An analysis of the politics-administrative interface and its impact on delivery of municipal services: a case of the Mnquma Local Municipality
- Authors: Ndudula, Mziwoxolo Rutherford
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , City council members -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Politicians -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Communication in community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11659 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007043 , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , City council members -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Politicians -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Communication in community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Politics and government
- Description: The study took a qualitative approach to the analysis of the effect of the politics-administrative interface on municipal service delivery. It was a case study of the Mnquma local municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. The researcher developed a keen interest in researching on the topic because the political infighting and clashes between politicians and administrators of the municipality have caused a public outcry for the root causes of the infighting to be effectively addressed and redressed. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of the study will help, reshape public policy implementation, service delivery and fostering of mutual cooperative relations between politicians and administrators both at local government level and any other sphere of government in South Africa. The study, is categorized into five chronological chapters, with chapter one (introduction and background), chapter two (literature review), chapter three (research design and methodology), chapter four (data analysis, interpretation and presentation) and chapter five (conclusions and recommendations). The researcher used a sample size of 40 respondents who were selected using snowball sampling, a non-random sampling design spread accordingly over both politicians and administrators. Data collection was made possible through an open-ended questionnaire, interviews, observations and documentary analysis. Various reports and media statements were also used to augment this empirical study. The study also used an in-depth qualitative data analysis technique which was descriptive in nature and the study made numerous deductions and findings based on the collected and collated data. Findings of the study were, inter alia, too much politicization of the public sector, interference between politicians and administrators into each other’s affairs and vice versa and adverse effects of cadre deployment which are damaging service delivery. The study made numerous recommendations which included, inter alia, training and development of administrators and politicians on their respective roles and responsibilities, enforcement of the politics-administrative interface as a mutually beneficial approach to service delivery, need for proper interpretation of Acts and policy documents and the enforcing of section 139 interventions into municipalities.
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An assessment of the supply chain management policy: the case of the King William's Town district municipality period 2009-2011
- Authors: Mazibu, Vuyisile
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007128 , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Description: The intention of the study was to assess the supply chain management policy at the King William’s Town District Municipality. It became apparent from the Literature review that any municipality to play a meaningful role in ensuring that South Africa achieves the goal of becoming a developmental state, capable of confronting service delivery challenges, there needs to be a proper implementation of the supply management system policy. The study was also aimed at identifying the factors that support or hinder the implementation of the supply chain management within the King William’s Town District Municipality. In order to achieve this objective, interviews and self-administered questionnaires were conducted with various respondents in the municipality. The respondents insured the councillors from the five political parties comprising the municipality, municipal manager and section 57 managers, supply chain practitioners. It would therefore be critical important for the management of the King William’s Town District municipality to take into account the results of this study and its recommendations so as to ensure that there is a proper implementation of the supply chain management system within the municipality.
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An investigation of public participation in municipal planning and performance evaluation: a case study of Mnquma Local Municipality
- Authors: Mkentane, Benjamin Zolile
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal officials and employees -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor turnover -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance -- Evaluation , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11671 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007119 , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal officials and employees -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor turnover -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance -- Evaluation , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The participation of communities and community organizations in Municipal governance is set in terms of the law as a mechanism to deepen democracy. Municipalities are required to develop a culture of governance that complements representative democracy with community participation. However the participation of communities in local governance has not translated to the strengthening of governance and the deepening of democracy as municipalities have not done enough to involve communities in municipal affaires. Lack of human resources, and financial capacity have been cited as some of the reasons that beset municipalities and undermine citizen participation. Municipalities have taken steps to encourage community participation and these include establishment of structures to enable participation, however without the guidance and financial support of the municipalities these structures are not able to perform their functions. In spite of all the efforts made by municipalities to encourage participation, a culture of community participation has not yet taken root in local government. While the legislative framework provides for communities to participate, practice shows that the implementation of legislation is complex and requires dedicated capacities within the councils to be effective. This can be achieved when municipalities develop their own community participation policies which address their special circumstances, which must be reviewed on a regular basis. Unless communities are empowered with knowledge on the available participation mechanisms, the dream of a culture of participation will remain just that, a dream. Thus civic education coupled with capacity building of officials will assist in ensuring the development of a culture of participation. Council must also develop mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of community participation processes and procedures, to avoid a one size fits all approach. It is imperative that councils as the legislative arm of municipalities must lead the process and not leave everything to the executive arm.
