Equity and ‘No Fee’ Schools in South Africa: Challenges and Prospects

South Africa's second democratic election of 2 June 1999 was, for all its calmness, as momentous as the dramatic election of 1994 which installed Nelson Mandela and the ANC as the leaders of the first multiracial government in South Africa's history. Election '99 South Africa tells the story of the crucial 1999 general election through the eyes of leading South African and international experts. It summarises the first five years of democratic government, the parties' election campaigns, the final election results and the future prospects for South Africa.

This research is among the first pieces of work to use the comprehensive school safety (CSS) framework to assess the impacts of floods on quality learning and education infrastructure. The CSS framework is employed here to identify the level of disruption to education services following floods in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2013. The paper poses three key questions, concerning: (i) disruption to children's access to quality education during the flood emergency in 2013 and the early recovery phase; (ii) the impact of the floods on a school's physical infrastructure; and (iii) the effectiveness and level of success of the 2013 flood responses by relevant stakeholders. Combining quantitative and qualitative strategies, the paper examines the experiences of 100 schools in Jakarta. The findings suggest that the CSS framework offers a more nuanced approach to assessing post-disaster education needs. Moreover, it is also relevant for examining the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and relative losses in the education sector.

In this swift-moving age with its modern, high-powered printing presses turning out books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications at marvelous speed and in great quantities, it is assumed that every teacher reads. Granting this assumption, this very pertinent question is suggested: Are teachers reading professional literature or are they merely reading for pleasure ? A study covering the first half of the school year 1930-1931 throws some light on this question. This study was based on the replies of nearly one thousand teachers in sixteen southern states. These teachers were asked to list titles and authors of books, names of magazines, and other publications from which they had sought or received aid in teaching and school management during the period under consideration. The study was limited to white elementary teachers in the open country and in towns of 2,500 population or less. The co-operation of state departments of education and of county superintendents was secured in obtaining a fair sampling of teachers in each state from which replies were solicited. Of the 978 teachers who returned usable replies, 9.4 per cent had less than a high school education; 14.5 per cent had a high school education with no work above high school; 20.2 per cent had one year above high school; 26.8 per cent had two years above high school; 19.4 per cent had more than two years above high school; and 9.7 per cent failed to report on this point. The returns were fairly well distributed among different sizes of schools. Of those reporting, 25.3 per cent were teaching in one-teacher schools; 15.7 per cent in two-teacher schools; 7 per cent in three-teacher schools; 29.4 per cent in schools with from four to nine teachers; and 22.3 per cent in schools of ten or more teachers.

The article provided insights into why local government and service delivery must be rethought in light of digital transformation. It exposed the significance of digital transformation in solving local government and service delivery challenges. The article followed a qualitative research approach. It employed document analysis and literature review as data collection instruments. It argued that digital transformation can help local governments in South Africa fulfil constitutional obligations and meet policy goals. It demonstrated how digitally transformed local government can solve service delivery problems through the deployment of digital technologies that improve decision-making, cut costs, streamline operations, and offer efficient services. The article revealed that the digital divide, lack of technical expertise, data security concerns and resource constraints are some of the challenges that can affect the digital transformation of local government and service delivery in South Africa. These challenges must be resolved for digital transformation to play a significant role in improving the effectiveness of local government in service delivery. The article recommended that local governments in South Africa digitally transform in ways that foster equality and deliver local government services to all citizens. The article contributes to scholarship advocating for public sector innovation broadly, and specifically, illustrates the criticality of embracing digital transformation of local government and service delivery. Keywords: Digital Transformation, Digital Technologies, Local Government, South Africa, Service Delivery

