scholarly journals moderating and mediating role of local government in the community engagement strategy of a renewable energy company in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
Bryan Michael Kenneth Robinson ◽  
Siân Stephens
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Energy Company ◽  
The Face

Adopting a qualitative case study approach of a renewable energy company in South Africa, the research investigated community engagement within the tripartite relationship of a wind farm, the communities, and the local government. It was found that local government played a moderating role in the community engagement efforts of the wind farm which had to comply with certain engagement protocols determined by local government. Local government also played a mediating role in corporate community engagement, as the wind farm developed their engagement strategy in alignment with local government’s policies and acted as a ‘dot-connector’ between local government and communities. The wind farm played a reciprocal mediating role on local government’s own engagement with their communities in the face of local government’s inefficiencies and complemented service delivery outcomes. The wind farm’s engagement strategy thus enabled local development which was appreciated by communities and local government.

scholarly journals 11 YEARS OF DECENTRALIZATION: HOW DO LOCAL PEOPLES THINK ABOUT DECENTRALIZATON?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Towar Ikbal Tawakkal
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Local Election ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Government ◽  
Good Leader ◽  
Choose People

Law 32/2004, changing the face of local government, from centralization to decentralization. Decentralization is not only related to administrative stuff but also politics. The law gift rights to society to participate in local governance. It means, hopefully, that democracy values which become the spirit of decentralization, can be applied by local peoples. Through participating in governance, peoples can maximize local development. After one decade, decentralization presenting various achievements. Some cities or regencies, such as Surabaya City, can develop quickly, but others slowly. Different achievement and similar opportunity among them produced questions about how local peoples understand decentralization. Generally, this article will talk about two big questions: how do local peoples think about democracy? and, how do local peoples see political instruments in local level?. This article is based on a survey in Surabaya City during May 2016. Survey have conducted by questionnaire to 1023 respondents The result showed that local people limit the meaning of decentralization. 50,7% respondents were not interested in general political issues, and only 7.5% who were interested. The numbers explained that Surabaya peoples tend to be apathetic to politics. Even, the survey also found only 21.3% respondents who believe that democracy is a way to welfare. But, when respondents were asked question about the priority of meaning of democracy, 25.8% respondents (high percentage) see democracy as an opportunity to change the government. They seen local election (Pilkada) is the opportunity, choose people who will be local government leader. We can conclude that Surabaya peoples did not apply democracy values (all kind of political participations) completely, in local governance, but they were interested in having a good leader. That why Surabaya peoples see political decentralization is a local election (Pilkada)

scholarly journals Journey towards Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development at the Local Government Level: The Case of Hessequa Municipality in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Fouché ◽  
Alan Brent
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Participatory Processes

The purpose of the research on which this article reports was to investigate how renewable energy forms part of the strategy of a local government, and to evaluate how participatory processes are utilised in the development and communication of this municipal strategy. The research was conducted with Hessequa Municipality, a local authority situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A new aspect of the research was an attempt to consider renewable energy options as part of the municipal strategy, and not as a standalone project. Action research was undertaken and the resulting qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Cognitive mapping was used to display the data and to analyse the causal relationships between different strategic themes. The causal relationships explicitly show that many opportunities for renewable energy solutions are evident in the form of: biomass-to-energy, low-carbon local economic development, small-scale embedded generation, waste-to-energy, and feed-in tariffs. The barriers for implementation are aging infrastructure and financial and legislative constraints. Participatory processes formed an integral part of the strategy formulation, and a unique visualised strategy was developed for communication with local citizens—a first for a local municipality in South Africa.

scholarly journals Democratic decentralisation, citizen engagement and service delivery in South Africa: A critique of legislative and policy considerations

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-95
Author(s):  
Purshottama S Reddy ◽  
Jayanathan Govender
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Developmental State ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
Governance System

Negotiations to restructure and transform local government in South Africa commenced in 1993. Key roleplayers and stakeholders in local government were instrumental in adopting a negotiated local government model comprising three distinct phases during the constitutional development process. The Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) facilitated the process for the introduction of transitional local and metropolitan councils which constituted the first phase. Local government elections were held for the first time in November 1995 and May/June 1996 in seven provinces (and thereafter Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) constituted the second phase. Three fundamental legislative enactments, i.e. Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 (Act 27 of 1998); Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) and the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), were critical to the final phase. Elections held in December 2000 marked the end of the transition period resulting in a reduction of municipalities from 843 to 283. There were two successful local government elections held thereafter on 26 March 2006 and more recently on 18 May 2011. Regular elections and the plethora of legislation introduced to consolidate the new dispensation have resulted in local democracy and decentralization being deeply rooted in the local governance system. The latter is an integral component of the local governance policy framework as the country has a diverse population of almost 50 million people. It is believed that a democratic and decentralised governance system will promote local development, address poverty reduction, facilitate civic engagement and ensure national integration. Local democracy, introduced seventeen years ago following the ushering in of the developmental state in 1994, has since been tried and tested. Despite ‘world class’ legislation and a ‘best practice’ local governance system, which has as its basis people centred development, engagement and decentralisation, several governance challenges has emerged. This includes inter alia, unfunded mandates; rampant corruption and nepotism;violent service delivery protests; capacity constraints; crime, lack of communication, transparency and accountability; limited civic engagement and a significant number of municipalities that are not financially viable. These issues will have to be addressed if Chapter 7 of the Constitution has to become more meaningful to the majority of the populace in terms of discharging its developmental mandate.

