Regime Politics and Service Delivery: The Cape Town Unicity Council Area

In the Cape Town Unicity Council, the frequent regime changes (2000-2008) and conflictual nature of local state politics between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), had a negative effect on service delivery in the study areas of Parkwood Estate and Ottery. Regime politics advances that the complex relationship between political parties determines the quality and stability of the political order, and political actors are responsible for shaping the urban political arena. In addition, political coalitions are often unstable and realign with changing times and conditions. In the Cape Town Unicity Council, the changes in regime meant that each new administration introduced a new set of policies which saw the rejection of certain development projects and their replacement with others. This lack of follow through on policies meant that the city administration was destabilised and, with the loss of skilled employees, service delivery was impeded. The consequences of this were evident in Parkwood Estate and Ottery.