Transforming South African society through decentralisation

Abstract

South Africa has undergone a great amount of transformation since the African National Congress government took over power in 1994. After many years of institutionalised racism under the apartheid policies of a National Party government a new constitution (Act 108 of 1996) was adopted in 1996 by the first democratically elected parliament This constitution paved the way for legislation which would ultimately bring about the transformation of the country. The successful transformation of South Africa depends largely on the government's ability to implement the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). and its supporting Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy. These documents serve as guidelines for the development and thus the transformation of South Africa. The process of transformation in South Africa is, however, made difficult by the racial, ethnic and economic diversity of society. To effectively deal with the problems of diversity, it is essential that decentralisation of government structures takes place in order to allow government legitimacy at levels where transformation is most needed.