Coalition governance in South Africa is adjudged as an opportunity for nation-building and social compact, which intends to jettison the apartheid legacy of racial and social separation. Coalition governance in South Africa quintessentially demonstrates a maturing nation-building project whereby political parties embrace a cohesive spirit for democratic governance and citizenship representation. However, the lack of consensus about a developmental posture to drive nation-building in South Africa put different political parties on antithetical dissimulations that undermine effective coalition governance in both national and local governmental spheres. An era of dominant party hegemony is approaching its final demise, which challenges political parties to build workable and collaborative consensus toward leading South Africa out of its current developmental stagnation. The study examines the challenges and opportunities of coalition governance in South Africa. The objective of the paper is to understand how coalition building can be a leverage for Nation building in the context of South African political structure. A qualitative study is undertaken by analyzing strategic and policy documents of political parties and journal articles to examine challenges and opportunities for coalition governance in South Africa. The thematic content analysis examines emerging patterns from primary and secondary documentary sources to generate relevant themes that influence and guide conceptualization, challenges, and opportunities for coalition governance in South Africa. Findings revealed that a major challenge for coalition governance in South Africa is political brinkmanship by political parties who negotiate in bad faith, demanding more concessions than votes garnered from election results, which demonstrates political immaturity. However, a positive aspect of coalition governance might be for parties to formalize binding coalition agreements that can serve as conflict management mechanisms that can compel parties to demonstrate reciprocal accountability during governance.

Coalition governance in South Africa is adjudged as an opportunity for nation-building and social compact, which intends to jettison the apartheid legacy of racial and social separation. Coalition governance in South Africa quintessentially demonstrates a maturing nation-building project whereby political parties embrace a cohesive spirit for democratic governance and citizenship representation. However, the lack of consensus about a developmental posture to drive nation-building in South Africa put different political parties on antithetical dissimulations that undermine effective coalition governance in both national and local governmental spheres. An era of dominant party hegemony is approaching its final demise, which challenges political parties to build workable and collaborative consensus toward leading South Africa out of its current developmental stagnation. The study examines the challenges and opportunities of coalition governance in South Africa. The objective of the paper is to understand how coalition building can be a leverage for Nation building in the context of South African political structure. A qualitative study is undertaken by analyzing strategic and policy documents of political parties and journal articles to examine challenges and opportunities for coalition governance in South Africa. The thematic content analysis examines emerging patterns from primary and secondary documentary sources to generate relevant themes that influence and guide conceptualization, challenges, and opportunities for coalition governance in South Africa. Findings revealed that a major challenge for coalition governance in South Africa is political brinkmanship by political parties who negotiate in bad faith, demanding more concessions than votes garnered from election results, which demonstrates political immaturity. However, a positive aspect of coalition governance might be for parties to formalize binding coalition agreements that can serve as conflict management mechanisms that can compel parties to demonstrate reciprocal accountability during governance.

Three key conceptual issues related to educational management development demand immediate attention of South African policymakers. First, apartheid engendered a particular understanding of education and educational management among school administrators; second, movement toward a democratic educational system requires policies that enable rapid transformation; and third, successful transformation requires new approaches. This article critiques recent educational management policy reports, highlighting possibilities and constraints of their recommendations. It considers whether current thinking about educational management at legislative level accurately assesses legacy of apartheid and offers a viable alternative framework for reconceptualizing educational management development in South Africa. INTRODUCTION In 1994, voters in South Africa elected a democratic government. The majority of nation's population had long regarded formerly entrenched apartheid system as illegitimate, hierarchical, and authoritarian. A key demand of antiapartheid movement inside and outside South Africa was that officials democratize both system of educational governance and management of schools. Thus, among its first initiatives, newly elected democratic government reviewed educational governance in South Africa and made key recommendations. This committee's work laid foundation for new Republic of South Africa Department of Education's [RSADE] (1996a) White Paper 2 on educational transformation; for passage in 1996 of South African Schools Act (SASA), which declared public schools open to all citizens (RSADE, 1996c); and for National Education Policy Act (NEPA) (RSADE, 1996b). In addition to various committee reports, other policy proposals and legislation focused more on planning and management of educational system. The government appointed National Task Team on Education Management Development (NTTEMD) (1996), which recommended in its Changing Management to Manage Change in Education document a framework for fostering professional management development in South African schools. As South Africa enters a period of rapid political and social transformation, renewed focus on educational management development is especially crucial. Inherent in this statement are three key conceptual issues: (a) apartheid engendered a particular understanding of education and educational management among school administrators; (b) movement away from apartheid system toward a democratic system of education demands policies that enable rapid transformation; and (c) a successful transformation process requires development of a new educational management approach. The present article addresses each of these issues and critiques Department of Education and NTTEMD reports, highlighting possibilities and constraints of their recommendations as they affect primary and secondary education. Specifically, this article addresses two questions: (1) Does current thinking about educational management at legislative level take into account legacy of apartheid upon education management development? and (2) Does NTTEMD report offer a viable alternative framework for reconceptualizing educational management development in South Africa? EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN OVERVIEW The South African educational system during apartheid employed a highly centralized decision-making process and well-developed decentralized structures through which to implement policy. Critics have argued, however, that apartheid-era system's topdown administration typically proceeded without consultation or participation of those who implemented decisions. Principals, for example, particularly those in schools serving Black students, were viewed merely as implementers of decisions, not as administrators with the opportunity to formulate or construct their own school policies, vision or mission (Gallie, 1996, p. …

