Metropolitan Government Reform: The limits of formal organisation
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2007
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Les Presses de l'Universite Laval
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
In a previous article, Cameron traced the evolution of metropolitan government in South Africa largely within the context of Public Administration reform in the country. Issues such as performance and efficiency were highlighted. This chapter is also an account of the development of metropolitan governance in South Africa but it has a somewhat wider focus. It attempts to locate metropolitan government reform in South Africa within the broader international debate of the merits of consolidation versus that of fragmentation. The policy changes from a fragmented system of local government to a two-tier metropolitan system and then to a unitary metropolitan government system within a relatively short period of time are discussed. The chapter also shows chat metropolitan government reform was part of a wider decentralization program of national government. Empowered local government was now responsible for promoting social and economic development and improving service delivery. Public participation was a key aspect of these reforms. Metropolitan government had to promote development but at the same time it also had to attempt to try and make cities globally competitive.
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Reference:
Cameron, R. (2007). Metropolitan Government Reform: The limits of formal organisation. In Collin, J. & Robertson, M. (eds.), Governing Metropolises: Profiles of Issue and Experiments on Four Continents. Quebec: Les Presses de l'Universite Laval. 345-371.