Sabinet | The constitutional obligations imposed on a provincial government in instances where a municipality cannot provide basic services as a result of a crisis in its financial affairs
n Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg - The constitutional obligations imposed on a provincial government in instances where a municipality cannot provide basic services as a result of a crisis in its financial affairs Navigate this Journal About Previous issues ISSN :
Volume 2015, Issue 1,
Abstract HTML Metrics Related Content Abstract Local community dissatisfaction with provision of services has brought municipalities into the spotlight. Recently, South Africa has witnessed continuous community unrest coupled with destruction of property and loss of life, occurring in the wake of community demand for service delivery. Communities often direct their anger about lack of service delivery at municipalities, which constitute the local sphere of government, despite the fact that there are three spheres of government in the Republic, namely, the national, provincial and local government. Inherent in the three-tiered system of government is the allocation of powers to the different spheres in terms of which certain powers are for the exclusive jurisdiction of provincial government; others are within the concurrent jurisdiction of the national and provincial governments; and local government exercises its powers concurrently with the national and provincial government. The state of municipalities in the Republic indicates that many municipalities are unable to handle their affairs because, among other things, key officials in the municipalities lack appropriate competences and political leadership does not properly understand its role in local government. Moreover, a considerable number of municipalities experience financial difficulties. Accordingly, the state of municipalities in South Africa indicates that many municipalities may not be able to exercise their powers effectively and are, therefore, unable to deliver basic services.
Die grondwetlike verpligtinge opgelê aan &apos;n provinsiale regering waar &apos;n munisipaliteit weens &apos;n finansiële krisis nie basiese dienste kan lewer nie
Gemeenskapsontevredenheid met dienslewering het daartoe aanleiding gegee dat gemeenskappe uiting gee aan hulle woede teenoor munisipaliteite wat die plaaslike regeringsdomein uitmaak. Dit vind plaas ten spyte van die feit dat die regering in die Republiek uit nasionale, provinsiale en plaaslike vlakke bestaan wat ook verantwoordelik is vir dienslewering aan die gemeenskap. Hierdie artikel bespreek die verpligtinge wat die grondwet aan provinsiale regerings oplê wanneer &apos;n munisipaliteit versuim om basiese dienste as gevolg van &apos;n finansiële krisis te lewer. Verpligtinge van plaaslike regering word bespreek binne die raamwerk van die grondwetlike beginsel van samewerkende regering wat vereis dat die regeringsvlakke mekaar moet ondersteun en uit die perspektief van die beginsel van grondwetlike subsidiêriteit. Dit vereis dat die boonste vlakke van die regering bykomende dienste aan die laer vlakke moet lewer en uit die toesighoudende mag van provinsiale regering oor plaaslike regering waarvolgens van provinsiale regering vereis word om in &apos;n munisipaliteit in te gryp indien dit &apos;n afname in dienste toon. Ten slotte is die Suid-Afrikaanse stelsel met betrekking tot die verpligtinge van die provinsiale regering teenoor plaaslike regering goed vergelykbaar met die Britse stelsel ten aansien van die sentrale regering se verpligtinge teenoor die plaaslike regering. Hierdie artikel bevat &apos;n tersake vergelyking.