scholarly journals Jalan Terjal Menuju ASEAN Economic Community: Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah Kabupaten Banyumas di Sektor UMKM

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (02) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Ayusia Sabhita Kusuma
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Development ◽  
National Development ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Central Java ◽  
Main Requirement ◽  
The Face ◽  
Asean Economic Community ◽  
Small Medium Enterprises ◽  
Medium Enterprises

AbstrakASEAN Economic Community 2015 menuntut liberalisasi perdagangan di tingkat nasional dan daerah untuk menjadi basis produksi dan pasar tunggal ASEAN. Untuk menghadapi ini, pembangunan daerah sebagai basis pembangunan nasional mesti mempersiapkan diri untuk memanfaatkan peluang dan meningkatkan daya saing ekonomi lokal. Kabupaten Banyumas adalah kabupaten yang potensial di Provinsi Jawa Tengah. Data menunjukkan bahwa sektor UMKM di Kab. Banyumas mengalami peningkatan baik dari segi jumlah usaha, penyerapan tenaga kerja, maupun nilai dari produk. Namun, permasalahan yang ditemui adalah kurang optimalnya akses pembiayaan atau modal UMKM, permasalahan di bidang pemasaran, serta kurangnya kualitas Sumber Daya Manusia. Perumusan kebijakan yang tepat guna untuk menghadapi permasalahan-permasalahan di sektor UMKM tersebut, adalah syarat utama yang menunjukkan dukungan Pemerintah Daerah terhadap UMKM. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji efektifitas kebijakan pemerintah daerah Kab. Banyumas di sektor UMKM dalam menghadapi ASEAN Community 2015.Kata-Kata Kunci: ASEAN Economic Community, Kebijakan, UMKM, Pembangunan DaerahAbstractASEAN Economic Community in 2015 demanding the liberalization of trade at national and local levels to be the basis of production and single market of ASEAN. To face this, local development as the basis foundation for national development should prepare to optimize the opportunities and increase the competitiveness of the local economic. Banyumas district is a potential district in Central Java Province. Data shows that SMEs sector in Banyumas district has escalated its development both in terms of the number of SMEs, absorption of work forces, and the increasing value of the products. Nevertheless, the problems are less deficient access of financing or SMEs capital, marketing, and the lack of the quality of human resources. The needed of formulating right policy to face problems in SMEs sector is the main requirement which shows support form local government. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of local government policy of Banyumas district in SMEs sector in the face of ASEAN Community 2015.Keywords: ASEAN Economic Community, Policy, Small Medium Enterprises, Local Development

scholarly journals Tourism and Local Economic Development in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, South Africa: Stakeholder Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 10(1) (10(1)) ◽  
pp. 145-164
Author(s):  
Thobeka Dlomo ◽  
Christian Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Stakeholder Perceptions ◽  
Stakeholder Perspectives ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
The Impact

Over the past two decades a major burst of scholarship has occurred around tourism and local economic development futures in South Africa. This study addressed the question of key stakeholder perceptions of local economic development through tourism as the economic driver. In addition, it examines the challenges for enhancing the local development role of the tourism sector. Arguably, stakeholders at the coalface of tourism and local development issues, such as tourism business owners and local government officials, can offer useful insights into the everyday problems of maximizing the impact of tourism in local municipalities. The focus is on the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality (KSDM) in Eastern Cape province. The results are presented and dissected from 33 interviews conducted with private sector stakeholders as well as 20 government stakeholders. Stakeholder perceptions were investigated concerning three major themes: (1) the role and prospects for tourism and local economic development, (2) the use of municipal assets for tourism development; and, (3) the challenges facing tourism businesses for local economic development The research findings underscore several factors that explain the decline of the tourism economy of KSDM since 2006 and reduced its contribution to local economic development. Central issues surround crime and safety, infrastructural deficiencies, and shortcomings of the local government itself, including its failure to maintain critical municipal assets essential for tourism development.

