According to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, "Water is life, sanitation is dignity" Water, as a human right, is essential to sustain life, development and the environment. In Mazibuko and Others v City of Johannesburg and Others the fundamental right to have access to sufficient water and the right to human dignity were tested.

The Gauteng province took a policy decision in 2007 to promote municipal public accounts committees (MPACs) in municipalities in the province. Although these committees are structurally different from the standing committees on public accounts, (SCOPAs) they are to resemble SCOPA's. The main purpose of MPACs is to create a process of accounting that is more transparent, effective and efficient , thus enhancing political oversight and accountability in the use of municipal financial resources. MPACs are section 79 committees and fall within the domain of the speaker, who acts as the link between the MPAC and other municipal committees and structures.

The accountability of the executive to the council is a cardinal principle of good governance. Information flow is essential to holding it accountable for its decisions and performance in delivering services and meeting locally prioritised outcomes. A prerequsite for information flow is transparency in the manner in which the executive carries out its tasks, and this begs the question: are there fault lines in the design of the local government system that have given rise to a lack of accountability and responsiveness.

The Department of Public Service and administration has published for comment a draft Public Administration Management Bill aimed at creating a single public service. The long-waited Bill is being promoted as the magic bullet for addressing capacity shortages and streaming service delivery. The intention is that the Bill will be submitted to Parliament in June and passed this year. We outline key aspects of the Bill and raise a number of concerns.

At independence in 1980, Zimbabwe inherited a racially divided system of local government that was highly centralised. The current legal and administrative structures of local government are a product of both the colonial history and post-colonial reconstruction of the relations between central government and local authorities.

The DPLG's policy review process was kicked off with "65 questions for public engagements". Among the listed 65 questions, it asked: "What role should district municipalities play and how they should be structured?" A key problem has been the governance structure of districts: the uncomfortable combination of district-wide and local council representatives has not resulted in an integrated system of district government.

How does a municipality make its decision-making procedures clear and legally sound? How does it ensure that every councillor participate meaningfully in council meetings? How does it keep council and committee meetings orderly and prevent councillors from abusing their freedom of Expression? This article explores these questions in detail and postulates solutions on how to ensure that the Rules and Orders of council are respected and achieve their intended purpose.

"In line with the mandate assigned to municipalities as part of the vision of developmental local government, municipalities are expected to be active role players in all efforts to prevent the spread the of HIV and to mitigate the negative consequences of AIDS for communities". The various frameworks and plans guiding the HIV and AIDS response of local government insist on the municipalities role in mainstreaming HIV, and also in coordinating the local responses.

On 19 February 2008 the Constitutional Court (CC) considered an appeal by more than 400 occupiers of two buildings in the inner city of Johannesburg against a decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The decisions of the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court are discussed in this article.

Municipalities will play a key role in the government's response to the electricity crisis. In the wake of the recent peak in the ongoing electricity shortages, the Department of Minerals and Energy published draft regulations that aim to minimise electricity load-shedding and blackouts and improve the quality of electricity supply. To this end, a series of measures is proposed. The regulations are directed at licensees which include municipalities that sell electricity with a license from Eskom.

This is article was prepared by Davids Schmidt for the Good Governance Learning Network (GGLN) to stimulate debate and discussion in the GGLN as part of their process of preparing submissions for the DPLG's review of local government. However, the views expressed are his personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of the GGLN or its members. This article focuses on three key areas of reform. (1) The need to rethink the current legislative and regulatory requirements regarding participation. (2) The need to simplify and 'unbureaucratise" the specified municipal planning processes. (3) The need for an updated, more dynamic vision for local government that recognises the need for a much more differentiated approach to different kinds of localities.

In the past decade, local government has experienced a mass of legislation regulating its functioning. The question is whether the sheer volume, style, nature and scope of this legislative framework is facilitating or obstructing the achievement of local government's mandate of development. This article argues that the overload of laws may be strangulating local government's execution of its mandate. The revision of the White Paper on Local Government should therefore also look at the extent and manner of regulation.

