An assessment of the role of Councillors in their oversight mandate: a case of the Chris Hani district municipality: 2011-2013
- Authors: Shweni, Zenzile Raymond
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1023 , vital:26519
- Description: According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, Local Government is the closest sphere of government to the people and thus regarded as the service delivery mechanism of government. In the same context municipal councils are accorded a legal status and authority of a deliberative legislative body. This is considered critical for the municipal council to establish appropriate structures, processes and systems for effective oversight, particularly, oversight of budget execution and administrative processes. However, indications are that, the current legal and institutional measures need to be strengthened to enable municipal council to exercise oversight of the budget execution. In this study, the researcher conducted extensive literature on the roles and responsibilities of Councillors as prescribed in the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act and Municipal Structures Act respectively. An extensive review of the relevant local government legal provisions highlighted the authority of the municipal council, internal rules, reporting processes, council committees and the research capacity, as key aspects of the institutional measures required for oversight of budget execution. Equally, the review accentuated the ability and willingness of non-executive Councillors to exercise oversight in the affairs of the Municipality. A total of 20 research sample was selected for this research. Research participants were given research questionnaires for them to complete. This was completed and returned to the researcher for analysis. Key findings of the research was that, the municipal council must use its legal authority to reinforce mechanisms for effective oversight of budget execution. In addition, the municipal council needs to provide an enabling leadership and governance environment that encourages and support non-executive Councillors to actively engage in oversight processes and activities of the municipality. Further to the findings of this research, it was strongly recommended the further research in order to unearth the mechanisms that can further enable the Councillors to ensure optimum utilisation of resources.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shweni, Zenzile Raymond
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1023 , vital:26519
- Description: According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, Local Government is the closest sphere of government to the people and thus regarded as the service delivery mechanism of government. In the same context municipal councils are accorded a legal status and authority of a deliberative legislative body. This is considered critical for the municipal council to establish appropriate structures, processes and systems for effective oversight, particularly, oversight of budget execution and administrative processes. However, indications are that, the current legal and institutional measures need to be strengthened to enable municipal council to exercise oversight of the budget execution. In this study, the researcher conducted extensive literature on the roles and responsibilities of Councillors as prescribed in the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act and Municipal Structures Act respectively. An extensive review of the relevant local government legal provisions highlighted the authority of the municipal council, internal rules, reporting processes, council committees and the research capacity, as key aspects of the institutional measures required for oversight of budget execution. Equally, the review accentuated the ability and willingness of non-executive Councillors to exercise oversight in the affairs of the Municipality. A total of 20 research sample was selected for this research. Research participants were given research questionnaires for them to complete. This was completed and returned to the researcher for analysis. Key findings of the research was that, the municipal council must use its legal authority to reinforce mechanisms for effective oversight of budget execution. In addition, the municipal council needs to provide an enabling leadership and governance environment that encourages and support non-executive Councillors to actively engage in oversight processes and activities of the municipality. Further to the findings of this research, it was strongly recommended the further research in order to unearth the mechanisms that can further enable the Councillors to ensure optimum utilisation of resources.
- Full Text:
Evaluating the implementation of the principles of good governance in Zimbabwe local government system : a case of Marondera local municipality
- Authors: Muswaka, Phyllis
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Local government -- Zimbabwe Public administration -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13068 , vital:39453
- Description: Participatory budgeting currently occupies centre stage in Public and Municipal financial management Acts. The principle of participatory budgeting ushers in a broader public forum in which crucial principles in Public financial management such as accountability and transparency are observed, thereby automatically ensuring effective governance. The efficacy of participatory budgeting is to improve service delivery through opening up structures that will combat the spread of mal administrative practices such as corruption and financial fraud whilst enhancing democratic participation and upholding the rule of law by fostering transparency and accountability and making the governments more responsive to the needs of the people. The main objective of this study is to explore the pernicious effects of having limited citizen participation in Public finance management. It seeks to examine whether the poor service delivery by local municipalities can be attributed to the lack of effective citizen participation. This will be done through assessing whether the seeds of participatory budgeting have led to the fruits of efficient and effective service delivery in the public sector both in theory and in practice at Nkonkobe local municipality. It has been discovered that the inability to provide effective service delivery is a complex challenge facing many municipalities in South Africa, and although such a situation has been co-determined by many other factors including financial restraints, the root cause of service delivery incapability’s can be traced back to weather the citizens are actually participating in the management of public finances through participatory budgeting or not. More often than not, the failure to accommodate the citizens in local government affairs has been the spark that has been responsible for setting alight strikes and service delivery protest marches in most of South Africa’s Provinces. However, due to this, this study aims to reveal that participatory budgeting is an ambitious issue that requires local authorities to focus on in order to improve service delivery through embracing active citizen participation. Recommendations as well as consequences of lack of citizen participation in the budget process were thereby highlighted.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Muswaka, Phyllis
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Local government -- Zimbabwe Public administration -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13068 , vital:39453
- Description: Participatory budgeting currently occupies centre stage in Public and Municipal financial management Acts. The principle of participatory budgeting ushers in a broader public forum in which crucial principles in Public financial management such as accountability and transparency are observed, thereby automatically ensuring effective governance. The efficacy of participatory budgeting is to improve service delivery through opening up structures that will combat the spread of mal administrative practices such as corruption and financial fraud whilst enhancing democratic participation and upholding the rule of law by fostering transparency and accountability and making the governments more responsive to the needs of the people. The main objective of this study is to explore the pernicious effects of having limited citizen participation in Public finance management. It seeks to examine whether the poor service delivery by local municipalities can be attributed to the lack of effective citizen participation. This will be done through assessing whether the seeds of participatory budgeting have led to the fruits of efficient and effective service delivery in the public sector both in theory and in practice at Nkonkobe local municipality. It has been discovered that the inability to provide effective service delivery is a complex challenge facing many municipalities in South Africa, and although such a situation has been co-determined by many other factors including financial restraints, the root cause of service delivery incapability’s can be traced back to weather the citizens are actually participating in the management of public finances through participatory budgeting or not. More often than not, the failure to accommodate the citizens in local government affairs has been the spark that has been responsible for setting alight strikes and service delivery protest marches in most of South Africa’s Provinces. However, due to this, this study aims to reveal that participatory budgeting is an ambitious issue that requires local authorities to focus on in order to improve service delivery through embracing active citizen participation. Recommendations as well as consequences of lack of citizen participation in the budget process were thereby highlighted.
- Full Text:
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