LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT Civics: Local government from below

JO-ANNE COLLINGE looks at hallenges, challenges. moves to form a national civic role that the civics could play. His focus, From the reformist National organisations, amidst pressures however, is on the power of social move­ Party government, pressing on civics, during this period of ments once they ceased to be the 'con­ its plans for all-race local veyor belt' of the party, on the swiftness transition, to become part of new government and urban land with which radical change was effected controlC. From the violence raging be­ local government structures because of the power of the people. tween supporters of political parties, es­ 'The success lay in the fact that pecially Inkathaand the African National whatever was done was done through Congress. From the water and electricity Civics Committee Pat Lephunya says that civil society,' comments Nkwinti. He cuts effected by (usually white) town a number of long-term options were argues that there is a need for grassroots councils as service bills remain unpaid considered in the light of the United democratic organisation in all societies, / and often unpayable. Democratic Front-linked past of civic that social movements - because they This is the context in which some 600 associations. They included the options relate directly to social issues that shape to 700 civic associations, represented by of the civic organisations simply being ! people's lives, and are not mediated by regional federal structures, will come replaced by African National Congress ill c necessity of holding or attaining power together mid-year to form a national civic branches or becoming ANC residents* - are best place to answer this need. organisation. The formal launch is to be organisations. The notion of civic asso­ 'The basic role of the civics is not preceded by a national consultative con­ ciations preparing themselves to take over changed in my view. This role is building ference to be held in Bloemfonicin on the administration of towns and cities people's power and it is something that May 10-11. was also weighed. must play itself out in civil society,' as­ The pressures of transition have £? In this process, however, 'the strong­ serts Nkwinti. underscored the urgency of co- ordinating est position is that the civic movement But shuffling off the past is not so the civic movement and defining a unify­ must remain autonomous, a broad mass- simple, he acknowledges. Although the ing strategy. Perhaps nothing has illus­ based structure, which will not attempt to civics, within the UDF, were dominated trated the necessity to clarify means and take over local government'. mainly by the concerns of civil society ends more pointedly than the advent of Individual civic bodies have formally the front's overall role was largely politi­ the Wilwaicrsrand Metropolitan Cham­ adopted thisposition in a number of cases, cal. Pulling the civic movement clear of ber. Half of the Johannesburg civic asso­ as have some regional structures - for the political net is not easy — and over­ ciations opted to participate in this multi­ instance, in the Eastern and Southern laps of personnel make that very clear. racial council-based forum, while the other Transvaal and Southern Free State. half very publicly stayed out, protesting Lephunya says a number of factors Civics and parties from ihe sidelines. Both groupings of 1 have pointed the civic movement in this But it is imperative that civics 'come civics maintained they were remaining direction. 'Firstly, the African experi­ clean vis a vis the political parties,' says true to the core principles of their move­ ence of liberation movements that pres­ Nkwinti. The need for this may not be ment. Both were convinced that the strat­ ent themselves as true democrats but when immediately clear, since at present 'there egy they had selected best served these they take over power things change.' shouldn't be a contradiction between a principles. Then, he adds, the warning from social movement and the liberation „ Eastern Europe about the abuses that arc movement'. All that changes, however, An autonomous civic movement perpetrated when 'people's organs be­ when liberation movements accede to Along with the challenges of the political come conveyor belts of the ruling party*. power. transition, the pressures to negotiate on And thirdly, the notion that bureauc- Nkwinti also says that although the service provision to entire communities [>,racy is in itself a counterproductive social civics seem like the most appropriate and to confront bitterly divisive violence factor that has to be challenged. 'We have shoulders for the mantle of a social have shaped thinking on the long-term to have organs that are not hamstrung by movement, this needs to be looked at nature of civics. At present the balance bureaucracy.' critically. They are only fit for the task if seems irrevocably tipped in favour of Gugilc Nkwinti, Eastern Cape ANC they are truly grassroots organisations - foundinganational civic movement which secretary with a longstanding involve­ and this might differ from region to re­ avoids party-political affiliation. ment in the civic movement, also looks to gion. Coordinator of the National Interim Eastern Europe in considering the kind of Sckgopi Malebo, interim chairpcr-

