Municipality
3. Local authority strategic goals founded oo nation-building philosophy and a corporate compr e hension and effective implementation of strategic goals towar� the devel op ment
of a single-city.
4. An institutional capacity, infrastructural resources and operational ability, to implement local authority strategies. This would be specific for the development and management of smaUer cohesive geographic units appropriate in current South African urban society.
5. Successful marketing of a city is detennined largely by the product and the institutional capacity to satisfy interested clients.
6.4.3.2 Reconnnendatioo.s for the future
Recommendations need to be interpreted as part of a comprehensive .nation-building programme.
All the components in the boxes at the base of the model combine in an interrelated comprehensive developmeutal process (Figme 23). The lines dividing the boxes in the model have been removed in order to rep�enting an holistic approach to whole-city development. AU the components oombine to establish strong interactive links between the local authority and the individual and communities. The following recommendations form part of a comprehensive development approach:
1. lo<XJI authority strategic goals based on nation-building philosophy. Both Hampton and the Inner West City Cowicil have been successful in developing and implementing strategic goals. Of particular significance to the South African ccntext, Inner West developed goals incorporating the principles of nation-building philosophy which the11 provided policy guidelines for implementation of various local authority operetioos. The philosophy, policy, institutional capacity and operational implementation occurred
concomitantly. The philosq,hlcal foundation was of paramount importance to Inner West as it provided a framework for the thinking and the behaviour of role-players and stakeholders in a system geared towards whole-city development. It is important to note that these policy guidelines haw helped political .interlermce in the system. Wrth regard to the institutional capacity to implement local authority strategic goals, Hampton and Pinetcwn demonmat.ed by their success that an important aspect of strategic planning is to have the institutiooal capacity to achieve set goals. This may nec.ess.it.ate a local authority making appropriate institutional arrangements. Dewlopment fora and community service centres are examples of such infrastructure and will be discussed in more detail below.
2. Development fora. The succ.ess ofMasa.khane achieved within small cohesive units noted by Joonson (1999), indicate that the creation of smaller geographic units should be pursued by local authorities. The example of the approach adopted by the Inner West City Council is discussed. Infrastructural resources which the Inner West City Council has developed are community-based development fora (the principles of which may also be achieved by development or ward c.onunittees). That council's area of jurisdiction has been divided into fifteen development forum areas. The creation of development forums within a local authorities jurisdiction has proved to be an important catalyst for:
"Promoting participatory democracy" (Inner West City Council 1998a: 4). A development forum is an important consideration concerning the building of a nation as it provides opportunities fur community participation in a structured environmeot. Local councillors are ex officio members in their respective development forums. Councillors give reports-back and ensure transparency and accountability on an on-going basis. The dewlopmeot forum is an ideal structure through which a local authority may employ
opmion leaders and change agents in the diffusion of ideas to change attitudes and thinking in oommunities in a manner suggested by Rogers and Shoemaker (1971).
3. Community senrice cenires. A further component of an infrastructural resource was fotmd to be the c:ommunity service centre. Community service centres have proved to be an important operatiooal conduit in the township for the Inner West City Council. Both devel� fora and c.ommunityservice c.entres havesigni.ficaot behavioural implications for the reconstructian, development and transformation particularly of township areas.
The use of these structures has enabled the achievement of community level pa rticipatian
in the dewlopment process and improved payment levels reversing national trends (Inner West City Council 1998a). They also have the potential to help solve a communication and educ.ation problem which has plagu� local authorities in pat-apartheid South Afiic.a.
Figure 25 illustr.rtes the point. This research thesis noted that traditional methods of conummjc.atim between the local authority and the individual have largely failed particularly in newly-inoorporated areas. These therefore are represented in the diagram by a broken line as poor lines of interaction between a local authority and a community.
On the other hand, the principle of development fora and oommunity service centres become infrastructural resources which provide a direct operational conduit for visible municipal service dalivezy and community participation and education and training.
Development fora and community service centres provide local authority structures within communities :from where the diffusion of ideas and changing of attitudes may take p1ace.
Furthermore opinion leaders and change agents may operate on behalf of the local authority within a structured environment. The lines of communication and interaction between the service-provider and the community are thereby enhanced and are represented as strong (Figure 25). The media remains an important form of infonnation provision from the environment.
