This study has been partly inspired by the fact that historical narratives on the evolution of the South African Electricity Supply Industry (ESI), have for the most part focused on the national vertically integrated utility, Eskom; with far less attention being paid to the role that the municipal electricity undertakings (MEU's) have, and continue to, play. Indeed, this is somewhat surprising if one considers that MEU's began operating more than 20 years before Eskom's 1923 formation; and perhaps this lack of focus on MEU's is compounded by Eskom's operational crisis from 2006 (threatening its ongoing viability), which has overshadowed the perilous situation that MEU's have found themselves in. The research thus has two objectives. The first is to provide a detailed historical account of the role of MEU's and their contribution to the country's ESI from their genesis; while demonstrating the linkages between Eskom, MEU's and the three tiers of government. The second then examines how from the formation of the Union (1910), two fundamental but diametrically opposing objectives continue to prevail: 1) An over-burdened, financially ‘self-sufficient', local government, whose limited scope to collect revenue means electricity surpluses must be maximised to cross-subsidise its operations; and, 2) A vertically integrated utility, mandated to generate electricity at the lowest unit price, so as to provide the energy intensive economy with a competitive advantage. These contradictions, which have endured for many decades, reached fever pitch in the last 20 years, contributing significantly to the demise of ESI reforms initiated in 2000 and abandoned in 2010. Simultaneously, they have worsened the crisis of local government, which is constitutionally mandated to deliver basic services to its constituents, whose failure to do so, in many instances now threatens national government legitimacy at the most fundamental level. Within this context, the research, (based on the premise that history and institutions matter), employs the theoretical framework of new institutionalism, as applied through the lens of historical institutionalism (HI). Here, application of HI's core tenets revolves around identifying and explaining the critical junctures which create path dependency and institutional lock-in, while also accounting for incremental change which undoubtedly exists over a 120-year period. However, the unjust social and economic history of the country, where political decisions (pre and post-apartheid) have had a disproportional impact on state entities, requires closer scrutiny. For this, a detailed conceptual framework is employed to disentangle the complex relationship that has developed between the three tiers of government and their respective interacting powers. Ultimately, in delivering a detailed historiography of municipal electricity supply, the research posits that the ESI requires deeper fundamental reform than envisaged in 2000; and that most importantly, this must take cognisance of the extent to which MEU's are embedded within local government. This, the research believes, will increase the likelihood of local government participation and acceptance; perhaps pointing to an as yet unexplored path forward out of the South African ESI's current quandary.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Local governments worldwide are invariably faced with challenges of human capacity constraints, corruption, lack of operating transparency and accountability, dysfunctional ward committees, poor public participation, non-compliance with legislation and by-laws, poor prioritisation of community needs, unaligned budget processes, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure, tensions between politicians and administrators, as well as weak financial viability. A strong legal framework, clearly defining authority and accountability, backed by relevant skills development training, are necessary foundations for service delivery; however, without the appropriate training, staff performance could remain inadequate. Various countries have reached varying levels of local government effectiveness; however, all too often municipalities do not have the adequate skills required, to deliver the services needed, to ensure community development.

Masters of Commerce / Local governments worldwide are invariably faced with challenges of human capacity constraints, corruption, lack of operating transparency and accountability, dysfunctional ward committees, poor public participation, non-compliance with legislation and by-laws, poor prioritisation of community needs, unaligned budget processes, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure, tensions between politicians and administrators, as well as weak financial viability. A strong legal framework, clearly defining authority and accountability, backed by relevant skills development training, are necessary foundations for service delivery; however, without the appropriate training, staff performance could remain inadequate. Various countries have reached varying levels of local government effectiveness; however, all too often municipalities do not have the adequate skills required, to deliver the services needed, to ensure community development. Despite being well structured, South Africa’s institutional arrangements are often deeply flawed, while local government still needs to transform from passive service provider to proactive facilitator. Skills development legislation forms part of government policies to enable transformation; however, many local municipalities are burdened by poor service delivery, corrupt staff, and no accountability. Therefore, there is a desperate need to explore the best way of addressing local government challenges and skills shortcomings of their human resources. In this current study, the researcher conducted a case study to explore varying aspects of local government skills development, particularly the implementation of a training programme in a rural municipality. Data collection was conducted with key informants, as well as trainees, through in-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, present the findings relevant to the strategies, as well as make recommendations on the required enhancements, for improved implementation of local government skills development initiatives.

