Over the past half century, there has been an increasing globalized trend towards democratic decentralization. Decentralization can be defined as the transfer of governing power, authority and fiscal control from central to local government, and is a highly contentious process of governance (Stren 2011). Within this overarching process, there are many forces that work in conjunction with one another in order to make decentralized governments function aptly. Deconcentration of governing power, fiscal decentralization, and devolution of tasks to lower level authorities are main components that are present in a functional decentralized government, but achieving these pillars has proven to be extremely difficult across the global community. Within
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Complex political histories that often feature ethnic conflict and widespread racial inequality make each country within Africa a separate entity that must approach decentralization from an independent approach. African nations have many reasons to aspire to achieve decentralized government, namely efficient governance, apt service delivery, and democratization. Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa each offer unique perspectives on the successes and failures of decentralization and the capabilities of local government in providing governance and services conducive to positive human …show more content…
The new constitution of South Africa signed in 1996 had a greater focus on local government than did most other African nations comparatively throughout history. While South African local government is extremely functional compared to many other sub-Saharan governments, issues such as lack of service delivery and the unemployment rate of 24.3% and the youth unemployment rate of 49% pose serious issues that can’t be solved at just the local level (African Economic Outlook 2015). Furthermore, political contention between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance pose serious threats to the sustainability of local government functionality. Major cities in South Africa such as Johannesburg and Cape Town that are largely self financing reap extensive benefits and have powerful local governments, whereas rural areas in this nation face desperate living conditions (Cameron 2014). Unlike many nations, South Africa offers a more stable and successful portrait of democratic decentralization, but at the same time, this nation still faces extreme deprivation of basic human services and centralized
Complex political histories that often feature ethnic conflict and widespread racial inequality make each country within Africa a separate entity that must approach decentralization from an independent approach. African nations have many reasons to aspire to achieve decentralized government, namely efficient governance, apt service delivery, and democratization. Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa each offer unique perspectives on the successes and failures of decentralization and the capabilities of local government in providing governance and services conducive to positive human …show more content…
The new constitution of South Africa signed in 1996 had a greater focus on local government than did most other African nations comparatively throughout history. While South African local government is extremely functional compared to many other sub-Saharan governments, issues such as lack of service delivery and the unemployment rate of 24.3% and the youth unemployment rate of 49% pose serious issues that can’t be solved at just the local level (African Economic Outlook 2015). Furthermore, political contention between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance pose serious threats to the sustainability of local government functionality. Major cities in South Africa such as Johannesburg and Cape Town that are largely self financing reap extensive benefits and have powerful local governments, whereas rural areas in this nation face desperate living conditions (Cameron 2014). Unlike many nations, South Africa offers a more stable and successful portrait of democratic decentralization, but at the same time, this nation still faces extreme deprivation of basic human services and centralized