civic, noun

Origin:
Short for civic association.
colloquial
An elected, community-based body concerned with local government in a Black township. Also attributive. See also street committee.
Note:
Civics were first instituted under the aegis of the Soweto Committee of Ten, and were intended to replace the government-instituted, and usually discredited, community councils (see community council).
[1985 Weekly Mail 9 Aug. 4Organisations whose members have been held: Civic Associations (Port Elizabeth CA, Soweto CA, Graaff Reinet CA, East Rand Peoples Organisation).]
1990 M. Kentridge Unofficial War 7Youth organisations, township civics, educational, student, women’s, cultural and sporting organisations and associations are all represented within the structures of the UDF.
1990 P. Goodenough in New African 18 June 2‘The Civic Organisation has successfully forced the House of Representatives to unconditionallly recommend and accept the candidatures,’ said civic chairperson Abie October.
1990 S. Friedman in Weekly Mail 27 July 6The ‘civic’ movement emerged during the 1980s: its job was to mobilise people around their immediate problems — housing, rents, living conditions and services. In many ares, ‘civics’ played a major role in pressuring township councils.
1991 Spotlight (S.A.I.R.R.) Mar. 6It is not correct to regard every civic as a proxy...The ANC does not control the civics.
1991 J. Collinge in Daily News 17 Dec. 21The Metro Chamber experience..has drawn the Soweto Civic Association and other civics from around Johannesburg into close bargaining with four white municipalities, three black town councils and the Transvaal Provincial Administration.
1992 D. Nina in Focus on Afr. Apr.–June 34Mama Irene finally started to look more relaxed. One of the civic comrades had helped her in dealing with her yard neighbours.
1992 Weekly Mail 5 June 23Now civics have entered into the process of negotiating with state institutions for the future. Once a legitimate local government is in place, the civic will no longer need to claim to represent everybody. Instead of two functions, it will have one: to represent the interests, demands and policies of its constituency. Civics are concerned with urban development issues, and in the future will continue to be...Coovadia sees civics in a post-apartheid South Africa as filling two roles. First, they should be ‘independent, non-party political, mass-based structures’ able to intercede in local government on behalf of constituents...At the same time, he views civics as pressure groups — ‘to ensure that local government is accountable’.
1993 D. Sandi in Grocott’s Mail 25 June 7Civics should be grassroot residents and voters organisations.
1993 B. Nzimande in Sash Newsletter (Black Sash) 29 June 2People tend to say civics will act as watchdogs on the state, but I believe they are more than that. The better approach is the original conceptualisation of a civic: organs of people’s power.
1993 S. Collins in Democracy in Action 31 Aug. 27At the request of the community, who have a strong civic association made up of 25 area-based civics, Idasa convened a process leading to the formation of a democratic Inanda Development Forum.
1994 B. Ntlemo in Sidelines Dec. 12The Civic never even met to discuss the plight of the villagers...The Civic has no business to exist if it could not rise to an occasion like this.
An elected, community-based body concerned with local government in a Black township. Also attributive.
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city state, noun phrasen. phr.civilized labour, noun phrasen. phr.
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