Steytler, NicoSurty, FatimaNULLFaculty of Law2013-07-252024-11-062012/04/202012/04/202013-07-252024-11-062010https://hdl.handle.net/10566/18126Magister Legum - LLMLocal government is arguably the most significant sphere of government to lay citizens, as it is the point of contact of citizens with their government. Local government enables a direct link between the general public and the basic services that they are entitled to by means of their constitutional and legislatively entrenched rights. It is the only sphere of government that allows and encourages face-to-face engagement between citizens and their governors, providing the necessary platform for interaction, contact and communication. It is imperative therefore that this tier of government operate optimally and competently, as it represents a reflection of the operation of government wholly. Research unfortunately illustrates that public perceptions of local government are negative, with levels of trust in local government being substantially lower than those in provincial and national governments. The responsibility for failure to perform would lie squarely on the shoulders of those individuals leading any institution. The leading incumbents driving a municipality are the political and administrative heads, i.e. executive mayor and municipal manager.enExecutive mayorMunicipal managerInterfaceRoles and responsibilitiesInterferenceIncompetenceAppointments Separation of powersTerms of referenceMunicipal Systems Act 32 of 2000Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003Municipal Systems Amendment Bill, 2010Municipal Systems Amendment Act 32 of 2000: Disciplinary Code and Procedures for Senior Managers: For public commentsThesisUniversity of the Western Cape