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Development Debate and Practice Revisiting the South African magisterial districts of 1999

During the constitutional talks that preceded the democratic election of South Africa in 1994, final agreement could not be reached on the position of all new provincial boundaries. This resulted in so-called ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ boundaries, the former referring to sections of boundaries on which there was general agreement, and the latter to those where there were still differences of opinion about their position between the negotiating parties. Yet, as the building blocks of the new provinces and as the regional units most often used for planning and administrative purposes, it is the magisterial districts that were most severely distorted by the system of apartheid. In view of the changes that are taking place in the local government system of South Africa currently, especially the new district boundaries that have been announced by the Demarcation Board in November 1999, the distorting effect apartheid had on the boundaries of the previous magisterial districts, is demonstrated in this article. Various distortions are pointed out and changes are suggested which could significantly improve local, provincial and national governance in South Africa, if implemented.