African Journal of Public Affairs Volume 2, Number 1 (2008)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/59591

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Front matter, African Journal of Public Affairs, Volume 2, Number 1
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008)
Impact of global warming on rural-urban migration and net emigration in forefront Sub-Saharan countries
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Bouare, O.
Global warming has recently raised a lot of concerns about the future of our planet in terms of inhabitability. These concerns focus particularly on the possible increase in the migration toward more hospitable urban areas within a country or toward more hospitable countries. However, to our knowledge, there is no quantitative study to assess the impact of global warming on migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this paper attempts to determine whether global warming increases rural-urban migration and net emigration (i.e. emigration of nationals out of a country minus immigration of foreigners into the country) over the period 2000-2005 in six forefront Sub-Saharan countries, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. We found that global warming alone is insignificantly related to rural-urban migration and net emigration. However, when associated with other independent variables or cofactors such as population growth rate and gross domestic product growth rate, global warming increases both rural-urban migration and net emigration.
Intergovernmental fiscal relations in the South African context
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Fourie, D.J. (David Johannes); Valeta, L.
South African legislation prescribes the structures and process through which national revenue is raised and distributed. The South African national government determines the formula through which the nationally collected revenue is appropriated. However, currently a horizontal fiscal mismatch exists amongst provinces and also amongst localities within provinces, and these have some implications for fiscal relations on governance which will be analysed in this article.
Nigeria’s democratisation in the globalisation age
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Ijeoma, Edwin Okey
Democracy is seen world over as the best legitimate and viable alternative to authoritarian regimes such as military dictatorship and apartheid. Many countries around the world are still grappling with the necessary fundamentals that could ensure credible democratic government. After decades of military dictatorial regimes, Nigeria has just started to follow the pattern of democratic governance like most countries of the world. However, there exist huge challenges of transformation and transition from military rule to a democratic system of government and from one civilian administration to another. The present government of Nigeria has, instead of pursuing democratic policy-making processes; the electoral systems became more non-representative and more divorced from the popular will. This article intends to explore some policy challenges that could face the Nigeria’s new democracy and suggests possible alternatives that could sustain the gains of democracy in Nigeria. Given the ongoing globalization process and its economic implications in which Nigeria is of necessity, a role player, this article also seeks to further explore some policy challenges that may be considered in dealing with major sectors of the Nigerian economy especially, the private sector, the non-governmental organization and the banking sector.
Public service delivery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo : a case study approach
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Kuye, Jerry O.; Tshiyoyo, Mudikolele Michel
This article examines the salient variables impacting on Public Service Delivery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It utilizes a case-study approach as the basis of the analytic framework. The study is normative in nature but attempts to assess the effectiveness of the Congolese Customs and Excises Office (OFIDA) in the administration of customs services in the DRC with particular reference to the Head Office of OFIDA located in the metropolitan area of Gombe in Kinshasa. To attain the objectives of this paper, the paper has adopted a triangulation methodology using qualitative, quantitative and other methods of propagation in addressing critical issues.
Public service reform philosophies : a re-think of Nigeria’s “Servicom” and South Africa’s “Batho Pele” principles in an era of global restructuring and reform
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Kuye, Jerry O.; Ile, I.U.
This paper explores the notion of participative governance and service in a democratic character. It focuses on the notion that citizens must have the right in ensuring the full participation in public sector management and service delivery. It examines the cases of Nigeria and South Africa, in the procurement of service delivery mechanism and how both nations attempt to guarantee full citizens participation, reduce corruption, guarantee accountability and entrench sustainable democracy. This paper further examines and extrapolates the exigencies that exist between Nigeria and South Africa in the areas of service delivery. It also attempts to understand the correlation or deviations with the delivery mode of services in these two countries. It further attempts to draw a significant parallel contextually in both countries within the Nepadization notion of Africa’s development.
African solutions to Africa’s problems : recommendations for APRM implementation
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Makgalancheche, W.M.
The end of slavery and colonialism in Africa ushered a sense of relief for the African people. The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) succeeded to lead African countries towards political independence and self rule. However, African countries were characterised by poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation from the global economy, long after slavery and colonial rule and domination. Numerous interventions and donor aids by international institutions and structures were introduced to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment in African countries. Aid programmes and assistance created further dependency syndrome leading to the current unacceptable socio-economic and political conditions facing the majority of African countries. The African Union (AU) is trying to create a better life for all Africans and a number of recommendations are made in an attempt to assist African leaders to practice good governance, respect for human rights, uphold the rule of law and to provide effective leadership.
The impact of intergovernmental relations and co-operative government on good governance in South Africa
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Malan, Lianne Priscilla
Since post Apartheid in 1994, the system of intergovernmental relations and co-operative government in South Africa had evolved, not only because of the constitutional/legal framework thereof but also because of the statutory commitment of the various spheres of government to the implementation of the principles of co-operative government and intergovernmental relations. The institutions of government in South Africa have, existed as a series of interlocking devices, pervasive throughout society, and all aimed at promoting the objectives of the national development and poverty alleviation policy. The attainment of development goals is heavily dependent on an effective system of intergovernmental relations and also upon the degree to which the machinery of government can operate in a state of inter-institutional harmony. Through the establishment of various institutional arrangements for intergovernmental relations – and the successful operation of these structures – it is expected that all three spheres of government will continually strive to co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith. Without the effective operation of intergovernmental relations in South Africa, projects and programmes aimed at furthering and promoting the principles of public administration cannot succeed. Whereas intergovernmental relations consist of the sum total of relationships among and within the spheres of government, be they hierarchical or based on equality, the principles of co-operative government lock these relations into a particular normative framework. The core of this framework is that the decentralization of state power in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 is not based on “competitive federalism” but on the norms of cooperative government. In this article, the intergovernmental relations system in South Africa, its milestones and challenges over the past years of democracy will be reviewed. Reference will be made to the successes and failures of the current system of intergovernmental relations and possible solutions to remedy the mentioned failures will be suggested.
