Abstract
The paper considers the reasons for the decline in urban management in South Africa, especially the failure of the self-contained, self-financing black local authorities established in 1980 to manage urban development in the former African townships. It includes a short history of how the white and black local authorities developed under apartheid. It also sagests that some of the weaknesses of the urban managenent structure under apartheid are still evident especially the lack of community involvement and the shortage of resources within urban authorities.