As
the research has demonmated the media provides an important information channel for. and about. the local authority. Lloes of communication between the media, and between the media and the individual, are therefore iq>resented in the diagram with a solid lme, indicating their importance in the process of mental image formation. Links between an individual or community and a political party or interest group are ever present. Nonetheless, as a sense of civic respoosibility becomes inculcated in a local authority and its citizens, the influmce that party-political messages have on the general public should decline vis� '-vts the management and development of the city. In other \VOrds as the grneral public become au fait with bow the city weeks, and are in full partnership with their local authority via the community structures described above, the influence false expectations raised by irresponsible and unrealistic political promises have on mental images should diminish. Interactive links between the local authority andits
citizens are thereby strengthened as shown in Figure 25.
Lecal Authority
_,_____ ----�--- ...
Development Forum Community
Service Centres
Community and lndividual/s
political party, labour union and/or Interest group
.!2 -0
E
Figure 25 Local authority commnnicatioo cbaanels within township communities
Vao Niekerlc. ( 1999) noted that community service centres may prove to be too expmsive for same local authorities to implement and sug:am_ However, the underlying principle is one of one-stop service at a nodal po.int particularly within a township community at this juncture of development. A further benefit of community service centres is
that
the security of municipal facilities is simplified and less susceptible to the possibility of vandalism suffered by spread out stand•alone projects. The alternative is continued naipaymmt aod the abuse of local resources which in itself is very costly.
4. Optnion leaders and change agents. Opinioo leaders and rhange ageots fonn a pivotal component of the implementation of local authority strategic goals in the developmmt of Masakbanewithia a community. Their operatiai is particularly necessaryto assist a local authority in
the
managemmt and development of newly-incor:porat.ed areas of the loeal authority. Their fundion is to develop Masakhane th.inking within communities as a fonn of innovation diffusioodescribed
by Rogers and Shoemaker ( 1971 ). Research has noted the positive role played by good local municipal and community leadership in the development. process (Johnsm 1999; Taylor and Mattes 1998). Owing to the fact that many comonmities in newly-inco:rporatedareas
may be su�icious of outsiders,community leaders and municipal officials initially will have to fill this role in the development process at this juncture.
5. A customer-friendly and business-driven local authority. A local authority must act in a customer-and business-driven manner if it wishes to be an effective deliverer of services.
Aspects of comprehensive planning is the marketing the city and credit coatrol policy the subject of discussion below.
6. Marketing rhe city. A nation-building philosophy has behavioural considerations, such as the city's image, for a marketing strategy. Two aspects of city marlceting are of importance. Firstly, marketing the city is to attract potential investors to the city. As investors are interested :in in�g only in stable environments, the creating of a stable environment therefore is paramount to the successful promotion of a city according to Nene (1999). Secondly, it is important to have the appropriate institutional capacity to cater for the needs of that particu.Jar investor.
1. Municipal service provision and visible delivery. Current research in South Africa indicates that there is a need for equitable systems of collecting, monitoring and enforcement of municipal service payment. Cross-subsidjsation is a means of developing needy areas of the city. Attitudinal and perceptioo studies have noted that people living in developed parts of the city agree in principle to the concept of cross-subsidjsation.
However :&om a behavioUial perspective, it would be imperative for a local authority to establish equitable systems of collection, monitoring and enfon:emeut of payment for the municipal services it provides. Lack of payment for services, corruption, ineffective and indiflerent loc.al authority management will create dissatisfaction resulting in people voting with their feet.
8. Limtted political interference. This research has noted examples of undue political interference in city management and developmeut in post-apartheid South Africa. This aspect should be duly noted and phased out by local authorities if they wish to be bus.iness-oriented institutions. According to Nene (1999), political int.erference in the affairs of the Inner West City Council is controlled and guided by agreed upon strategic goals. Johnson (1999) noted that the successful implementation ofMasakh.ane in South African townships was evident 'Where local commuruty leader.., elected councillors and
full-time municipal officials worked together as a team. The research noted examples of where tmdue political interference in economic activity c.an cause a system to flounder.
9. A code of conduct for local authority personnel. A code of oooduct for committing local