Since the onset of the current system of local government in South Africa, it has become possible to determine certain trends in respect of the supervision of local These trends demonstrate current thinking and approaches concerning the proper relationship between the three spheres of Government in the Republic constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government. The structure of government, where powers are distributed among and simultaneously shared by different spheres of government, may pose challenges to the functioning of Accordingly, a mechanism is necessary to ensure that all the spheres of government exercise their powers properly for the good of governance in the Republic. Thus, intergovernmental supervision is a necessary but potentially intrusive component of the constitutional relationship between the spheres of The purpose of this article is to establish whether the practice of provincial government supervision of local government corresponds to the legal position and whether, perhaps, adjustments are required to bring the practice of supervision in line with the established legal position. The article is based on law as well as empirical studies based on interviews with officials in municipalities in various provinces. This article discusses the practice of supervision of local government in South Africa. The constitutional principle of co-operative government which informs intergovernmental supervision is briefly explained in the first instance. In setting the context for a discussion of the practice of the supervision of local government, the legal framework for the supervision of local government is subsequently discussed, and a conclusion is reached on the trends of supervision of local government in South Africa. For purposes of this article, the cases which deal with both the monitoring and intervention components of supervision of local government are discussed and assessed together. This is so because both the monitoring and intervention in local government reflect the trends of supervision in local In KwaZulu-Natal, supervision is examined in the Utrecht Local Municipality, IMbabazane Local Municipality, Abaqulusi Local Municipality, UMvoti Local Municipality and UMgungundlovu District Municipality. In the Western Cape, the trends are discussed regarding the supervision of the Overberg District Municipality and the Langeberg Local Municipality by the provincial government of the Western Cape. In the Eastern Cape, the supervision of Mnquma Local Municipality by the provincial government of the Eastern Cape is examined. These case studies assist in explaining the trends in provincial supervision of local government in South Africa.

Purpose– This study aims to examine the factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in South Africa (SA) and Kenya. Firm-level variables including performance, firm size, leverage, investment opportunities and audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature.Design/methodology/approach– The study used panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) of SA and 234-firm years obtained from the 49 companies listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). The author then used content analysis to extract the study variables from the annual reports and multiple regression analysis to determine their relationship.Findings– The study found audit quality and firm performance as the main factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in Kenya and SA. There are also differences in the quality of corporate governance between the two countries.Research limitations/implications– First the study sample consists of the 50 largest firms listed in the JSE of SA and another 49 companies listed in the NSE of Kenya. Since these are large companies, the results may not be generalized to other smaller firms operating in both SA and Kenya. Second, this study is constrained to SA and Kenya. Firms in other developing countries may differ from their SA and Kenyan counterparts.Originality/value– The results of this study are important to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa, in their effort to improve corporate governance practices, minimize corporate failure and protect the well-being of the minority shareholders. Furthermore, the study contributes to the understanding of the variables affecting the quality of corporate governance in developing economies of Africa.

The King Report on Corporate Governance (1994) evoked unprecedented interest in corporate governance in South Africa. This does not mean that corporate governance was not an issue of concern before the release of this historical report. To the contrary, corporate governance in its broader sense has been at stake since the inception of the first publicly owned companies in South Africa. This article intends to give an overview of corporate governance in South Africa. It starts by making a distinction between broad and narrow conceptions of corporate governance. Before applying this distinction to the practice of corporate governance in South Africa, a brief overview of the corporate landscape in South Africa is provided. Then the South African situation with regard to broad and narrow corporate governance respectively is analysed. The article ends with a discussion of the review of corporate governance that currently is in the making in South Africa. Throughout the article both the financial and ethical dimensions of corporate governance is attended to.