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son of the Southern Free State Civics participating civics and the boycotting Congress (Sofrecco), points out that it is group declared that they were pursuing an oversimplification to interpret thccivics the same medium- to long-term goals. as invariably in opposition to the ruling Both Cyril Ramaphosa of the partici­ party simply because they've elected to pating SowetoPeople's Delegation (SPD) slay outside of party politics. and Moses Mayekiso of the boycotting 'In Sofrecco we have actually put it Alexandra Civic Organisation (ACO) and very clear. Although we would like to Civic Association of the Southern remain autonomous from any political Transvaal (Cast) insisted theircivics were party, we would have the right to decide committed to: the destruction of existing at any moment with whom we align our­ race-based municipalises and the cam­ selves politically. We don't necessarily paign for the resignation of township see ourselves as an opposition to the rul­ councillors; the future of local govern­ ing structure.' ment being formally negotiated at a cen­ It is this freedom to endorse political tral level along with other constitutional programmes and the candidates repre­ issues; resisting participation in any 'nco- senting appropriate policies that answers aparthcid' municipal formulations de­ how the national civic movement might vised by the National Party; immediate participate in forthcoming national moves to improve the housing situation constitutional negotiations. in the townships, to secure better services • Cyril Ramaphosa In line with its non-party political and infrastructure and to spread the wealth role, the civic movement is unlikely to of the cities into the townships. seek direct representation at the negotiat­ ing table. But it will attempt to have its Endorsing neo-a part held There can be little positions put by parties whose views on structures? local government approximate to thecivic Cast accused the civics who were partici­ time for luxuriating in movement's own positions. It would ac­ pating in the Cham berof inconsistency in tively seek a consultative role on local sharing a structure with the very council­ visions of life after government in relation to such parties. lors whose demise they sought. They said that the Chamber was inherently racial, the end of apartheid. Wits Metropolitan Chamber debate constructed like a mini-tricameral parlia­ Ensuring that the If views on the long-term nature of the ment from die existing racial councils. civic movement tend to converge and They argued that participation in such a transformation of grow more solid, the same cannot be said structure could easily be interpreted as of the responses of civic associations to practical endorsement for precisely the local government is the challenges of the political transition. ' nco-apartheid' structures which the civic Faced with the question of how to carry movement abhorred. And that because of managed from below forward their demand for 'one non-racial this and the fact that the Chamber de­ is surely a priority. city with a single tax base' - even while scribed itself as a 'negotiating forum' on the government itself is tinkering away at future local government, participation in municipal structures - the civics have the Chamber ran a grave risk of under­ come up with widely divergent answers mining national negotiations for non- in the process of local-level negotiations. racial, representative local government. The developments in relation to the Ramaphosa on behalf of the SPD and Witwatersrand Metropolitan Chamber the Soweto Civic countered that in a ra­ brought matters to a head simply because cial society it was virtually impossible to civics which had concluded different local start crossing old barriers except by en­ level pacts were being asked to agree on gaging racial structures. He accused his a move at metropolitan level - and they opponents in ACO of doing precisely the could not. same thing on a local basis. But the Johannesburg situation is not With regard to township councillors, •unique or especially pathological. Sig­ he maintained that their resignation could nificant differences exist among many be pursued through the Chamber - as Uie civics in the way they relate to existing work of the Chamber progressed, diese local government structures; how they councillors would become evermore define acceptable participation in interim marginalised and powerless. Again he local government; and the methods they accused his critics in Cast of employing see as most likely to deliver the goods - double standards because some of them electricity, water, other services and a had negotiated and concluded agreements better housing deal - to the communities with councillors. they represent. And, as for the Chamber being the What was striking about the Metro­ instrumentof constitutional negotiations, politan Chamber debate was that the whatever its constitution said, this would • Moses Mayekiso

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government*.

