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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Delimitation of local government ward boundaries in the Tshwane municipal area: the challenge of achieving fair political representation |
Author: | Napier, C.J. |
Year: | 2007 |
Periodical: | Politeia: Journal for Political Science and Public Administration |
Volume: | 26 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 179-191 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | South Africa |
Subjects: | electoral systems municipal government election law |
Abstract: | Over time, and in many countries, the spatial division of geographic areas has come to determine whether individuals and governments win or lose power following an election. This paper examines the procedures and criteria as prescribed by South Africa's national legislation for delimiting ward boundaries, at local government level, with the goal of achieving fair representation of political parties and individual representatives in a legislative body. The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) is taken as a case study and particular attention is given to the period preceeding the local government elections of 1 March 2006, during which a delimitation process took place. The CTMM is one of six large metropolitan municipalities in South Africa. It has 152 elected councillors, of whom 76 are elected through a first-past-the-post ward electoral system. Suggestions are made as to what an ideal local government ward should look like. The difficulties in achieving fair representation at ward level, and how delimitation processes could be improved to achieve fair representation, are discussed. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract] |