1. Local government management workshop
Higher Certificate in public management
19 march 2016

2. Introduction
Lecturer/Facilitator Andrew Tucker B Com LLB, Attorney of the High Court of South Africa Contact details:

3. Workshop programme 08:30 – 09:30 Course Overview 09:30 – 09:35 Break
09:40 – 10:00 Assignment Questions
10:00 – 10:30 Your questions and problem areas

4. Resources

5. Introducing Local Government
Local government is a type of government which focuses on the specific needs of people, within specific areas, boundaries, and is commonly known as a municipality. For example, the Ethekwini municipality which is allocated in the Durban.
Local municipalities exercise legitimate authority because of the free and fair elections which South Africa manages through its constitution
One of the major challenges are the limited resources and the unlimited needs of the people within communities
The functions of the municipalities involve the delivery of services, planning, budgeting, etc.
Local government has specific powers, given by the central or provincial government, within a specific area

6. Why is local government so important
Local government forms the basis for a democratic society.
Important Terminologies
Local Authority:
Can be defined as an organization with elected and appointed officials which operates within a designated area. The Constitution of South Africa gives the right to the local government structures to govern.
Local Governance
Here the organizations like civil society become important, where partnerships between the government and the community are encouraged

7. Local government Constitution reigns supreme Spheres of government
Co-operative government

8. Co-operative government
Section 41 of the Constitution contains the principles of co-operative government
See pages 13 – 14 of Study Guide

10. Nature of local government
A local area and local community formed by common interests, whether rural, urban or regional;
Participation by a local community in the government of its local affairs – grassroots democracy;
A local political unit with executive and legislative powers of government as the third sphere of government, and powers of taxation to control, regulate and develop local affairs and render services by means of co –operative government.

11. Constitutional provisions
Chapter 7 of the South African Constitution of 1996 deals with local government
Sections

12. Supremacy of constitution & LG status
Constitution is our supreme law – everything tested against the Constitution
Constitution provides for local government status

14. National & provincial government powers
National and Provincial Government have power to ensure municipalities perform their functions efficiently and effectively

16. Principles and goals of local administration
195. Basic values and principles governing public administration
1. Public administration must be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution, including the following principles:
a. A high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained.
b. Efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted.
c. Public administration must be development-oriented.
d. Services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias.
e. People's needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy making.
f. Public administration must be accountable.
g. Transparency must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information.
h. Good human-resource management and career-development practices, to maximise human potential, must be cultivated.
i. Public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity,  fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation. 

17. The developmental tasks of local govt

18. Values & principles in the public sector
The values & principles governing public administration
Difference between ethics & professionalism
Legislative support
Institutions that the values apply to

19. The 9 values & principles
See pages

20. Challenges and issues Ethics Corruption Efficient use of resources
Accountability

21. Reality of Local Government
Backlogs in service delivery
Need to recognise the connections between urban and rural areas
Transformation of municipalities are urgently needed
Relationships between the municipalities and the communities need to be established

22. Features & characteristics of local govt
See pages

23. Structures & functionaries for local governance
Institutional structures
Political structures & key functionaries
Administrative structures & key functionaries
Civil society

24. Categories of municipalities
Section 155 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, makes provisions for the following categories of municipality:
● Category ‘A’: a municipality that has exclusive municipal executive and legislative authority in its area;
● Category ‘B’: a municipality that shares municipal executive and legislative authority in its area with a category C municipality within whose area it falls; and
● Category ‘C’: a municipality that has municipal executive and legislative authority in an area that includes more than one municipality.

25. Functionaries (Political)
Speaker
Executive Mayor
Mayor
Mayoral Committee

26. Functionaries (administrative)
Municipal Manager
Treasurer / CFO
See page 60

27. Services rendered by local authorities
See pages

28. Contemporary issues & challenges
Strategic management
Ethics
Risk management
Information management
Knowledge creation

29. Financial Management
Budgets & control
Revenue generation
Legislation

30. Assignment questions