The line between the ruling party and the state is constantly debated in South Africa, and a clear distinction cannot always be drawn. Political parties have the existential objective of governing. In democracies, it is achieved through electoral contestation and victory. Key to the debate about the relationship between the party and state is how single-party dominance often leads to a lack of accountability, abuse of power, and, inevitably, corruption. Corruption, i.e., dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in political power and through forms and acts of rent-seeking and patronage, has had its roots firmly embedded in the social fabric as…
Stuart Mbanyele
Stuart Mbanyele
Stuart is an independent policy analyst. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Pretoria. Previously, he was a researcher in the governance delivery and impact programme at Good Governance Africa. Before joining Good Governance Africa, he was a junior research fellow with the Centre for Law and Society at the University of Cape Town. He also worked as a research consultant at the Institute of Security Studies.
Professionalising public service in South Africa’s municipalities Local government fulfils an essential developmental function as the site of direct interface with government and service delivery for citizens. Yet, while pockets of excellence exist, many of South Africa’s municipalities are in a poor state, characterised by governance lapses. Public discourse is replete with stories about politicking and instability in councils. The inability of poorly politically appointed leadership is but one of the challenges, and can be attributed to both single-party dominance on some fronts and unstable coalition governments by multiple parties in other instances, and the perverse corruption wrought by the political…
