Decentralization South Africa
Implementing the decentralization of water and sanitation services is a key topic in many developing countries. Decentralization involves transfer of functions, assets, staff, infrastructure and budget from the national level to the local level. Experience in South Africa illustrates that this process is not an easy one, even though they successfully undertook the process as part of the sector wide approach (SWAp) in a collaborative manner.
Protests are a wakeup call for policy makers
25 Nov 09
"The protest and demonstrations from angry citizens in South Africa since 2008 about failures of delivery of electricity and water are good things. They needed to happen to serve as a wakeup call for policy makers and managers in government", says Abri Vermeulen.
South Africa is rethinking its decentralized water services
15 Oct 09
Water service delivery failures at the municipal level are a widespread and fundamental problem in South Africa. There are recurring stories in the popular press since early 2009 of poor communities receiving sub-standard basic services, and sometimes no services at all. Municipalities continue to receive qualified audits, to have barely reduced service delivery backlogs in almost a decade, to be plagued by poor physical infrastructure, and there is a generalised problem of poor governance at the municipal level.
Common agreement through joint policy process
11 Aug 09
Decentralisation of the water services function caused a conflict of interests between the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on the one hand and local government on the other.
