Assessing the implementation of neoliberal policies in the city of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality: challenges of service delivery
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Date
2023
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Johannesburg has been strategically critical in South Africa as it has been an economic powerhouse of the country. The economic importance of Johannesburg began during the colonial era, well into apartheid and the democratic era. At the demise of apartheid, South Africa adopted neoliberalism, which eventually amplified colonial and apartheid-era inequalities while thwarting social justice. This study investigates the implementation of neoliberal policies in local government, intending to establish the nexus between neoliberalism as an economical approach with service delivery protests; insecurities linked to protest violence and police brutality; and governance with a specific focus on the townships and informal settlements (urban peripheries), specifically focusing on the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. The City of Johannesburg has faced the challenge of protest action against the local government proportionally more often compared to other municipalities.
Using a qualitative approach, the primary data was collected via interviews and focus group discussions with officials responsible for implementing policies, residents in the urban peripheries, selected government departments and academic experts, while secondary data was collected through policy documents and a literature survey. The study finds that adopting neoliberalism in local government has increased economic inequality, and that the City of Johannesburg has the highest inequality compared to other municipalities. Although there was resistance in the form of protests against neoliberalism in the early years of democracy, protests changed and were directed towards local government service provision. Further, neoliberalism is associated with creating new peripheries, creating a distinction between the core and peripheries and is thus associated with insecurities from the peripheries. The study recommends improved governance, extensive stakeholder engagement, improved monitoring and evaluation, and a modification of neoliberalism for South Africa.
Description
Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Administration in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023].