The suggestion by ANC national chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota to reduce the number of provinces from nine to four to address administration and service delivery problems on a provincial and local level has caused a definite flutter in the dovecotes. Prof André Duvenhage, a political scientist and specialist in the field of sustainable social development at North West University, Potchefstroom campus, doubts the feasibility of such a restructure. Cornelia du Plooy reports.
Where did this idea come from?
The discussion surrounding the provinces and a possible reduction is not new. The matter was first raised nearly two years ago and has remained a bone of contention on the political agenda. Minister of finance Trevor Manuel causing a stir of confusion recently echoed the idea.
What has been the driving force behind the notion?
The main motivation is the concept of good governance and the argument is that the nine-province dispensation is too complex and clumsy and that it does not have the capacity or the required skills to make a success of it as dictated by the constitution. Reducing the number of provinces in the interest of effective governance is a legitimate argument if one looks at how dysfunctional and ineffective the provincial governments are. The Eastern Cape is almost completely dysfunctional – its system has imploded, with Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and the Free State not far behind.
What is the situation on local government level?
It is worse. Of the 284 local governance systems, which includes local, district and metropolitan municipalities, 139 operate under project consolidation receiving direct government support. This shows the extent of the institutional decay.
Is there a political agenda behind the suggestion?
There is a definite party agenda involved. The party political agenda bears reference to the ANC’s inability to manage the party’s power base, specifically at provincial level. There are a number of components that are not in line with the will of the party’s president and the national executive committee, especially where the populists are grouped under deputy president Jacob Zuma and secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe. It seems these two are heading towards a restructuring of the party’s power base by changing the outline of the provinces. The ANC’s waning position in the Western Cape is a clear indication why the ANC want to restructure the party and the provinces. If we go back to the four provinces as they were known during the previous regime, then the Eastern and Northern Cape along with the Western Cape would form part of the same province and thus give the ANC a majority vote in that province.
What is your opinion on the probability of such a reduction?
It is not feasible to reduce the number of provinces. There will be resistance within the ANC as no one will be eager to let go of his or her high-powered positions. If one looks at the difficulty some provinces faced when attempting to incorporate local governments, look at Bushbuck Ridge and Khutsong, imagine the opposition and conflict when they attempt to incorporate provinces. At this stage the ANC is too unstable for them to attempt such a radical move.
What will the impact be on service delivery at local level?
At the moment service delivery is very poor. The argument that fewer provinces will automatically mean better service delivery is doubtful. Local authorities should manage service delivery and changing the provincial system won’t automatically improve the local situation. In fact, seeing as the entire matter sprung from a political motivation, it is improbable that service delivery to the man on the street will improve.
What needs to happen for such a notion to become a reality?
The division of the country into nine provinces is entrenched in the constitution and therefore a two-thirds majority is needed in parliament. It will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve those numbers. |fw
