Local Government Organization and Finance: South Africa
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T A B L E 2 . 3 Local Government Functions Schedule 4B functions (national and provincial oversight)
Air pollution Building regulations Child care facilities Electricity and gas reticulation Firefighting services Local tourism Municipal airports Municipal health services Municipal planning Municipal public transport Municipal public works Pontoons, ferries, jetties, piers, and harbors Stormwater systems Trading regulations Water and sanitation services
Schedule 5B functions (provincial oversight)
Beaches and amusement facilities Billboards and public advertisements Cemeteries Cleansing Control of public nuisances Control of liquor undertakings Facilities for the accommodation, care, and burial of animals Fencing and fences Licensing of dogs Licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public Local amenities Local sport facilities Markets Municipal abattoirs Municipal parks and recreation Municipal roads Noise pollution Pounds Public places Refuse removal, refuse dumps, and solid waste Street lighting Street trading Traffic and parking
Source: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
source of power for local government and, significantly, cannot be removed or amended by ordinary statutes or provincial acts, only by constitutional amendment. Section 156(1)(b) provides that a municipality has executive authority and the right to administer any other matter assigned to it by national or provincial legislation, either through general assignments or to individual municipalities.
Expenditure Assignment Issues The current policy reform agenda in South Africa acknowledges a number of challenges in expenditure assignments. First, the open-ended and
