The Interplay between Civil Society and Local Government in South Africa: Conflict and Collaboration in the Delivery of Public Services

Abstract

In recent years, following the dawn of democracy in South Africa, there has been a renewed thrust by civic organisations in matters of local-level service provision. The role of formal and informal organisations in highlighting inadequate provision of basic services by municipalities has attracted the attention of, first, the media, and now researchers and policymakers alike. The interest is mainly due to the abrupt and often violent nature of civic involvement in service delivery protests often directed at local municipalities in diverse and far-flung areas of the country. In this conceptual paper, a discussion of civic involvement in pre- and post-South Africa’s democratic local government is advanced by exploring the historical development of civic organisations' role, notably how that role has been reconfigured since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy. In the context of poorly resourced municipalities, a critique of collaborative ventures in developing and delivering essential water and sanitation services is provided while exploring the complexities of network governance arrangements and the opportunities they present for livelihoods. The paper then concludes by looking at prospects for the future and making recommendations on how poorly resourced municipalities could leverage civil society organisations’ role through collaborative network governance for the greater good of promoting sustainable livelihoods in South Africa.