South Africa’s current intergovernmental architecture was an important element of the country’s successful post-apartheid transition. A broadly unitary state, South Africa nonetheless adopted some of the framework and language of a federal system. The Constitution […]
Decentralization has been increasing in developing countries, oftentimes, with the encouragement of development partners. It is estimated that intergovernmental transfers account for about 60 per cent of total local government revenues in developing countries. Given this trend, the question […]
Failed service delivery at municipal level is not a new phenomenon, even in countries–such as South Africa–that have a relatively well-functioning local governance system. Local elections are an important–but often imperfect mechanism for ensuring effective […]
Improving service delivery is a major concern in global development agendas, but exactly how best to manage public resources to support better and more inclusive public service delivery in developing countries eludes clear guidance. Key […]
In a multi-level government system, the assignment of roles and responsibilities and institutional legacies between the federal and the subnational governments often create imbalances. A common challenges is a primary vertical fiscal imbalance, which is […]
Decentralization has gained prominence in Africa in recent years. In various jurisdictions, its success or failures have however been associated with instances of corruption to varied scales. This paper therefore discusses the extent to which […]
Fiscal decentralization is becoming a pressing issue in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting demands for a greater local voice in spending decisions and efforts to strengthen social cohesion. Against this backdrop, this […]
An important aspect of water and sanitation service provision is the fact that access to water and sanitation is, by its nature, provided at the lowest level of the public sector. As such, regardless of […]
PRESS RELEASE National Treasury is proud to launch “Municipal Money“, an open local government budget data portal which provides citizens and other stakeholders with access to comparable, verified information on the financial performance of each […]
The polls officially opened yesterday (August 3, 2016) in South Africa as the country voted in what could be one of its most pivotal elections in years. The African National Congress (ANC), the party of […]
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