Decentralisation: instrument for constitutional development in South Africa

Abstract

After a brief introduction focussing on the nature of and reasons for decentralisation, its history in developing societies is reviewed. This is followed by a survey of decentralisation as it has been used as a policy option by the South African government over the last decade. A distinction is maintained between policies of horizontal decentralisation (the tricameral system, privatisation and deregulation) and that of vertical decentralisation (the fostering of autonomous black “states”, the new provincial system, the deregulation of local government and the creation of Regional Services Councils to administer “general” affairs at the local level). It is concluded that the South African government is committed to the overall maximisation of its decentralisation programmes.