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Assessing financial viability of selected urban and rural municipalities in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Maclean, Sindisile
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Finance, Public -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , South Africa -- Economic policy , South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (in Public Administration)
- Identifier: vital:11661 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007093 , Finance, Public -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , South Africa -- Economic policy , South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Description: The purpose of the research is to assess the financial viability of selected urban and rural municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Municipalities that are not financially viable and sustainable will always struggle to deliver basic services to communities. Without sound financial management systems, municipalities will be forced to discontinue their operations. Municipalities, particularly small and rural ones, are not self-sufficient and often rely on grants and transfers to satisfy their immediate short-term goal of providing basic services to satisfy the needs of their communities. Therefore, finance is regarded as an overriding and decisive factor for determining the viability of municipalities. The study seeks to investigate the financial viability of selected urban and rural municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Its key research questions are: Are municipalities able to provide sufficient funds to provide a range of services at an acceptable service level? To what extent do municipalities rely on external funding? Do municipalities have revenue collection capacity and revenue policies? The study asserts that most municipalities lack the required financial resources. They depend mainly on transfers from Provincial Government and equitable share and conditional grants from National Government. Section 152 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 8 of 1996, states, amongst other things, that Local Government should ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. The constitution further states that a municipality must strive, within its financial and administrative capacity, to achieve its objectives. The Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003, creates a framework for municipalities to borrow money and determine the conditions for short- and long-term borrowing. The Act assigns clear roles and responsibilities to the various role players involved in local government financial management. According to the Act, an annual budget for a municipality may only be funded from realistically anticipated revenues to be collected. As revenue projections in the budget must be realistic, the Municipal Property Rates Act, Act 6 of 2004, facilitates the collection of revenue in municipalities and establishes a uniform property rating system across South Africa. Property tax is the biggest element of local government tax revenue and is central to municipal finance. The Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000, amongst its objectives, provides for the manner in which municipal powers and functions are exercised as well as establishes a simple framework for the core processes of planning, performance management and resource mobilisation. The Act also provides a framework for public administration and human resource development. Finally, it also empowers the poor and ensures that municipalities put in place service tariffs and credit control policies that take their needs into account. The research contends that, whilst there is legislation and structures to assist and direct municipalities, it has been established that municipalities do not properly collect rates and taxes due to them to augment their revenue. The study has shown nevertheless that metropolitan municipalities have the capacity to collect revenue for municipal services. This is confirmed by their collection rate which ranges between 94 % and 97 %. There is also the culture of non-payment by communities for services rendered by the municipalities. Rural municipalities are exempted from property tax, while other rural municipalities who have an urban component, have to collect. There is also the question of unemployment and poverty. Consequently, municipalities are not self-sufficient and rely on grants and equitable share to survive. As a result of this lack of self-sufficiency, it is difficult to implement service delivery and also difficult to attract skilled personnel. The study has investigated why some municipalities fail to collect revenue and depend on national grants. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings of the quantitative paradigm have been presented in the form of graphs and charts. The major findings include: All municipalities have limited borrowing capacity; have not exceeded their budgets in terms of their spending; small municipalities have households as their main contributor of revenue collected; metropolitan municipalities get the big slice of their revenue from business; small and rural municipalities rely on grants and transfers and are therefore not financially viable; metropolitan municipalities are, to a great extent, financially viable but lack skills and capacity to utilize their resources for effective service delivery; and all municipalities under-spend their budgets. The study, after elaborating on the findings, makes recommendations on how municipalities should become financially viable.
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The role of public participation in building a people centered public service: the case of the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality (KSDM) integrated development planning process (Eastern Cape)
- Authors: Ngcukayitobi, Lulama
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11674 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007123 , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Description: This chapter focuses on the literature relevant to the study and more significantly on the issues that are pertinent to the critical questions and the objectives of this research. The chapter will provide definitions of community participation and their intricate relationship with the Integrated Development Planning as a strategic framework for development within the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality. In this context the chapter presents a review of literature dealing with the theoretical arguments surrounding public participation. Hart (1998:13) views literature review as the selection of available documents - both published and unpublished - on the topic, which contains information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims This chapter is divided into two main review sections. The first section reviews the relevant policy, legislation and guidelines in which public participation and the IDP process is located in South Africa. The second section focuses on the literature and theories of public participation and the IDP process as it is applied in South Africa.
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