What ar arecritical issues facing the local goverment system in South Africa today?
There are several issues that hamper the smooth functioning of the local government system in South Africa. The fixed term employment contracts for senior managers within municipalities affect continuity of officials. This results in patronage. Thanks to the Executive Mayor system, roles get blurred between political/legislative and the executive/managerial/operational. The executive powers allocated to Executive Mayors are often abused and deliberately misinterpreted to further other aims than what they are intended for. Conflicting legislations also create confusion in their implementation. The Municipal Finance Management Act prohibits Councillors and officials from engaging in business with the municipality where they work or any municipality in the country. The Municipal Systems Act, on the other hand, only requires the person concerned to declare their pecuniary interest when the matter is dealt with. Allocation of functions to municipalities is also problematic as some of these
