Sustainable Provision of Municipal Services Through Community-Led Initiatives

Abstract

This chapter emphases the key role that community-led initiatives play in the absence of sustainable provision of services from the government. Through these initiatives, citizens as individuals or as a formation get involved in the provision of services to improve the quality of their lives. Through secondary data analysis, this chapter examines the prevalence and the role of ratepayers' associations in the sustainable provision of public services in South Africa. The main findings reveal that in the past few years, ratepayers' associations have been holding underperforming municipalities accountable by demanding services due to them. Whereas some took over collapsed municipal services through lawsuits and volunteerism to ensure continues delivery, others managed to address the water pollution dated back to the 1990s when overworked sewage systems were continuously used with little maintenance. The chapter recommends multi-stakeholder partnerships within a municipal area to share knowledge, expertise and support to ensure availability and sustainability of services.