• The Green Paper on Local Government is short on substance and lacks the kind of technical depth expected at a stage of policy process. In a response to the Green Paper on Local Government, CDE highlights three themes that collectively represent its fundamental areas of concern.
  • Firstly, the Green Paper fails to show that cities are the new arenas for economic activity and competition.
  • Secondly, the paper is unsuccessful in making the point that local government finance should centre on sustainability and economic viability.
  • Thirdly, uniformity is not what is required for South Africa’s largest cities. A better route to follow is flexibility and pragmatism within the context of agreed-upon goals.
  • It is only if we get the growth component right that we will have the resources to deliver and sustain the infrastructure needs of cities and citizens.