3.5 Practice Theory as a Direction-Finding Beacon
203
the use of language (Chouliaraki and Fairclough 1999; Kettle 2005) by recounting
the essence and acquiring practices. Based on the assumptions of the practice theory,
eThekwini’s various green and ecological infrastructure enterprises are replete with
activities and tasks that are performed by the involved stakeholders.
In what follows, I will focus on the role and function of epistocracies and how
municipal officials shape the policy arena as an epistocracy.
Epistocracy
It appears as if municipal officials in the EPCPD, and other departments that are
closely linked with green and ecological infrastructure initiatives, not only play the
role of local government administrators, but also of scientists. This would be the
case for several eThekwini officials who were interviewed. In Table 3.7, I identify
numerous officials who have published books, book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. One of these, Debra Roberts, was unavailable for an interview during my fieldwork. However, as the former Manager of the municipality’s EPCPD, and now the
Head of eThekwini’s Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, I have included
her publications. Debra is, after all, responsible for establishing D’MOSS and the
EPCPD. This Department oversees the development and implementation of eThekwini’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme, which includes the development
and implementation of appropriate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and projects, of which D’MOSS is one (eThekwini 2020). When one looks at
Table 3.7 and sees the number of publications that these officials have produced
over the years, it would appear that an epistocracy is active within the EPCPD and
other branches. To investigate this further, we need to ask the following: What is an
epistocracy? What are its benefits and drawbacks? and What are the implications of
these advantages and downsides?
The concept ‘epistocracy’ dates back to the time of Plato (428/427–
348/347 B.C.E.), when he proposed this ‘form’ of government), instead of a democratic regime, for Kallispolis (Tremmel 2018; Lippert-Rasmussen 2012). The term
‘epistocracy’ literally means ‘the rule of experts’ (Min 2015; Tremmel 2018) or
‘the rule of knowers’ (Moraro 2018). Wissenburg (2019) sketched a more elaborate
conceptualisation when he wrote that an epistocracy is rule that is exercised by individuals in society who have a superior knowledge of politics. Even so, in certain
instances, epistocrats may not have a superior knowledge of politics but they could
wield political power in a specific political arena, since they possess the relevant
knowledge to make good policies (Mulligan 2015) concerning specific issues. This
indicates that epistocracies are not only connected to the wider political context, but
also to issue-specific policy areas, such as green and ecological infrastructures.
How does this notion fit in with eThekwini’s green and ecological policy landscape? For one, as a local government, eThekwini is a political organ that has been
established by the South African Constitution. It also means that the eThekwini
Council needs to approve the implementation of green and ecological infrastructure
projects, such as the River Horse project. Municipal Council approval involves a
political function. In this regard, according to Lucky (2019), epistocrats claim that
they can improve the outcomes of instrumental policy, since they possess a superior
203
the use of language (Chouliaraki and Fairclough 1999; Kettle 2005) by recounting
the essence and acquiring practices. Based on the assumptions of the practice theory,
eThekwini’s various green and ecological infrastructure enterprises are replete with
activities and tasks that are performed by the involved stakeholders.
In what follows, I will focus on the role and function of epistocracies and how
municipal officials shape the policy arena as an epistocracy.
Epistocracy
It appears as if municipal officials in the EPCPD, and other departments that are
closely linked with green and ecological infrastructure initiatives, not only play the
role of local government administrators, but also of scientists. This would be the
case for several eThekwini officials who were interviewed. In Table 3.7, I identify
numerous officials who have published books, book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. One of these, Debra Roberts, was unavailable for an interview during my fieldwork. However, as the former Manager of the municipality’s EPCPD, and now the
Head of eThekwini’s Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, I have included
her publications. Debra is, after all, responsible for establishing D’MOSS and the
EPCPD. This Department oversees the development and implementation of eThekwini’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme, which includes the development
and implementation of appropriate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and projects, of which D’MOSS is one (eThekwini 2020). When one looks at
Table 3.7 and sees the number of publications that these officials have produced
over the years, it would appear that an epistocracy is active within the EPCPD and
other branches. To investigate this further, we need to ask the following: What is an
epistocracy? What are its benefits and drawbacks? and What are the implications of
these advantages and downsides?
The concept ‘epistocracy’ dates back to the time of Plato (428/427–
348/347 B.C.E.), when he proposed this ‘form’ of government), instead of a democratic regime, for Kallispolis (Tremmel 2018; Lippert-Rasmussen 2012). The term
‘epistocracy’ literally means ‘the rule of experts’ (Min 2015; Tremmel 2018) or
‘the rule of knowers’ (Moraro 2018). Wissenburg (2019) sketched a more elaborate
conceptualisation when he wrote that an epistocracy is rule that is exercised by individuals in society who have a superior knowledge of politics. Even so, in certain
instances, epistocrats may not have a superior knowledge of politics but they could
wield political power in a specific political arena, since they possess the relevant
knowledge to make good policies (Mulligan 2015) concerning specific issues. This
indicates that epistocracies are not only connected to the wider political context, but
also to issue-specific policy areas, such as green and ecological infrastructures.
How does this notion fit in with eThekwini’s green and ecological policy landscape? For one, as a local government, eThekwini is a political organ that has been
established by the South African Constitution. It also means that the eThekwini
Council needs to approve the implementation of green and ecological infrastructure
projects, such as the River Horse project. Municipal Council approval involves a
political function. In this regard, according to Lucky (2019), epistocrats claim that
they can improve the outcomes of instrumental policy, since they possess a superior