cities

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) is in place to ensure that
the three spheres of government work together effectively. COGTA has initiated several programmes
aimed at supporting implementation and building the capacity of local government to deliver (Figure
6.3). The 2009 Local Government Turnaround Strategy was an attempt to kick-start dysfunctional
governments, while the more recent Back to Basics strategy is focused on getting municipalities to
move away from top-down service delivery to a culture of serving communities. Finally, the Integrated
Urban Development Framework (IUDF) is designed to unlock the development synergy that comes
from coordinated investments in people and places. All of these programmes and strategies influence
governance in cities, and the more recent initiatives are framed by Vision 2030 and the long-term
growth path mapped in the National Development Plan (NDP).
Delivering a well-governed democratic developmental city
Development is about having relevant policies, particularly industrial policy, as well as specific
institutional arrangements (both formal and informal, and public and private) that together provide the
optimum conditions for economic growth and development. Cities should be seen as local
developmental states, as most cities have defined and delegated political and bureaucratic powers,
distinct jurisdictions, fiscal authority and a direct relationship with citizens (Heller, 2015; Thun, 2006;
Zhu, 2004). In this sense, they are “critical sites of economic transformation and social transformation”
(Heller, 2015: 2).
City management involves coordinating and integrating public and private activities to tackle the
development challenges of an entire city or a particular city space. All these processes are located in
particular social and economic contexts related to history, geographic location, politics and leadership.
The challenge in South African cities is that service delivery deficiencies are most pronounced in historically
black townships and informal settlements because of apartheid legacies. This means that the efficacy of
governance is different in different parts of the city (and indeed in different parts of the country), as
measured by the quality of local services and institutions, the democratic participation of local citizens
and communities in policy-making, and the accountability of elected and public representatives.
6
A particular challenge is to change the relationship between their governments and citizens from
“provider and beneficiary” to “reciprocal cooperation” (McLennan, 2009). The IUDF views urban
governance as (COGTA, 2014a: 11):
managing the intergovernmental dynamics within the city, relations with the province and with
neighbouring municipalities. City governments need to manage multiple fiscal, political and
accountability tensions in order to fulfil their developmental and growth mandates. The result
will be inclusive, resilient and liveable urban spaces.
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