RHODES UNIVERSITY
TOWARDS A DISCOURSE OF COLLABORATION: THE MAKHANDA CIRCLE OF UNITY
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hilst it has long been articulated by experienced social activists and oversight bodies that local government in South Africa is in crisis and unable to respond to all the needs of its constituencies, it is a problem that cannot be overstated. The consequences of ignoring the degeneration and gradual collapse of local institutions are not only the destruction of the structures that are intended to enable dignified conditions of living for communities but also, the failure of much-needed service delivery. Marginalised communities continue to sink into a never-ending cycle of struggle that, at its worst, dehumanizes them. At the precipice we find ourselves in, with increasing levels of discontent and anger expressed by community members towards their local municipalities, it is no longer enough to be angry without translating that anger into constructive action. In turn, the resolution to the current crisis of governance that we are in, cannot be constructed by any one actor; it requires an intentional commitment to the principles of inclusive development and collaboration across political and ideological lines to facilitate meaningful change. The stakes are too high for this not to be a priority. It is this very same sentiment that underscores the purpose of the Makhanda Circle of Unity (MCU).
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Municipal Focus
Sisesakhe Ntlabezo is the Programme Manager of the Makhanda Circle of Unity in Makhanda, Eastern Cape
Makana Municipality is one of the municipalities that is staring down the barrel of irreversible socio-economic harm. The municipality has, in recent times, occupied national attention a result of protests caused by rapidly growing discontent and distrust in the municipality. The main seat of the municipality is in Makhanda, the largest of its seven cities and oft the site of struggle for frustrated citizens. Makhanda is also the home of the MCU, the starting base for what is hoped to be an ‘exportable idea’ that is scalable and replicable in similar contexts of small rural towns.
The MCU is a registered non-profit organisation (registration number: 258810 NPO) that was founded in late 2019 and works through a variety of selfdirecting thematic “clusters”, focusing on areas ranging from education to food security. It was formed following a series of engagements with key civil society, academic and business stakeholders in the city of Makhanda in Makana Municipality, who were all deeply concerned with the hastening downwards spiral of a municipal structure that, just 14 years prior, had been heralded as one of the best performing municipalities in South Africa.