Community participation in Ethekwini Municipality with particular reference to ward committees
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Nzimakwe, T.I.; Reddy, P.S.
Local government has been constitutionalised as a sphere of government and this has signified a conceptual shift from serving as administrative service delivery agents to the promotion of developmental goals and principles, namely local democracy, sustainable development, a safe and healthy environment and co-operative government. The White Paper on Local Government mandates municipalities to involve communities in facilitating development. Participation is an integral part of local democracy and it is a legislative requirement for the local community to be drawn into the process through integrated development planning, budgeting, performance management and ward committees. However, there are serious disparities between policy and practice as the success of public participation will not depend on the regulation of the system, but through innovative and creative local policies and legislation. A participatory culture should be inculcated and furthermore the appropriate and relevant mechanisms, processes and procedures should be developed. EThekwini Municipality has created an environment for active participation through ward committees. However, the active participation of the rural populace is still problematic and there are challenges that have to be addressed. Given the fact that the largest percentage of developmental backlogs are in the rural areas, which are inhabited by the disadvantaged communities, it is imperative that they are actively involved in the process of addressing these backlogs through the formal structures of community participation that have been set up.
Public sector procurement : South African ethical and legislative aspects
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Raga, K.
One of the noblest functions of government is securing for its citizens their individual and collective well-being. This can be achieved through honouring and safeguarding human dignity and the constructive mediation between individual freedoms and collective action. When government succeeds this assures the social and ecological integrity of the community. In every vocation, there is both the need and call for the people within that vocation to conform their behaviour to certain ethical standards. Ethics is the code of conduct these professionals have adopted in order to regulate the practice of their profession. However, ethics also reaches a level of unstated moral principles and a sense of what is right and wrong. A need exists for ethical and transparent public sector procurement management on all spheres of government in contemporary South Africa. Evidence hereof is found in official documents, court cases and in the popular press. Prescriptions governing ethical behaviour in public sector procurement peculiar to South Africa and the basic normative criteria are, interalia, aspects reviewed and proposed in this article to strengthen the need for the determination and implementation of an ethical basis to ensure effective and efficient public sector procurement. Firstly, this article will focus on describing and explaining the nature and meaning of public sector ethics. Secondly, prescriptions’ governing ethical behaviour in public sector procurement management in South Africa since democracy, 1994 with special reference to the local sphere of government is provided. Thirdly, a brief overview of existing general public procurement guidelines as established by the South African Revenue Service is discussed. Fourthly, basic normative criteria are proposed to establish effective, efficient and economical public sector procurement followed by a conclusive summary.
From peacekeeping to post conflict reconstruction and development : positing a new praxis for discussion
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Saloojee, A.; Pahad, A.
Often, those who theorise about conflict resolution and post conflict reconstruction and development are not necessarily the ones engaging in modes of practice; while those who engage in practice do not always have the luxury of informing their practice with new and innovative theory. The best of all possible worlds therefore is to bring communities of scholars together with practitioners in order that theory informs practice and practice can test, illuminate, and build on theory.
The policy review process on provincial and local government : the role of intergovernmental relations in improving service delivery with specific reference to local government
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Sokhela, P.
The policy review process on the system of provincial and local government presents the opportunity for the state and the public at large, given the experiences since 1994, to create a better configuration of the system of government among the three spheres of government in order to enhance the service delivery capacity of the state. Given the supremacy of the Constitution in South Africa, the outcomes of the policy review process, the article contends must be guided by the constitutional framework on intergovernmental relations and intergovernmental fiscal relations as the key determinants for service delivery success.
The administrative effects of policy
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Thornhill, Christopher
Political parties and in particular governments often emphasise the range of policies adopted during a term of office. These represent lofty ideals and contain impressive missions and goals. However, the administrative requirements to give effect to these policies are often not discounted. In this article attention is devoted to the forces demanding the development of policies and the administrative implications of policies. The possible factors prohibiting the successful implementation of policies are also alluded to e.g. corruption, inefficiency and political interference in administration. The article mainly introduces the topic, it is a topic that requires more intensive research to be able to influence policy implementation.
Municipal international relations in South African local government
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2008) Van Rooyen, Enslin
Global change is particularly apparent in urban areas and has reinforced a movement towards co-ordination and progressive strategic management practices at the municipal and regional level across the world. 21st Century imperatives require municipalities across the world, to fundamentally re-assess their bureaucratic processes to remain relevant and effective. In South Africa, these universal challenges are accompanied by the additional challenges of transition and democratization. Much emphasis is placed on the need for an effective process of sharing ideas and innovations among municipalities and urban practitioners in order to deepen their understanding regarding the complexity of urban problems and opportunities. The range and scope of municipal international relations has expanded rapidly over the past decades. In this regard, co-operation and networks-building form integral parts of municipalities’ development strategies. Co-operation has become more systematic and less ad hoc. There has been a movement away from simple to complex linkages. The character of co-operation projects and networks has also changed. They have become less ceremonial and more substantial and project focused. The activities have become more targeted with measurable objectives and tangible results. This article investigates the public administrative yield of municipal international relations by reflecting on a case of an existing partnership in a selected South African municipality.

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