Assignment of responsibilities to the spheres of Government: towards a theoretical base.

Abstract

As required by constitutional principle XVI, government in South Afriea is structured at national, provincial and local levels (subsequentty redesignated "spheres"). The inference to be drawn from this requirement is that each sphere of government will be a worthy one, charged with responsibilities appropriate to that sphere. The article highlights the importance of the assignment of responsibilities in relation to the country's system of government and administration, before proceeding to a critical examination of the assignment scheme that is operative in ~outh Africa at present. A theoretical model for the assignment of responsibilities to the spheres of government is presented, against the background of various shortcomings evinced by the present scheme, and in the light of wider research into the assignment question. The model making a contribution to a Public Administration approach incorporates a proposed technical language, a purpose-specific classification scheme, a number of principles which are assumed to be valid, and a particular methodology..