The government's review of the effectiveness of current provincial and local government arrangements is long overdue.

The government's review of the effectiveness of current provincial and local government arrangements is long overdue.

The first signs there might be problems emerged a few years ago with the outbreak of a series of service delivery protests. Initial government response was rather cynical, questioning the motives of affected communities.

This explained its deployment of intelligence services at the time to assess the role of agents provocateurs.

Paranoia showed in the government's claim that protests were the work of a third force, despite there being no evidence to back this.

That is why its willingness now to streamline these structures to finally tackle grievances is laudable.