The post-1994 landscape in South Africa presented millions of individuals—especially the majority Black population who had been subjected to many apartheid policies—with renewed hope for better and improved development opportunities. This stemmed from the fact that the first democratically elected administration of the African National Congress (ANC) promised immense socioeconomic change when they assumed office. These promises became evident from the many socioeconomic policies and Chapter 9 institutions that came to the fore over the last two decades, as well as the mapping of new legislation and policies for local government as enshrined in the Constitution of 1996. These actions were viewed to further the envisioned development trajectories of government, especially as the local government is the government closest to the people. However, post-1994, some municipalities in South Africa have endured massive challenges that have needed numerous involvements from the government through various interventions. This has been a continuous phenomenon, irrespective of the many policies at play to oversee the smooth operation of municipalities. This article delves into the failure of some municipalities in South Africa and interventions of local government in post-apartheid South Africa by scrutinising what drives this phenomenon. Furthermore, it dwells on the impact and challenges of effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) policies at the local government level.

The flypaper effect is undoubtedly among the most interesting concepts in subnational government spending behavior. This study is the first attempt to provide empirical evidence on the existence of the flypaper effect in the two largest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria and South Africa. Using the two-step system generalized method of moment’s estimator, our results show that the flypaper effect exists for both state and provincial governments in Nigeria and South Africa. Provincial governments in South Africa are found to be more responsive to positive changes in unconditional federal transfers than state governments in Nigeria. We therefore recommend sen­sitization on the receipt and disbursement of unconditional federal transfers. This will help reduce the illusion or information asymmetry about the use of unconditional federal transfers.

This paper considers the ongoing political transformations in South Africa in the context of debates about good governance and participatory democracy. It first appraises the current transformations of local government in South Africa, focusing specifically on relationships between gender equality and citizenship on the one hand, and local government policy, legislation, and community participation on the other, and then explores meanings of participation and how they inform approaches towards local socio-economic development. The findings of primary research conducted with civil society organisations and black women in communities in the Cape Town metropolitan area are explored through three interrelated themes. First, the model of structured participation that is central to South Africa’s democratic transformation is assessed from the perspective of black women. Second, cultures of alienation, both within local governance structures and amongst black women and the extent to which recent restructuring is combating or contributing to these are explored. Third, how participation policies are dealing with conflict within and between target groups are analysed, whether stakeholder group politics obliterate important differences in interests and whether alternative structures might be more effective in terms of women’s participation and empowerment. Finally, the findings are interpreted in relation to theoretical concepts of good governance and participatory democracy, and the potential and problems of realising South Africa’s transformation process toward developmental local government are assessed.

South Africa became a democratic state on 27 April 1994. Since then, local government has been through critical political and socio-economic restructuring and transformation, which has changed the public governance landscape at all levels. Despite ushering in world-class legislation at the local sphere of government in South Africa – very futuristic by continental and international standards – there have been major challenges in local governance, the most notable being the lack of effectual and responsive basic service-delivery. The government, for its part, has introduced several intervention strategies over the years to ensure that the local sphere of government in South Africa is on an upward developmental trajectory. The government is also of the view that the goals of a democratic society and a growing and developing economy can only be achieved through a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system, which implies that if the local government fails, South Africa as a nation will fail.

Local government (LG) in South Africa (SA) is mandated to provide adequate service delivery and to ensure environmental protection within municipal boundaries. Local Environmental Governance (EG) is influenced by the actions of municipal councils and political leadership, resulting in politicized local EG. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has been gradually losing political power since 1994, and corruption and unprofessionalism in LG have increased and influenced EG. Limited scholars have attempted to examine the in-depth relationship between political dynamics, environmental issues and local municipalities within the political−administrative interface in SA. To address this, we utilize a Political Ecology Approach (PEA) to assess the influence of political dynamics on local EG in the uMzinyathi district and Endumeni local municipalities in SA. A mixed methods approach was utilised. The findings revealed that political dynamics both enabled and impeded local EG. While mainstreaming and alignment to national policy were evident, EG interventions and environmental resources were often co-opted for political canvassing and incentivization, or the relative prioritization of EG was dependent on political mandates. The research contributed to a detailed understanding of how EG ‘takes a back seat’ to political exigencies within a predominately fragile and under functioning LG sphere in SA.