Whither responsive and responsible local governance?

Abstract

The local government is the coalface of public governance and development in South Africa according to the 1996 Constitution. It is the part of government that is closest to even the most marginalised people in society, affecting them by how it provides their basic necessities such as water, electricity and social relief. it is the sphere of government that is expected to be responsive to society's needs almost by design. The key question that arises is: What exactly does a responsive local governance entail? it is imperative to highlight, for reasons of context, that this question is asked specifically because the extent to which municipalities are responsive to the needs of their communities is considered critical for the realisation of the objectives of a developmental mandate. The idea that responsive governance cannot be achieved without municipalities fostering active engagements and interactions as well as mutual cooperation with the communities that they serve. This chapter discusses this and identifies what responsible local government entails and echoes some of the points made in previous chapters as far as these relate to responsiveness.