These programmes deal with questions such as: how are multilevel states designed? how are powers divided? how are the finances allocated to provincial and local governments? how does national government supervise subnational governments? They also deal with pertinent issues relating to the rule of law and good governance. The programmes combine legal and constitutional studies with other disciplines, such as political science, public administration and finances.
Students are taught and supervised by distinguished scholars in local government, multilevel government (decentralisation, devolution, federalism, intergovernmental relations), rule of law and good governance. They include: Prof Nico Steytler - the South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Prof Jaap de Visser - Director of the DO, Prof Yonatan Fessha - Professor at UWC’s Law Faculty and Prof Tinashe Carlton Chigwata- Head of Multilevel Government at DOI, who also manages the programmes. In addition, eminent local and international scholars regularly teach in our programmes as guest lecturers. We have previously hosted Prof Henk Kummeling, Rector of Utrecht University; Prof Xavier Philippe, University Paris II (Sorbonne); and Prof Zemelak Ayele (Addis Ababa University).
Our postgraduate programmes are a gateway to influential career positions. Our former students are occupying key positions in government, the private sector and the civil society. Some of the students are now judges; clerks at the Constitutional Court; attorneys; legal advisors; senior managers in municipalities, provincial governments and national government; and renowned academics in South Africa and beyond.
How should municipalities in South Africa be governed, and how are they financed? What are their powers and what are their service delivery obligations? How do national and provincial governments relate to them? How do municipalities procure goods and services and what is the legal framework for managing land use? And how does South Africa’s local government system compare with systems elsewhere in Africa?
This one-year Masters Course equips students to understand how South African provinces and local government work, how the multilevel system of government compares to other countries on the continent and on what global theories and practices it is based.
The Dullah Omar Institute (DOI) hosts a Doctoral Programme, dealing with the law, policy and practice of multilevel government in South Africa, the region and beyond. PhD candidates are supervised by senior academic staff including the South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Prof Jaap de Visser and Prof Tinashe Carlton Chigwata.
