Forging and Consolidating Developmental Local Government Through Area-Based Management Governance

Abstract

This chapter deliberates on the role and importance of area-based management governance in forging and consolidating the developmental local government at eThekwini Municipality in South Africa. Considering the challenges faced by developmental local government to fulfill its constitutional mandate, the chapter argues that the grounding and consolidation of area-based management governance could be instrumental in economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation, and meeting basic needs. However, for area-based governance to succeed in addressing these challenges, appropriate structures of democratic accountability and coordination coupled with competent staff could be entrenched. This could also be done by sticking to key developmental goals as outlined in the eThekwini Municipality's integrated development plan. The chapter made use of secondary data in the form of books, journal articles, and governmental policies and documents as well as selected interviews with key participants in five area-based areas.