What is subsidiarity? Subsidiarity is a general principle that says governance should take place as close as possible to the citizens. It translates into the protection of lower levels of government against undue interference by national government. It also translates into a preference for placing functions and powers at lower levels of government where possible.

The Key Financial policy objectives for sustainable local government are derived from constitutional obligations. These obligations require municipal organisation, planning and budgeting systems to target the provision of basic services and socio-economic development. Municipal Budgets are the main fiscal policy instruments that direct the revenue and expenditure stance of local government in achieving the service delivery targets.

On 19 December 2007 the Minister of Provincial and Local Government published for public comment draft regulations on property rates. The draft regulations set ratios for municipal property rates on different types of property. A key ratio that stirred much controversy was that the rate on state-owned property should be no more than of the rate on residential property. This has been slammed as unconstitutional and a threat to municipalities financial sustainability. Moreover, the draft regulations determine that rates on categories of property may not be increased by more than the Consumer Price Index.

This submission by the Good Governance Learning Network to the local government review provides an assessment of the practice of local governance in South Africa since the introduction of the White Paper in 1998. It is structured around three key thematic areas, which we believe together encompass the entire spectrum of issues that need to be reviewed

Considerable attention has been drawn to local governement's ability to facilitate public participation and the role and effective administration of ward committees. Undoubtedly, the most important aspect of the local government review is the need to improve the quality of local democracy, the degree of municipal responsiveness and accountability.

Do Property Rates Expire After Three Or After Thirty Years?

Until recently, local government in Ethiopia was treated as a "stepchild" of central and regional government. Although a strongly federal government has been in place since 1995, devolution of power has largely been limited to the regional level without any clear definition of the lower tiers of government.

Ward committees were formally introduced in 2000, and many municipalities soon commenced the process of establishing them. The establishment rate of ward committees across the country now stands at over 90% and is growing, indicating a firm commitment to this mode of community participation. This article submits a few observations on some of the obstacles to the functionality of ward committees.

The Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Act gives effect to section 229 (1) and 229 (2) of the Constitution and is one of the final building blocks in the creation of a regulatory framework to coordinate macro-economic tax policy objectives across all three spheres of government.

As one of the mandates of local AIDS councils (LACs) is to advise government on policy issues related to HIV and AIDS, political representation in the LAC helps ensure that crucial inputs on AIDS councils reach the agenda of the municipal council. This is one example of the type of local government leadership required to ensure widespread and sustainable responses to HIV and AIDS at the local level.

Section 14 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) read with the Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations issued in terms of the of the MMFA regulates the disposal of capital assets owned by municipalities.

Not that long ago, a democracy promotion organisation arranged a course ti help local councillors improve their capacity to represent voters. The skills it taught were how to hear what local voters were saying and how to speak on their behalf. After a while, the councillors complained that the course did not meet their needs. They wanted, they said to be taught "how to deliver services".

With the gradual implementation of the Local Government Property Rates Act, the impact of the new constitutional regime in the levying of property rates is slowly filtering through. The latest conflict concerned whether a provision of the old Cape Ordinance requiring the administrators consent for an increase in the rate was constitutionally valid.

The floor-crossing window period has come to and gone, affecting the composition of 128 municipalities. Although 280 politicians tried to cross, only 250 succeeded. This is a significant reduction in the number of councillors who crossed the floor compared with the first floor-crossing period in 2002 (555) and the second in 2004 (486).

Does the municipal council have a say in the appointments of administrative staff by the municipal manager?

There is widespread consensus that the severity of the HIV and AIDS epidemic cannot be curbed by the government on its own. In light of this realisation, the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) the highest-level multisectoral partnership body in South Africa, was established in 2000. Chaired by the Deputy President, its objectives include providing leadership, building consensus around HIV and AIDS policy and strategy matters, promoting intersectoral collaboration and overseeing the overall implementation and review of the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS.

Modern local government in Uganda traces its origins to British colonial rule. As it consolidated its hold on the territory, the colonial administration decided to introduce good government and ensure effectiveness and efficiency in administration by establishing elected local councils.

Service delivery protests in the spotlight. At first glance the photo accompanying this article seems more reminiscent of the protests which marked the struggle against the apartheid government than that of a recent service delivery protest.