager of a metro who has been there from the beginning, and who was previously head of the Demarcation Board, MICHAEL SUTCLIFFE reflects on what this decade has been like for eThekwini.
Talking to Thabo Olivier
Enthusiastic ward councillors who champion local issues can assist communities to drive development, as this councillor in Mangaung’s historic Ward 19 shows.
Talking to Sicelo Shiceka
There’s a busy time ahead, says the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), urging everyone to get involved in local government reform.