Why it is so much harder to access government resources, when South Africa's concentration on local power should be bringing them closer?
Why it is so much harder to access government resources, when South Africa's concentration on local power should be bringing them closer?
This was the subject of a discussion during ThinkFest, during the National Arts Festival Hosted by the Grahamstown Legal Resources Centre (LRC) at Eden Grove Blue lecture theatre, the topic was Inclusion and Accountability in Local Planning and Development.
LRC's Sarah Sephton said the organisation recognises the need for proper local government practices to be carried out, and realises that increasingly, communities are not involved in local planning and development.
In an intriguing discussion, chaired by journalist and talk show host, Eusebius McKaiser, with Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Dr Lechesa Tsenoli and Rhodes’ Dr Nomalanga Mkhize, unpacked the dilemmas that our societies are facing.
The discussion focused on how the current government system tries to include communities in their planning and how communities are involving themselves in local government.
Mkhize argued that local government has, in itself, assumed power to the extent that it becomes an initiator of projects rather than a manager.
“The paradox is that power is concentrated in the Local and Provincial Government for resources, yet the more locally concentrated it is, the harder it is to access resources; the question is why it is harder to access local government when it is closer to you?” said Mkhize.
In response to Mkhize's argument, Tsenoli explained in depth the three spheres of government which is local, provincial and national and how these are interlinked.
“We cannot deny that power lies in the centre and then is delegated to the other spheres.
Every mess that happens in municipalities is a result of political wars. Municipalities become successful because of communication with residents,” said Tsenoli McKaiser's view was that residents are often presented with drafted policies that in theory are flawless, but the practicalities of these policies remain questionable.
Questions were posed by the audience as to how communities could become directly involved in local government.
One member of the audience slammed municipalities, saying that they are unresponsive to the needs of the ordinary citizen.
“Municipalities have an incapacity and an unwillingness to help the people who place them in power," he said.
Tsenoli, in defence, argued that residents must also be responsive, and agitate to become more conscious about what is happening in their communities.
Another member of the audience said, "Municipalities that don’t interact with residents must be shut down.”
Mkhize emphasised that transformed thinking is required when it comes to dealing with accountability in government.
“We need cross-class interest groups at local government level,” said Mkhize.
