South Africa cannot afford to direct its focus entirely on national government; provinces and municipalities are where much of the country’s future will be determined.
This is a key part of the message that the Institute of Race Relations delivered to the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) at an engagement convened to dialogue with civil society earlier this week.
In a statement, the IRR pointed out that despite considerable provision in South Africa’s system of government for subsidiary ‘spheres’ of government to take on responsibility, ‘the prevailing conversation has been about access to central power. This is reinforced by the centralised nature of the governing African National Congress’.
The Institute noted that ‘political authority is increasingly fragmenting and dispersing. Political contenders will need to be prepared for this new future’.
The main priorities of ordinary South African voters, as revealed in IRR polling, ‘are matters of socio-economic and personal wellbeing: quality of life issues such as jobs, service delivery (with a particular focus on water and electricity), and safety’.
‘Provincial and municipal authorities have significant influence over these aspects of life. In view of the general dysfunction of the South African state, reform-minded administrations will need to explore ways of making the greatest possible use of the opportunities their incumbencies offer.’
The Institute warned that sub-national government should not be regarded as a second-string priority. This would require talented and capable people to manage it.
The Institute also argued that without significantly improved economic growth, South Africa’s future could not be guaranteed.
‘In 2024, the Institute will be releasing a set of detailed proposals setting out how South Africa can achieve growth rates of as much as 7% per annum. Sustaining this for a decade would effectively double the size of the economy.’
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