Provision of adequate housing through cooperative government and intergovernmental relations in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality

Abstract

Establishing sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life is one of the outcomes identified by the South African democratic government. Housing service delivery protests and demonstrations are the reflection of the non-adherence of the three South African government spheres to the principles of cooperative government and intergovernmental relations, not just the failures of local government. This is because all three government spheres must consult each other in order to meet housing service delivery challenges, among other things. These principles are provided by section 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. This article is based on a doctoral study conducted by the author in 2016. It argues that cooperative government and intergovernmental relations structures provided by the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act (13 of 2005) are not effective in addressing housing challenges in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. One structure in each government sphere was selected to determine its effectiveness in delivering adequate housing in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. The study employed mixed methodologies. The results revealed that each government sphere executed its own housing mandatory function during housing projects’ implementation and launches in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. It is recommended that all three government spheres must consult each other in order to address housing service delivery challenges and alleviate housing service delivery protests and demonstrations.
Introduction