The relationship between state and citizens is ‘like a marriage gone bad’

With several attempts made and strategies sought by the government to save ailing municipalities, experts believe the ship is sinking.

Experts unpack

Three experts from the North West University School for Government Studies yesterday discussed virtually what SA’s municipal future holds, whether service delivery shortcomings were a salvageable problem and if the lack of capacity was a chronic disease.

Researcher and lecturer in public management and governance Dr Christa de Wet said a democracy could be compared to a legal marriage between two “people” – the state and its citizens.

Rights need to be realised

She said many clauses in the Bill of Rights were styled on how “everyone has the right to”, followed by the “state required to take responsibility” with reasonable legislative and other measures to achieve progressive realisation of those rights.

“The interpretation from these clauses is that people demand and the state delivers. Inaction on the state’s part invites mass protests.

“It is important that the government is expected to fulfil their responsibilities. But, equally, South Africans must not forget their responsibilities and roles as responsible and active citizens that shape society,” said De Wet.

She said in the fragile relationship between state and citizens – local government and residents – the seismic consequences were a marriage gone badly.

Lack of municipal capacity

Lecturer in politics and international relations Dr Frank Lekaba said the lack of municipal capacity was a chronic disease which SA could heal from, especially in municipalities.

He said the lack of service delivery at local government reflected the competency of provincial and national government. “The municipality is just an implementing agency of national and provincial policy directives and the failures reflect across,” he said.

Lekaba said the state of service delivery or wasteful expenditures and unending maladministration paint a bleak picture of the future of the country and was worsened by seemingly unstable coalition governments.

“It is something we cannot avoid. With recent developments in both the City of Joburg and City of Ekurhuleni, coalition governments were unstable.

“We have to think how we can empower and come up with a mechanism to manage coalition governance to get rid of instabilities that are embedded in [them]. Coalitions must be handled. They impact on service delivery.”

Professor of public administration Kedibone Phago said there was a lack of quality of leadership all round.

“Mayors, municipal managers and councils have been weakened, extremely,” Phago said.

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