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Developmental local government as a catalyst or an impediment towards a South African developmental state

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dc.contributor.advisor Gumede, Vusi
dc.contributor.author Mohale, David Matheakuena
dc.date.accessioned 2020-08-05T11:07:04Z
dc.date.available 2020-08-05T11:07:04Z
dc.date.issued 2017-06
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26596
dc.description Includes bibliographical references: leaves 201-224 en
dc.description.abstract South African authorities formalised their goal to pursue a developmental state with the adoption of the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2012. It is clear from the reading of the NDP that the authorities are convinced that the developmental state approach is a cause for development. The declaration to construct a developmental state is interesting at best or bizarre at worst in that developmental states are often identified by assessing their (economic) performance over a period. They hardly sought out to intentionally build developmental states. The South African governance system has implications for a quest to construct a developmental state. Whereas the literature on East Asian countries tends to focus on the role of central governments in economic development, the South African governance places a huge emphasis on cooperative governance between the three spheres of government. To this end, the constitution spells out the specific developmental objectives that must be pursued by municipalities. This essentially means that the system of cooperative governance, and the extent of effectiveness of local government, will either catalyse or impede the realisation of South African developmental state. Developmental states are often distinguished from others by their structures, roles and outcomes. Their structures and roles are developmental and are a cause for soaring outcomes. This logic was employed to analyse the nature of structures and roles in eight (8) selected municipalities over a 15-year period and how these influenced the actual policy performance. Findings that emerged from over 30 interviews with high ranking officials in various institutions and the thorough analysis of a number of documents confirm that structures and roles in municipalities are far from being developmental. The study also found that informal factors have effectively ‘juniorised’ local government as a sphere of government despite the constitution emphasising the equality of all three spheres. In the final analysis, local government is incapacitated to carry out its developmental mandate. It is against this reality of incapacitation of local government that the study argues that the performance of local government, measured against its constitutional objectives, effectively impedes the realisation of a developmental state in South Africa. en
dc.format.extent 1 online resource (xx, 230 leaves) : 1 map (color), illustrations
dc.language.iso en en
dc.subject Developmental state en
dc.subject Developmental local government en
dc.subject Cooperative governance en
dc.subject Decentralisation en
dc.subject Capacity en
dc.subject Institutions en
dc.subject Legitimacy en
dc.subject Embeddedness en
dc.subject Leadership en
dc.subject Bureaucracy en
dc.subject.ddc 320.9685
dc.subject.lcsh Neoliberalism -- South Africa -- Free State en
dc.subject.lcsh Political development -- South Africa -- Free State en
dc.subject.lcsh Local government -- South Africa -- Free State en
dc.subject.lcsh Economic development -- South Africa -- Free State en
dc.subject.lcsh Free State (South Africa) -- Politics and government -- 21st century en
dc.title Developmental local government as a catalyst or an impediment towards a South African developmental state en
dc.type Thesis en
dc.description.department Development Studies en
dc.description.degree D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies) en


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