The function of municipalities.
The lowest level of state power is the municipality. Municipalities come in different sizes, but their ultimate responsibility is to supply the basic services on a local level. Larger metropolitan municipalities are huge organisations employing thousands of people and they can undertake big capital projects. There is not that much interaction between the municipality - also called the City Council - and the citizens.
In smallest municipalities, also called Town Councils, that link is much more direct and people often know some, or all the members of the council. They can react quickly to needs of the community, and the community can organise to remove them from the Council. However, the biggest problem for these smaller Councils is finances. They have a limited ability to collect taxes, called property tax. Property tax is calculated on the value of the building and paid by the owner of the building.
Basically their main function is to provide water, electricity and sanitary service to the town. In South Africa none of these services are privatised. In most cases they are not very efficient as the lack the skills to deliver a professional job. This is more serious in the smaller municipalities and electricity distribution is often undertaken by the national electricity supplier, ESKOM. The municipalities would charge each household and they would pay ESKOM. They have a small profit on this sale.
Municipalities send accounts to all the registered property occupants, not the owner. If the property is unoccupied, the owner becomes responsible.
Sanitation services, including sewerage and refuse removal are also performed by the Councils. Municipalities also issue vehicle licenses and approve home building plans. They employ health inspectors to look after public safety and run basic preventative medical services such as TB prevention as well as family planning services.
Bigger municipalities also employ municipal police. They are
used to enforce traffic regulations such as speed control of vehicles. These
police work closely with the South African Police in crime prevention. They
have the right to arrest people but when they have made the arrest, the SAPS
takes over the case.
Municipalities are not involved in the education system and do not run schools. They are, however, responsible for the normal supply of services to schools.
Another function that municipalities have is the control of stray animals. Unlike Chile, there are no street dogs in South Africa. Dogs that are alone in the street are caught and, unless claimed by their owners who then have to pay a fine, they are euthanized. Larger animals such as cows or horses are sold to offset cost.
Clearly municipalities in Chile are very different from those in South Africa.
Comments