Book Chapter - 'The Role of Local Authorities in Intergovernmental Conferences in South Africa’

This role that local government plays in intergovernmental conferences is addressed at the hand of four interrelated questions: First, what is the formal place of local government within the legislative framework of intergovernmental relations?

Secondly, how do local governments and organized local government perform their formal role in intergovernmental relations in practice? Thirdly, given the wide diversity of local governments, from very small local municipalities to mega-metropolitan municipalities, does the latter perform a different or separate role in intergovernmental relations? Finally, can local government’s role in intergovernmental relations be improved, and if so, how? The chapter argues that the South African Constitution premises devolution upon the principles of sound intergovernmental relations and cooperative government, and that local government is an integral part of that system primarily through organized local government. Despite its strong place in the overall system, various factors hamper the fulfilment of that role. Moreover, organized local government finds it difficult to represent all categories of municipalities, particularly the large metropolitan municipalities. Finally, local government can do better in asserting its own voice in intergovernmental conferences, but that requires some adjustments to its functioning, as well as a change in attitude of provincial and national governments.

The book ‘Local Government Structure and Intergovernmental Relations: An Urban-Rural Perspective’, Karl Kössler and Eva Maria Belser (eds), was published by Springer Cham.

This chapter can be accessed here. [Open Access]