THE thrust of this article is to examine the current state of local government administration in respect of its mandate for service delivery and institutional capacity.
Further, this article reflects on the cardinal elements integral for the viability, sustenance and excellence pertinent to the local sphere of governments in Africa.
Local government is expected to effectively attain its mandatory mission of delivering services that are adequate and responsive to the needs of the community.
Hence, the point of departure is the local sphere of government should successfully shift from mediocrity to excellence in as far as service delivery is concerned.
Local government is that level of government which is commonly defined as a decentralized, representative institution which general and specific powers devolved to it by a higher tier of government, central or provincial, within a geographically defined area.
Local government is also defined as a political subdivision of a nation or in a federal system state which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs, including powers to impose taxes to exact labour for prescribed purposes.
In spite of the global demand for decentralization it is important to note if not properly handled decentralization can increase disparities; can undermine the implementation of fiscal policies; and can enhance corruption.
Generally the benefits associated with decentralization include the strengthening of democracy and management efficiency; promotion of transparency, accountability, and sustainable development projects; and the fostering of political education and training for political leadership.
The existence of local government in Africa reflects a government’s desire to involve the local people in the decision-making process relating to issues that affect them, and also the need to decongest the central government.
Specifically, however, local government, among other things, exists for utilitarian as well as democratic considerations. Local authorities should provide efficient and effective delivery of public services to citizens within a given locality, while recognizing that the recipients of such services have an obligation to pay for the services.
The lack of sufficient qualified revenue collectors has adversely affected the local authority’s performance in most African governments.
The inability to collect all the finances that are due to the council and to ensure the regular production of financial reports because of unqualified staff has undermined the local authority’s capacity to deliver better services for all. The local authority’s policy makers should ensure that adequately qualified staff should be able to occupy strategic positions in the departments for quality service delivery to citizens.
Research has shown that most local authorities in Africa perform poorly because of the following reasons:
• Political interference
• Lack of community involvement in the activities of local authorities
• Corruption among local authority officials
• Lack of accountability for the local authority’s resources and materials.
• Selfishness and greed
Some scholars argue the lack of community involvement and corruption among council officials, selfishness and greed, and lack of accountability for council resources and materials are some of the concerns of people with regard to the poor performance of their local authorities.
Communities, as recipients of services provided by local authorities, are the source of local revenue. They are, therefore, an interested party in the process of service delivery and should be well informed about and appropriately involved in the activities of local authorities.
A local authority may have all the resources at its disposal but if its operations are characterized by corruption, selfishness and greed, and the lack of accountability for resources it is very unlikely that such a local authority can provide adequate and quality services to the community it serves.
The performance of democratically elected councils may be judged, among other things, by the effectiveness with which elected representatives (councillors) are able to deliver on their election promises, and the extent to which they can be held accountable to the people they represent.
Local authorities are allowed by law to create administrative structures that can enhance their performance and they have the power to change or redesign such structures as and whenever necessary.
The elected councillors constitute the legislative wing of the local authority. They are responsible for making policies and decisions of the council while the appointed officials are the implementers. Not all goods and services which contribute to the welfare of a community can be provided by local authorities. There are goods and services which communities receive from other institutions including the business community.
The civil servant is expected to provide the necessary information, and act as advisers to the council to facilitate decision-making.
Finally, line ministries should provide support to local government councils and influence efficient and effective service delivery by monitoring progress where responsibility has been delegated or deconcentrated; conduct professional training; setting of professional performance standards and policies.
Being the government closest to the people, it is to be expected that a core function of municipalities is the rendering of a variety of basic but essential services to the community within its jurisdiction and it should build its legitimacy on its capacity to foster productive economic activities and economic growth, improve the living conditions of its people and reduce poverty.
• Dr Lwendo is a lecturer at the University of Namibia (Unam) in the Faculty of Economics and Management Science. He holds a Doctorate in Public Administration (North West University, South Africa.)