Christopher Pycroft

Angola — ’the forgotten tragedy‘

Angolas September 1992 election should have marked the end of 30 years of conflict. The legacy of Angolas pivotal position within the Cold War, and ten years of South African destabilisation, have denied Angola a sustainable peace. This article places the election within an historical context, discussing the preceding events and then offers explanations for its failure. Particular attention is paid to the role played by the United States and the United Nations, with the conclusion that the international community abandoned Angola at this critical moment in the countrys history. The resumption of the war has seen the development of military tactics new to Angola, in particular the siege, which has characterised this phase of the struggle. The siege of central Angolan towns has continued against a backdrop of negotiations to achieve a cease‐fire and peace settlement. The international community has responded to the conflict by condemning one of the parties to the struggle, and by imposing limited sanctio...

Restructuring non-metropolitan local government in South Africa

South Africas first local government elections held in November 1995 and June 1996 cemented the transition from apartheid to democratic local government. The focus at that time was on the deracialization and democratization of local governance, which was successfully achieved. Local government since then, however, has failed to fulfil its mandate as the delivery arm of government, nor has the hoped-for rapid transformation of the local sphere of government materialized. In seeking an explanation for this perceived inadequacy, attention has tended to focus on the limited financial and administrative capacity of newly elected councillors and council staff. Although the lack of capacity does present a barrier to the achievement of effective local government, the constraints municipalities encounter in their geographic composition and administrative formation provide the structural dimension of municipal constraint. The White Paper on Local Government published in March 1998 seeks to address these structural constraints and, through an ambitious legislative process, chart a path to ‘developmental’ local government. This article identifies the constraints experienced by non-metropolitan municipalities and analyses the likely impact of the governments restructuring programme for the achievement of viable and sustainable local government in South Africa. Copyright