ABSTRACT

Even before the Regional Services Council Act, 1985 (Act 109 of 1985) became law on 31 July, 1985, it was confidently expected both at central government and local level that the first Regional Services Council to be established under the Act would be in Natal, more specifically in the Greater Durban Area. This was due to the high degree of acceptance of the principle of regionalization already reached amongst local authorities and other representative bodies in the area, including commerce and industry, and also because considerable progress had already been made towards the establishment of a regional authority for a metropolitan area long regarded as displaying a high degree of economic bonding and interdependence. As things have turned out however, this has not been the case.