GOLD Report I - UCLG

AFRICA32 United Cities and Local GovernmentsMore generally, African decentralizationsystems classify lower-tier localauthorities according to their level ofdevelopment or urbanizationte from this rule: local governments may beauthorized to deposit all or only part oftheir available funds with the Treasury.In countries with a British administrativetradition, local governments also haveelected deliberative bodies; executivebodies are either elected or appointed. Theterms of office of deliberative bodies aresimilar to those infrancophone countries,but those of the executivebody –one tothree years– are shorter.Furthermore, reelectionis not alwayspermitted. Mayors generallyhave a ceremonialrather than executiverole. Real executive poweris actually held by another public official,the Town Clerk or Chief ExecutiveOfficer, who more often than not is appointedat the national level by the Minister forLocal Government. As they do in francophonecountries, national associations supportinglocal governments seek furtherdecentralizing reforms in anglophonecountries, including the establishment oftrue executive powers for mayors, and anextension of mayors' terms of office.Governance of Major CitiesMost countries on the African continent areexperiencing a marked trend toward urbanization,the gradual movement of ruralpopulations into the cities. This phenomenonis considered a vector of modernizationand competitiveness, not only forcities, but also for the surrounding territories.In most parts of Africa, the organization ofmajor metropolises –particularly capitalcities– tends to display specific features.Such features can be identified in politicalcapitals such as Rabat (Morocco), Lusaka(Zambia), Dakar (Senegal), Tswane (SouthAfrica), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Accra (Ghana)and Algiers (Algeria). Common elementsare also apparent in big cities whoseimportance is determined by demographicor economic weight, such as Johannesburg(South Africa), Douala (Cameroon), Kumasiand Shama-Ahanta (Ghana). All suchmajor cities are governed by distinct legalarrangements that constitute importantorganizational and managerial exceptionsto the more common laws of municipalities.In Morocco, the new commune charterof October 3, 2002 made specialarrangements for cities with morethan 500,000 inhabitants. Thesecities are managed by a single communewith arrondissements that arenot legal entities. Morocco modeledits system on the French politicalconfiguration of Paris, Lyon and Marseille(known as PLM Law).The Moroccan charter also decreedspecial status for the urban communeof Rabat, the capital, and the Mechouarcommunes where the royalpalaces are situated.Typically, major African cities are dividedinto sub-urban administrative units, whichmay be separate legal entities. The latter isthe case for the urban arrondissementcommunes in Douala and Yaoundé inCameroon. Sub-metropolitan communescreated in this way are governed by thecommon law of municipalities. Conversely,in some countries sub-metropolitan unitsremain sub-municipal bodies withoutadministrative autonomy; this occurs inAccra and Kumasi in Ghana, and Cotonouin Benin.Elections also differ somewhat in majormetropolises; the deliberative body is electedby direct universal suffrage, as forexample in Algeria, Nigeria, Gabon andMadagascar. Those elected then appointone of their fellow representatives asmunicipal executive. Another method ofselection is appointment by indirect universal