As the Republic of South Africa's ruling party marches towards the 54th African National Congress elective conference in December 2017, the future of the current nine provinces will be up for extensive and robust debate by the almost 5000 African National Congress delegates attending the all-important event.
Thou the democratic state provinces remain one of the contentious compromise that flow from the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) negotiations, but after two decades of constitutional democracy there were now genteel murmurs over the country's three-tier system of governance.
From central government policymakers, various political parties and the wider civil society organisations were debating the relevance of the second layer of governance (i.e provincial arm of government).
From central government policymakers, various political parties and the wider civil society organisations were debating the relevance of the second layer of governance (i.e provincial arm of government).
Research inform us that way back in August 2007, the Department of Provincial and Local Government had commissioned and initiated a policy review process on the future of provincial governments.
However, it was the debate and discussions about the future of provincial government at the ANC's 2010 National General Council and subsequent 2012 National Policy Conference which endorsed that the current nine provinces should be reconfigured or reduced into a manageable six.
Some two years ago, Professor Otty Nxumalo (the first Director-General of the KwaZulu-Natal province) described the nine provinces as a result of some political expendiency.
Nxumalo argued that they were simply a duplication of taxpayers expenditure and said it would have been ideal that South Africa had introduced a federal system of government.
Nxumalo argued that they were simply a duplication of taxpayers expenditure and said it would have been ideal that South Africa had introduced a federal system of government.
Pertinent question that arises would be why were the country's nine provinces created in the first instance.
Eminent political fundis were of the view that the certain recalcitrant political viewpoints under the COSAG grouping of early 1990's were the main drivers behind the wide devolution of political power to every ethnic power - region.
And this co-operative model of government resulted in the three-tier system of national, provincial and local government sphere of political power. And the current RSA's proportional representation system dovetails with the party political patronage, as opposed to the constituent based representation.
Will the ANC conference give rise to the scrapping, decreasing or new form of government after the December 2017 conference? Why review the provincial sphere of government, when 23 years ago it was seen as a viable vehicle that brought closer and provided service delivery to communities better compared to the national government deliverable framework.
COSATU President, Sdumo Dlamini, is reported saying the provincial arm of government was rather a "long unnecessary pipe in terms of efficient service delivery to local communities" , and he would not care a damn if provinces were scrapped once an for all.
However, it was Dr Bertus de Villiers, who has in his clairyovant paper titled "The future of provinces in SA-The Debate Continues'" gives a scholarly perspective on what should be done on the question of provinces in South Africa.
de Villiers argues that "ïn order to determine the way forward for provinces, it is important to revisit the reasons why provinces were created, why they were demarcated in their current form (a wide shift from the previous government four provinces) and how their political power were allocated.
Once the background to the provinces is understood, one can consider reasons why alterations or modifications may be required as the ruling party go to the December 2017 conference."
Once the background to the provinces is understood, one can consider reasons why alterations or modifications may be required as the ruling party go to the December 2017 conference."
Personally, I verily contend that South Africa could never become a victim of political dogmatic values.
What may have been a viable organ to drive and consolidate a constitutional democracy some twenty years ago, requires that it was brought in line with the contemporary political economic programmes of the new millenium century in the developed and developing nation states.
What may have been a viable organ to drive and consolidate a constitutional democracy some twenty years ago, requires that it was brought in line with the contemporary political economic programmes of the new millenium century in the developed and developing nation states.
Why were the current nine provinces created in the first instance, was a question that was neither here nor there. The ANC leadership and the present day rank and file membership was not necessarily bound to the policy debates and deliberations that may have brought about and cemented the country''s system of government.
And if the argument to decrease the provinces or to scrap this middle layer of government were to prevail at the 54th ANC national conference, let South African reconfigure itself anew.
ENDS
ENDS
