South African Municipal Government And Administration

Aims to enlighten and inform citizens about municipal governmental processes and administration. This book is suitable for the development of informed citizens as well as efficient councillors and officials, and is also essential for university and technikon students.

Book & CD. Significantly updated to reflect all the latest legislation, this sixth edition remains a user-friendly text for all who have dealings with local government. One of the new features is the accompanying CD-ROM, which contains regulations concerning procurement, fair administrative procedures and the new legislation on corruption.

Local government is at the forefront of development. In South Africa the ambitious policy objectives of post-apartheid reconstruction and development hinge on the successful creation of a democratic tier of government close to the people. An entirely new system of 'developmental local government' has thus been introduced. As is the case in many developing countries, the responsibilities of municipalities in South Africa have been extended dramatically, often without adequate resources. Managing municipalities for development therefore requires political will and strategic intervention. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to developmental local government. It includes: the design of the new local government system and the issues posed by decentralisation; an overview of specific challenges of urban and rural municipalities; a discussion of special issues facing local government including poverty, gender and environment; new tools for local government, including budgeting, indicators, municipal partnerships and capacity building.

Book & CD. In a developmental state like South Africa, municipalities have the specific responsibility of generating growth and development in their areas of jurisdiction. Through consultative processes, municipal goals and functioning are in the public domain. As co-creator of the future of local communities, municipalities must master the totality of local governance. To do this, current and prospective municipal managers need to understand, for example: the role and functions of municipalities in South Africa; the constitutional dispensation as it affects municipalities; the strategic orientation of municipalities within the global and national contexts; the capacities and resources available; best practices as far as management processes, procedures and methods are concerned. The book explores the multifaceted nature of municipal management in South Africa and focuses the readers attention on selected key strategic issues such as: local economic development; local democracy; disaster risk reduction.