Anatomy of a Crisis: Structural Factors Contributing to the Collapse of Urban Municipal Governance in Emfuleni, South Africa

Why is urban local government failing in many South African secondary cities? Through the example of a major instance of governance collapse in the Emfuleni local municipality, this article discusses the fault lines in the legal and structural architecture underlying governance of South African cities and towns. It argues that, while human failings explain some of the municipality’s failings, there are also deeper problems around municipal demarcation, intergovernmental relations, urban autonomy, and local government financing.