Entrenching decentralisation in Africa: A review of the African charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development

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Date

2018

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Abstract

The African Union (AU) adopted the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development (African Charter on Decentralisation) in 2014. The Charter seeks to promote decentralisation as a vehicle for improving the livelihood of people on the African continent. It is the first to provide a decentralisation framework or model framework for local government for the African continent. Like most international instruments, member states of the AU will only be legally bound by the Charter once they have ratified it. Most Member States of the AU have not ratified the Charter due to varying reasons, including, the fact that the ratification process in many countries is often cumbersome. Non-ratification could also be due to the fact that there is not yet a clear understanding of the meaning and significance of the decentralisation framework which the Charter provides. Thus, the actual impact of the Charter on changing the poor state of local government on the African continent upon coming into operation is as yet unknown. This problem is inflated by the fact that there is present no scholarly commentary on the Charter, given that it is relatively new. This article provides a critical analysis of the Charter, looking at its strengths and weakness, against the background of the international literature on decentralisation and ‘best’ practices on local government.

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Keywords

African Union, African Charter on the Values, Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development, Analysis, Local autonomy

Citation

Chigwata, T.C. & Ziswa, M. (2018). Entrenching decentralisation in Africa: A review of the African charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development. Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, 10: 2195 – 316.