The 2011 local government elections: considering policy and legislative responses to local government challenges
Abstract
Within the context of the 2011 local government elections (hereafter the
2011 elections), this article explores the correlation between the main issues
raised by political parties as local government challenges and Government’s
understanding and response to these challenges in terms of policy and
legislation. This is also contextualised within the different ideological understandings
of democracy by the main political parties. The argument in this article
is on the nature of these policy and legislative amendments, their development,
connections with the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS), the State
of Local Government in South Africa Report as well as the interpretation of local
government challenges by the major political parties during the 2011 elections.
After considering the local government legislative context, the 2011 election
manifestos of the ANC and the DA, policy assessments by Government as well as
recent legislative amendments, the article concludes that a clear understanding
of local government challenges does exist, and that a more activist approach is
evidenced by amending legislation; however the focus should rather be placed
on the day-to-day governance of local government
Collections
- Faculty of Humanities [2042]