NYAWOSIAN THEORY, KEYNESIAN THEORY ,DECENTRALISATION, GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES : THE APPLICATION OF CONTEMPORARY LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONCEPTS

By

 Nyawo Gumede

Tshwane University of Technology

gumedenb@tut.ac.za &  engwavuma@yahoo.com

                                        

Abstract

Under the new democratic   Constitution of South Africa  , national ,provincial and local government work together as cooperative  government . Cooperative   government   situates local government within a system of cooperative government.  Under  the  new  system  local government  is a decentralized  sphere of government in its own right. National government has constitutionally decentralised   some functions and powers to the  provinces  and  local municipalities in South Africa. The nine   provinces have their decentralized   provincial administrations led by Premiers and the provincial cabinets. The constitution   mandates the decentralized local government to : Provide democratic and accountable government for local communities, Ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, Promote a safe and healthy  environment, Promote social and economic development, Encourage the involvement of communities and community organizations in the matters of local government(Constitution,1996)

It is important to note that the current decentralised structure of provincial and local government is affected by the historical background of South Africa. Good governance at provincial and local government   and the implementation of  public administration principles in the spheres  of government  has tremendous challenges in South Africa. Decentralized local and provincial governments in South Africa are sub-systems of public administration and are therefore bound by the values and principles of public administration as outlined by the constitution. Has decentralisation of government   facilitated  good governance at local and provincial government spheres?.Practice has shown that   although South Africa theoretically is decentralised in terms of government , in practice ,it has retained more unitaristic  and centralistic  features in its cooperative government approach. National  government  still  strongly  controls the provinces and their local municipalities. The critical goal of this discourse is to examine the application of Nyawosian theory, Keynesian theory,  decentralisation and  governance principles  in local government.

Abstract

Under the new democratic   Constitution of South Africa  , national ,provincial and local government work together as cooperative  government . Cooperative   government   situates local government within a system of cooperative government.  Under  the  new  system  local government  is a decentralized  sphere of government in its own right. National government has constitutionally decentralised   some functions and powers to the  provinces  and  local municipalities in South Africa. The nine   provinces have their decentralized   provincial administrations led by Premiers and the provincial cabinets. The constitution   mandates the decentralized local government to : Provide democratic and accountable government for local communities, Ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, Promote a safe and healthy  environment, Promote social and economic development, Encourage the involvement of communities and community organizations in the matters of local government(Constitution,1996)

It is important to note that the current decentralised structure of provincial and local government is affected by the historical background of South Africa. Good governance at provincial and local government   and the implementation of  public administration principles in the spheres  of government  has tremendous challenges in South Africa. Decentralized local and provincial governments in South Africa are sub-systems of public administration and are therefore bound by the values and principles of public administration as outlined by the constitution. Has decentralisation of government   facilitated  good governance at local and provincial government spheres?.Practice has shown that   although South Africa theoretically is decentralised in terms of government , in practice ,it has retained more unitaristic  and centralistic  features in its cooperative government approach. National  government  still  strongly  controls the provinces and their local municipalities. The critical goal of this discourse is to examine the application of Nyawosian theory, Keynesian theory,  decentralisation and  governance principles  in local government.

Key Words: NyGPyramid Model,  Keynesian Theory , Decentralisation, Governance, Local Government