All little sisters got to try on big sister's clothes: the community council system in South Africa
Date
1982-04-19
Authors
Block, Robin
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Abstract
The Community Councils Act of 1977 provided for the
establishment of community councils in the African urban
townships - the urban locus for the management and reproduction
of the African labour force in the cities and towns
of 'white' South Africa. Community councils were to replace
the largely defunct urban bantu councils (UBCS) and
advisory boards in the townships. They were to take over
significant aspects of the execution of state urban management
- reproduction policy in the townships from administration
boards.
By March 1980, according to the Department of Cooperation
and Development '(CAD) 224 community councils had
been established. Elections had been held in 193 cases,
with an average poll of 41,9%.2 CAD 'facts' and 'figures'
notwithstanding, by 1980 things did not look too healthy
for the community council-. In reality, the period from
1977 - when the first council was instituted in the Vaal
townships - saw the rejection of community councils by the
vast majority of township residents all over South Africa,
resulting in the effective failure of the system - in its
first incarnation, at any rate. The council system was
restructured slightly as part of Koornhof's "new deal" bills
in October 1980 ; massively rejected and sent for
redrafting, the latest version of the community council has
just seen the light of day in the Black Local Authorities
Bill of March this year. This bill has now been sent to a
Parliamentary Select Committee for review.
This paper examines the community council system, since
1977 and locates it within the broader patterns of changing
state urban management reproduction policy, which is,
arguably, in an ongoing state of crisis.
Description
African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 19 April, 1982
Keywords
Community organization. South Africa