Towards Building Direct Democratic Governance Through the Ward Committee System in South African Local Government

2022 ◽  
pp. 222-241
Author(s):  
Ndwakhulu Stephen Tshishonga
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
Community Governance ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

This chapter interrogates the ward committee system as an instrument in an institutionalised local government level to advance direct participatory governance. The ward committee has a constitutional mandate upon which accountability, democratization, community governance, and inclusive participation in the municipal decision-making is enhanced. The ward committee system was legislated to create a platform for community participation and enhance accountable local governance. Structuration theory has been used to engage with elements of representativity, powers, skills, functionality, access to information, influence in decision-making, and relationship with others structures as developed by Smith and de Visser. The chapter made use of various case studies to interrogate the role, potential, and challenges of the ward committee system in forging direct participatory governance.

scholarly journals A Proposed Model in Fundamental of Decision Making Process at Local Government Level

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamarudin Ngah ◽  
Zaherawati Zakaria ◽  
Zaliha Hj Hussin ◽  
Nazni Noordin ◽  
Jamaludin Mustaffa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

scholarly journals The Political-administrative interface in South African municipalities: Assessing the quality of local democracies

2010 ◽  
pp. 86-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaap De Visser
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
South African ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Administrative Leadership ◽  
The Political ◽  
Executive Authority ◽  
Political Interference ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

South African municipalities experience serious challenges in dealing wit the interface between politicians and officials. Inappropriate political interference in administrative matters as well as strained relations between key political and administrative officials in the municipalities appear to be the order of the day. Oftentimes, the lack of a separation of powers between legislative and executive authority at local government level is blamed for this. This contribution has attempted to draw the attention away from the conflation of legislative and executive authority in the municipal council while still recognising it as an important background. It is suggested that, instead of spending energy on examining a possible separation of powers in local government, the relevant stakeholders (i.e. national lawmakers, municipalities and supervising provinces) should consider smaller institutional changes to the governance makeup of municipalities. Even more importantly, the political and administrative leadership of municipalities and political structures that surround them should be acutely aware of the consequences that inappropriate political leadership has on the functioning of municipalities and therefore on service delivery.

scholarly journals Specifics of the decision-making process in crises

2021 ◽  
Vol 200 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-386
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Ścibiorek ◽  
Wojciech Horyń ◽  
Zenon Zamiar
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Scientific Analysis ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

The article presents scientific deliberations, including decision making in crises. Apart from the presentation of the decision-making process specificity, the scientific analysis confronts it with the research conducted on the group of 102 people responsible for crisis management at the local government level. The research results indicate a similar approach to the effectiveness and speed of decision-making. In contrast, dualism characterized the issues of information acquisition, flexibility in decision making, management of reserves in the form of forces and means to carry out the respondents’ tasks, and the need to inform the population about the possible consequences of a crisis. Despite the specifics of the decision-making process, most respondents (87%) believed that one person should decide but on the grounds of the decision-making process.

scholarly journals United Kingdom Freedom of Information Act 2000, Local Government and Everyday Regimes of Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 40-70
Author(s):  
Lynn Wyeth
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Freedom Of Information Act ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

The United Kingdom’s Freedom of Information Act 2000 commenced in 2005 with the objectives of openness and transparency, accountability, better decision making and public involvement in decision making. However, there have been limited studies of its long-term impacts on government practices and how far the Act has delivered on its stated objectives, and even fewer studies into how Freedom of Information works in practice, especially at local government level. Addressing these gaps in existing knowledge, this research seeks to critically evaluate existing regimes of practices across local authorities. It seeks to identify the multiple practices surrounding the implementation of the 2000 Act, evaluate how these practices are reproduced, and generate lessons for practice and alternative modes of delivering Freedom of Information.

Entrepreneurship Management at the Local Government Level: The Experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 388-407
Author(s):  
Patricio Gigli ◽  
◽  
Donatela Orsi ◽  
Marisel Martín Aramburú ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
National Level ◽  
Development Issue ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Government Level

This paper aims at describing the experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (Ciudades para Emprender or CPE) of the National Directorate of Community and Human Capital (which belongs to the SEPYME), National Ministry of Production. This paper starts from the premise that entrepreneurship takes place at the most micro level of the offer and, therefore, is a concept associated with the characteristics of the environment closest to that offer: the local territory. However, there is little history in the country of public policies relating the issue of entrepreneurship with the local management. That is why we take as a starting point the conceptualization of the chosen framework: local governments and the development issue, seen from the perspective of entrepreneurships. Moreover, an overview is given on the structural characteristics of municipalities in Argentina. In addition, some international experiences and attempts to promote entrepreneurship at a national level are analyzed. Finally, the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (CPE) is outlined, based on a summary of the diagnoses of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of the selected cities and the tools used and their execution status at the time of publication of this paper.

Exploring the Uncharted Territory of Devolution in Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jephias Mapuva ◽  
George P Miti
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
Enabling Environment ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Local Levels

Devolution, which was incorporated into the Constitution of Zimbabwe through section 264, is a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe. This incorporation came about because of the need for participatory governance and the devolution of power away from the centre. Over the years, local governance has been informed by a plethora of pieces of legislation that do not provide an enabling environment for citizen participation, giving Zimbabwe’s local government a chequered history that excludes citizens from participating in public affairs that affect their lives. An analysis of section 264 of the Constitution revealed that devolution has the propensity to enhance transparency, efficiency and effectiveness as well as the fulfilment of central government’s responsibilities at provincial and local levels. This article argues that the belated implementation of the devolution of power has delayed improved service delivery, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability within local governance. This article further seeks to explain how the implementation of section 264 of the Constitution can bring about good local governance.

An Empirical Study of the Financial Mismanagement of Internally Generated Revenue in Ife South Local Government of Osun State, Nigeria

Think India ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Adeola Ajayi
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Revenue Generation ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level ◽  
Descriptive Statistical Analysis

This study focused on financial mismanagement of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Ife South Local Government. It also identified viable sources of revenue in the local government and examined problems militating against effective collection of revenue. This study was necessitated by the need to ensure increased revenue generation in Ife South local government of Osun State, Nigeria. Primary and secondary sources of data were utilized for the study. The primary data were collected through structured questionnaires. Respondents were selected from career officers in GL. 03-16 in departments and units of finance and supplies, administration, primary healthcare, agriculture, town planning and estate valuation of the local government, thus 180 respondents were sampled representing 29.31% of 614 staff strength of these departments and units of the local government. The questionnaires were administered using descriptive statistical analysis such as frequency and percentage value. The study revealed that there are many viable and non-viable sources of revenue in Ife South local government, the myriad of problems militating against effective collection of the revenue and the poor financial management of internally generated revenue which aptly explains why the local government could not be developed. The study concluded that the share of local government from the statutory allocation be increased, routine auditing and post-auditing from the supervising ministry should be encouraged at the local government level and that the local government should also intensify her effort on increase revenue generation in order to withstand the challenges posed by the current global economic crisis.

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