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The affordability of basic services for the majority of city-dwellers is a daunting problem for local authorities, complicated by the tension between rights-based and market-based solutions for delivery. The recourse to taxation, tariffs and transfers (the 3Ts) to finance the provision of basic services relies more on grants from central governments and transfers from donor community in order to cope. Given the financial limitations of most of central and local governments there has been a move towards Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs), though these have experienced a downturn after the financial and banking crisis of 2008. Furthermore, upfront development expenses before PPP implemen-
tation are huge. Hence, the need for a strong capacity building program for African cities to acquire the skills needed to negotiate and manage PPP contracts and to improve public regulation. For the time being, most African cities continue have a dual system of service delivery, formal and informal. This must be recognized with local policies that accommodate and interface the two systems in a single whole city delivery policy. All service delivery should be people-centred, guided by the principle of reality, the diversity of solutions, and the choices of citizens following a democratic debate. In that sense, the basic services debate is at the heart of democracy.