The thesis is focused on the question of how responsibilities for the performance of public functions are assigned to levels or spheres of government. The term "public function" refers to the activities performed by governments in order to satisfy identified community needs. There is a paucity of validated knowledge concerning the particular phenomenon, and the purpose of the study is to make a research based contribution in this connection. Because of the exploratory nature of the study particular attention is paid to the orientation of the research in Public Administration terms, as well as to research design. A study of the assignment of responsibilities in a selection of foreign countries was undertaken, and the findings are recorded and evaluated. The conclusion reached is that in none of the countries studied a clear, comprehensive demarcation of governmental responsibilities has been achieved. Regarding South Africa, the thesis encompasses a historical overview, followed by separate analytical examinations of the arrangements set in place by the 1993 ("interim") and the 1996 ("final") Constitutions. In the pre-democratic era (1910 to 1994), ideological considerations patently played a prominent role. The treatment of the assignment question by the 1993 Constitution is found to have had substantial shortcomings, especially with regard to conceptual and technical aspects, the realisation of assignment principles, and the substance of assigned responsibilities. In the author's opinion a satisfactory deployment of responsibilities was not achieved. The 1996 Constitution improved the assignment scheme, notably through the better realisation of assignment principles, the introduction of exclusive powers for the provinces, and in dealing with the municipal domain. However, the 1996 Constitution also did not achieve a credible and clear-cut assignment of responsibilities. In assessing the degree to which a scientific approach to the assignment question is in evidence, the finding is that such an approach has not been established. A theoretical assignment model, following a Public Administration approach, is then presented. The model covers language, classification, assignment principles, and methodology. The thesis concludes with a reflection on the research, as well as on the practicalities of achieving improvement in the assignment of responsibilities. / Public Administration / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

The thesis is focused on the question of how responsibilities for the performance of public functions are assigned to levels or spheres of government. The term "public function" refers to the activities performed by governments in order to satisfy identified community needs. There is a paucity of validated knowledge concerning the particular phenomenon, and the purpose of the study is to make a research based contribution in this connection. Because of the exploratory nature of the study particular attention is paid to the orientation of the research in Public Administration terms, as well as to research design. A study of the assignment of responsibilities in a selection of foreign countries was undertaken, and the findings are recorded and evaluated. The conclusion reached is that in none of the countries studied a clear, comprehensive demarcation of governmental responsibilities has been achieved. Regarding South Africa, the thesis encompasses a historical overview, followed by separate analytical examinations of the arrangements set in place by the 1993 ("interim") and the 1996 ("final") Constitutions. In the pre-democratic era (1910 to 1994), ideological considerations patently played a prominent role. The treatment of the assignment question by the 1993 Constitution is found to have had substantial shortcomings, especially with regard to conceptual and technical aspects, the realisation of assignment principles, and the substance of assigned responsibilities. In the author's opinion a satisfactory deployment of responsibilities was not achieved. The 1996 Constitution improved the assignment scheme, notably through the better realisation of assignment principles, the introduction of exclusive powers for the provinces, and in dealing with the municipal domain. However, the 1996 Constitution also did not achieve a credible and clear-cut assignment of responsibilities. In assessing the degree to which a scientific approach to the assignment question is in evidence, the finding is that such an approach has not been established. A theoretical assignment model, following a Public Administration approach, is then presented. The model covers language, classification, assignment principles, and methodology. The thesis concludes with a reflection on the research, as well as on the practicalities of achieving improvement in the assignment of responsibilities. / Public Administration and Management / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)