State strategy From the government quarter there is evidence of a more centralised and co­ ordinated intervention than die civics are currently able to muster. The provincial administrations are active participants in virtually all civic-municipal negotiations and are widely seen as the saviours and promoters of township councillors - or at least the 50 perccnt-or-so who remain in office. In the Transvaal talks have repeat­ edly broken down as officials and civic representatives have deadlocked over the right of councillors to take part in nego­ tiations. Civic leaders on the Reef say uiat the province is attempting to foist the Soweto-style settlement on them. And Civics, as service cuts are frequently an added form autonomous of pressure in this scenario. organisations, can play a major A political analyst who has observed role in local level talks at close quarters discerns developing true a number of threads in the state's policy 'people's power' on local government One aspect is it's determination to force the pace of nego­ tiations - taking advantage of certain not be the case. 'The Chamber has its own controlled manner. For others, however, inevitable organisational shortcomings in limitations and shortcomings. Our view the dispute served as an alert to debates to structures that arc short on funds and is that it cannot be seen as a negotiating which they had been largely oblivious. reliant on part-time volunteers. body/ Bloemfontein-based Malebo high­ Another is a replica of the NP's na­ In the meanwhile, Ramaphosa be­ lights one of the factors underlying the tional policy: an insistence on including lieved the Chamber was the vehicle by Chamber debacle: individual civics have as many players in the negotiations game which to achieve certain objectives of the very particular histories that are partly as possible in order to dilute the voice of Soweto Accord concluded by the SPD/ shaped by local state strategies. The same its main opponent - in this case the local SCA with the authorities last year - ob­ range of strategic options simply does not civic organisation. It is not quite clear jectives such as the transfer of houses to exist for all civics. whether this ploy to fragment township the people and the improvement of serv­ He makes this point by stressing that opinion finds expression in the growing ices and infrastructure. although, after a month-long consumer association between Inkatha and town­ Mayekiso in turn argued that there boycott, the Mangaung Civic Associa­ ship councillors and attempts by Inkatha were significant differences between tion was able to gain major service con­ in places as remote as Schweizer Rcncke ACO's handling of the Sandton council cessions from the Blocmfontein Council to reverse rent boycotts. and Alexandra councillors and the SPD's and die province - and effectively by-pass What does stand out clearly is that, in treatment of councils in ihe Chamber. He the remnants of the Mangaung Town this transitional phase, die civic move­ pointed out that the Alexandra Accord Council - this did not mean diat major ment's non-partisan role needs to be ac­ bound all signatories (including the coun­ gains had been made toward non-racial tively asserted; it is established through cillors themselves) to addressing the aim governmentora single municipality. 'The consultation with all parties, rather than of getting the township councillors to gains we have seen came purely as a avoidance of party contact. This strategy resign. Also, that in seeking a one-to-one result of the consumer boycott,' Malebo was firmly grasped by die Vosloorus Civic relationship with Sandton, ACO aimed at observes. The white authorities were re­ Association which foiled an attempt by deracialisation at a much more local level luctant negotiators. Official and business­ the auutoritics to bring independent par­ than the National Party with its neo-apart- men alike 'showed clearly where they ties into die talks by coordinating a dele­ heid metropolitan models would like. were siding*. gation of the civic, Inkatha, Nactu and die Ministers' Fraternal. Odier parties - such As a result of this experience of nego­ as the ANC, Azapo and die PAC - are Important tactical debate tiations - obviously different from what understood to have been approached but Underneath the accusations and counter- the SPD found in relation to Johannes­ to have declined because they saw no accusations, ran an important tactical burg - the MCA would be very reluctant need to supplement die civic's efforts or debate. Some regarded its public airing as to 'join any interim structure that has usurp its role as a residents' body. unfortunate - ANC deputy president been decided by the apartheid regime alone'. There isalso the strong perception Lephunya says civics are actively Nelson Mandela was apparently among that local agreements are open to manipu­ these and called the sparring parties to­ seeking contact with political parties to lation and 'could be landmines on the persuade diem of a greater commitment gether to urge that they begin to settle road to national agreements on local their differences in a more private and to non- partisanship.

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