Changing approaches to financing and financial management in the South African local government sector

Abstract

Sections 152 and 153 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) have given local government a developmental mandate. Local government has a constitutional obligation to participate in national and provincial development programmes. Local government should become a powerful development catalyst in collaboration with other spheres of government, the non-governmental sector and the local citizenry. It has to address social, economic and infrastructural backlogs and inequalities in a stable and sustainable manner to ensure developmental outcomes are reached. Different financing and financial management policies, strategies, structures, processes and procedures have to be instituted with a view to transformation and innovation. Constant and consistent monitoring, analysis and evaluation of these policies, strategies structures, processes and procedures should ensure these constitutional imperatives.