scholarly journals The politics of service delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purshottama S. Reddy
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Development ◽  
African State ◽  
Political Management ◽  
The Republic

The post-1994 democratic developmental South African state opted for a strong local government system which has been constitutionalised, in terms of Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The politicisation of the local bureaucracy was inevitable as the ruling party sought to ensure that the executive leadership of municipalities shared the same political ideology and vision to facilitate local development. This raises the question, where does politicisation commence and end, and what is the ideal local political interface for efficient and effective service delivery and, more importantly, to ensure good governance? These questions have to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a ‘struggle democracy’ and development has to take place in historically disadvantaged areas, where services have been poor or non-existent. The historically advantaged areas have to also be maintained and upgraded, as they are key to financial sustainability of the municipalities. The increasing service delivery protests is a matter for concern, if one has to take cognisance of the popular adage highlighted in official literature, ‘if local government fails, South Arica fails’. Given that the struggles for a democratic South Africa were fought at the grassroots level, this has to translate to an improved quality of life for local communities. Consequently, sound political management is key to enhanced municipal service delivery and ultimately good local governance. This paper reviews political trends and developments up to 2016, but excludes any discussion on the recent local government elections.

Evaluating Community Engagement and Benefit-Sharing Practices in Australian Wind Farm Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Lansbury Hall ◽  
Jarra Hicks ◽  
Taryn Lane ◽  
Emily Wood
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Delphi Panel ◽  
Government Organizations

The wind industry is positioned to contribute significantly to a clean energy future, yet the level of community opposition has at times led to unviable projects. Social acceptance is crucial and can be improved in part through better practice community engagement and benefit-sharing. This case study provides a “snapshot” of current community engagement and benefit-sharing practices for Australian wind farms, with a particular emphasis on practices found to be enhancing positive social outcomes in communities. Five methods were used to gather views on effective engagement and benefit-sharing: a literature review, interviews and a survey of the wind industry, a Delphi panel, and a review of community engagement plans. The overarching finding was that each community engagement and benefit-sharing initiative should be tailored to a community’s context, needs and expectations as informed by community involvement. This requires moving away from a “one size fits all” approach. This case study is relevant to wind developers, energy regulators, local communities and renewable energy-focused non-government organizations. It is applicable beyond Australia to all contexts where wind farm development has encountered conflicted societal acceptance responses.

The Prophetic Voice of the Church in a Democratic South Africa – A Theological Reflection

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lufuluvhi Maria Mudimeli
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The State ◽  
Black Liberation ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Black Liberation Theology ◽  
Prophetic Voice ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Church

This article is a reflection on the role and contribution of the church in a democratic South Africa. The involvement of the church in the struggle against apartheid is revisited briefly. The church has played a pivotal and prominent role in bringing about democracy by being a prophetic voice that could not be silenced even in the face of death. It is in this time of democracy when real transformation is needed to take its course in a realistic way, where the presence of the church has probably been latent and where it has assumed an observer status. A look is taken at the dilemmas facing the church. The church should not be bound and taken captive by any form of loyalty to any political organisation at the expense of the poor and the voiceless. A need for cooperation and partnership between the church and the state is crucial at this time. This paper strives to address the role of the church as a prophetic voice in a democratic South Africa. Radical economic transformation, inequality, corruption, and moral decadence—all these challenges hold the potential to thwart our young democracy and its ideals. Black liberation theology concepts are employed to explore how the church can become prophetically relevant in democracy. Suggestions are made about how the church and the state can best form partnerships. In avoiding taking only a critical stance, the church could fulfil its mandate “in season and out of season” and continue to be a prophetic voice on behalf of ordinary South Africans.

The Legal Status of Local Government in South Africa under the New Constitutional Dispensation

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbuzeni Mathenjwa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Case Law ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Republic ◽  
First Time

The history of local government in South Africa dates back to a time during the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. With regard to the status of local government, the Union of South Africa Act placed local government under the jurisdiction of the provinces. The status of local government was not changed by the formation of the Republic of South Africa in 1961 because local government was placed under the further jurisdiction of the provinces. Local government was enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa arguably for the first time in 1993. Under the interim Constitution local government was rendered autonomous and empowered to regulate its affairs. Local government was further enshrined in the final Constitution of 1996, which commenced on 4 February 1997. The Constitution refers to local government together with the national and provincial governments as spheres of government which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. This article discusses the autonomy of local government under the 1996 Constitution. This it does by analysing case law on the evolution of the status of local government. The discussion on the powers and functions of local government explains the scheme by which government powers are allocated, where the 1996 Constitution distributes powers to the different spheres of government. Finally, a conclusion is drawn on the legal status of local government within the new constitutional dispensation.

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