The demarcation of the cities' jurisdictions. Lessons from the South African municipal boundaries delineation process Les confins : du handicap à l'innovation ?

International audienceIn a process of territorial restructuring, there are potential disputes, which often reveal both local and national geopolitical challenges and issues. Two related questions concerning provincial and municipal demarcation are frequently at stake, firstly, the issue of the extent of administrative cities' hinterlands in terms of jurisdiction; and secondly the issue of political administrative leadership between cities fitted in a single territorial unit. After presenting the theoretical hypothesis, this paper will focus on the issue of municipal delineation around secondary cities and small towns in post-apartheid South Africa