SOUTH AFRICA-POLITICS: DELEGATING MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

CHRIS LOUW

PRETORIA, Nov 17 1994 (IPS) - THE FIRST CONCRETE STEPS TO DEMOCRATISE SOUTH AFRICA’S SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WILL START JAN. 1 WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF LOCAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCILS.

RACIALLY BASED CITY AND TOWN COUNCILS WERE LEFT LARGELY UNTOUCHED BY THE COUNTRY’S FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN APRIL.

DURING MULTIPARTY TALKS HELD LAST YEAR IT HAD BEEN DECIDED TO HOLD LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS AROUND APRIL 1995. HOWEVER, LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER ROELF MEYER RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT FOR LOGISTICAL REASONS THESE ELECTIONS WILL PROBABLY TAKE PLACE IN OCTOBER NEXT.

BUT CHANGES TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSITION ACT WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UP BEFORE THE PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDE FOR TRANSITIONAL COUNCILS IN METROPOLITAN AND SOME NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS.

LOCAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCILS HAVE TO BE PUT IN PLACE IN ORDER TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S ELECTIONS, INCLUDING THE COMPOSITION OF VOTERS’ ROLLS.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES PROVIDE FOR ARBITRATION COMMITTEES. POWERS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE NINE PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURES TO APPOINT EITHER A TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL OR A COORDINATING COUNCIL AFTER ARBITRATION.

IN EFFECT, THIS MEANS THAT THE OLD RACIALLY-BASED SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA WILL CHANGE BY DECEMBER 31.

WHITE RIGHT-WING COUNCILS WHICH PREVIOUSLY RESISTED THE INTEGRATION PROCESS HAVE NOW BECOME MORE PRAGMATIC.

PRIOR TO THE ELECTIONS, RIGHT-WING ‘BURGERRADE’ (CIVIL COUNCILS) SAID THEY WERE READY TO TAKE OVER AT LEAST 283 WHITE- CONTROLLED TOWN COUNCILS COUNTRYWIDE TO FOIL CAREFULLY NEGOTIATED PLANS TO REPLACE THEM WITH NON-RACIAL ONES.

MEMBERS OF THE ‘BOEREKOMMANDO,’ A WHITE PARAMILITARY GROUP, IN THE TRANSVAAL BARRICADED SEVERAL MUNICIPAL OFFICES WITH RAZOR WIRE AND SANDBAGS IN WHAT WAS TERMED SYMBOLIC GESTURES TOWARDS FORMING AN AFRIKANER HOMELAND. THEY DECLARED OPEN WAR AGAINST THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSITION ACT.

THE CONSERVATIVE AFRIKANER VOLKSFRONT (AVF) SAID IT WAS READY TO PLAY ITS FINAL TRUMP CARD TO THWART THE TRANSITIONAL CONSTITUTION BY HIJACKING TOWN AND CITY COUNCILS IN ALL PROVINCES.