Negotiating Public Services in the Congo: State, Society and Governance

by Tom De Herdt (Editor), Kristof Titeca (Editor)

Overview

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been widely derided as a failed state, unable to meet the basic needs of its citizens. But while state infrastructure continues to decay, many essential services continue to be provided at the local level, often through grassroots initiatives. So while, for example, state funding for education is almost non-existent, average school enrolment remains well above average for Sub-Saharan Africa.

This book addresses this paradox, bringing together key scholars working on public services in the DRC to elucidate the evolving nature of governance in developing countries. Its contributions encompass a wide range of public services, including education, justice, transport, and health. Taking stock of what functions and why, it contributes to the debate on public services in the context of 'real' or 'hybrid' governance beyond the state: does the state still have a function, or is it no longer useful and relevant? Crucially, how does international aid help or complicate this picture?

Rich in empirical detail, the contributors provide a valuable work for students and scholars interested in the role played by non-state actors in organizing statehood – a role too often neglected in debates on post-conflict reconstruction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786994004
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/15/2019
Series:	Politics and Development in Contemporary Africa
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

Kristof Titeca lectures at the Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp. He was previously a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. He has been a regular contributor to the Washington Post, and has also written for outlets such as Al Jazeera, African Arguments and others.

Tom De Herdt is a professor of development at the University of Antwerp, and current chair of the university's Institute of Development Policy and Management. He has previously lectured at he Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua, and has coordinated consultancy projects on behalf of UNICEF. His previous works include Real Governance and Practical Norms in Sub-Saharan Africa (co-edited with Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, 2015).
Kristof Titeca lectures at the Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp. He was previously a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. He has been a regular contributor to the Washington Post, and has also written for outlets such as Al Jazeera, African Arguments and others.

Tom De Herdt is a professor of development at the University of Antwerp, and current chair of the university's Institute of Development Policy and Management. He has previously lectured at he Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua, and has coordinated consultancy projects on behalf of UNICEF. His previous works include Real Governance and Practical Norms in Sub-Saharan Africa (co-edited with Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, 2015).

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes vii

About the Contributors ix

Preface xi

1 Introduction: Negotiating Public Services in the Congo Tom De Herdt Kristof Titeca 1

Part I Public Services and the State

2 Reform of the Public Wage System in the DRC: The Système Intégré de Gestion des Ressources Humaines et de la Paie and Its Prospects Stylianos Moskonas 26

3 Neighbourhood Chiefs in Urban DRC: "The State is Me, the State is You, the State is All of Us" Stéphanie Perazzone 51

4 Donors and a Predatory State: Struggling with Real Governance Camilla Lindstrom 74

Part II Case Studies

5 The Public Electricity Service in Kinshasa: Between Legal Oversight and Autonomy Jean-Pierre Mpiana Tshitenge 96

6 Police at Work in Bukavu: Negotiating Revenue-generation in Urban Pirate Markets Michel Thill 120

7 The Public Transport Sector in Kinshasa: The Battle Around the "Spirit of Death" Albert Malukisa Nkuku Kristof Titeca 142

8 Garbage Collection in Bukavu: "The Political Class Does Not Take Care of Garbage Here" Randi Solhjell 168

9 Real Land Governance and the State: Local Pathways of Securing Land Tenure in Eastern DRC Aymar Nyenyezi Bisoka Klara Claessens 190

10 Public Services at the Edge of the State: Justice and Conflict-resolution on in Haut-Uélé Kristof Titeca 214

Index 235