Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Since 1994, the newly elected democratic government of the Republic of South Africa, starting with the government of National Unity, has introduced various policies and legislation in an endeavour to place the country on a path to recovery after the demise of apartheid. The national government has placed this responsibility in the hands of municipalities, or local government as they are commonly referred to. As a result, municipalities have an active duty to create conducive environments to enable local communities to participate in the preparation, implementation and review of their Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The purpose of this study is to assess the public participation of Rosendal-Mautse, one area among the five towns that comprise Dihlabeng Municipality, in the IDP process of Dihlabeng Municipality. In view of the anthology of legislation governing “public participation” at local government level, the study poses two hypotheses, which were tested against the data collected. Furthermore, two additional research questions were formulated to guide the research process. Results of the research are provided in a way that will enable the reader to draw his or her own conclusions on the value of this study. The literature review on international understanding and practices of public participation suggest that participation has grown and that its role has extended in development. This has resulted in the birth of new approaches that cut across theory, policy and practice, with each approach in turn producing its own trajectory and contextual specificities that are characterised by unique debates and empirical evidence. Municipalities are currently burdened with the responsibility to achieve socio-economic goals associated with public participation. However, despite compliance with legal requirement for public participation, only an appropriate knowledge of the process leading to meaningful participation and the relevant skills hold the key to success in this quest to reconstruct and develop the country where all will live a better life.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence of urban systems in South Africa was from the start shaped by racial bias. The black people of this country were refused any form of participation in town planning. To aggravate the situation, urban space was manipulated in a manner that each racial group had its own residential space. The manipulation of urban space gave rise to what is called "the Apartheid City." This "Apartheid city" is characterised by stark contrast in development between a well-serviced, first world town lying side by side with underserviced third world townships. The "Apartheid City" of Pietersburg-Seshego has been undergoing restructuring since 1990. The Local Government Transitional Act (LGTA) has served as an intervention whereby the two formerly unequal areas had to integrate and become one city. The central aim of this study is to evaluate, by using a series of indicators, the integration level that has been achieved since 1995, i.e. since the first local government elections. The study will focus on three key areas to reflect the level of integration, namely, land use patterns, ward demarcation, and integration of personnel. The main conclusion is that though one council has been formed where there were previously two, spatial inequalities and racially-based ward demarcations between the former Pietersburg town and the former Seshego township persist. On the other hand, personnel drawn from the administrations of former white Pietersburg and former Lebowa civil service has not been fully integrated. The former Pietersburg municipality personnel is still white male dominated in both senior and middle management levels while the former Lebowa personnel is black male dominated found in the lowest levels of the TLC structure. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontstaan van metropolitaanse sisteme in Suid Arfika was nog altyd gekenmerk deur rasse bevooroordeling. Die swart bevolking van Suid Afrika was nog altyd in die verlede uitgesluit van deelname aan stadsbeplanning. Om die situasie nog te vererger, was metropolitaanse areas op so 'n wyse gemanipuleer, dat groepe van verskillende rasse elk hul eie residensiële allokasie gehad het. Hierdie manipulasie van metropolitaanse areas het die ontstaan van die "apartheidstad" tot gevolg gehad. Hierdie "apartheidstad" word gekenmerk deur 'n skerp kontras in ontwikkeling tussen 'n goed voorsiene eerste wêreld deel aan die een kant en 'n swak voorsiene derde wêreld deel aan die ander kant. Die "apartheidstad" van Pietersburg - Seshego het sedert 1990 herstrukturering ondergaan, Die "Plaaslike Owerheidsoorgangs Wet" het gedien as 'n middelom twee histories ongelyke areas te integreer om een stad te vorm. Die doelwit van hierdie studie is om die vlak van integrasie sedert 1995 te evalueer deur gebruik te maak van sekere indikatore. Die studie fokus op drie aspekte wat die vlak van integrasie weerspieël naamlik grondgebruikspatrone, wykafbakening en personeel integrering. Die belangrikste gevolge is dat daar nou een plaaslike raad is waar daar voorheen twee was terwyl ruimtelike ongelykhede en ras gebaseerde wyksafbakening nog steeds plaasvind tussen Pietersburg en die vorige Seshego nedersetting. Die nuwe personeelstruktuur - wat bestaan hoofsaaklik uit voormalige wit lede van die Pietersburg raad en hoofsaaklik swart lede van die voormalige Lebowa staatsdiens - is nog nie ten volle geintegreerd nie. Die personeel van die Pietersburg Munisipaliteit is nog steeds oorwegend wit en manlik gedomineerd in beide die middel en senior bestuursposte en die Lebowa personeel is hoofsaaklik swart en manlik gedomineerd in die laer pos bekleding in die struktuur van die nuwe plaaslike regeringstruktuur.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study assesses the information policy of the Western Cape provincial government- of South Africa, with special emphasis on ICT for development in the general context of the global Information society. It is aimed at getting key lessons together for the Eritrean ICT policy development. The methodology used in this study include review of the literature on the ICT policy in Western Cape, South Africa and beyond, conducting interviews with key actors in Western Cape Provincial Government and site visits to Multi-Purpose Community Centres. The study analyses institutions, ICT policy processes, methodologies and challenges. The study concludes that although developing an ICT policy remains fundamental for developing countries like Eritrea, the main challenge lies in integrating new and old technologies into national development priorities. This cannot be achieved without building blocks such as adequate infrastructure, human and financial resources, and commitment to succeed in information age. A series of recommendations were put forward for Eritrea based on the analysis of the policy process and progress in South Africa in general and Western Cape Province in particular. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word die beleid ten opsigte van inligting in die Wes-Kaapse provinsiale regering van Suid-Afrika bestudeer, met die klem veral op Inligting en Kommunikasie Tegnologie vir ontwikkeling in die algemene konteks van- die wereldwye inligting gemeenskap. Die doelwit van hierdie studie is om sleutellesse te leer wat kan help met die ontwikkeling van 'n beleid t.o.v. Inligting en Kommunikasie in Eritrea. Die metodologie wat gebruik is sluit in 'n oorsig van die literatuur oor die IKT (ICT) beleid in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, en in ander lande; onderhoude met sleutelfigure in die Wes-Kaapse provinsiale regering; en besoeke aan Veeldoelige Gemeenskap Sentrums. Die studie ontleed instansies, IKT beleid prosesse, metodologie en uitdagings. In die studie word daar bevind dat, alhoewel die ontwikkeling van 'n Inligting en Kommunikasie beleid van fundamentele belang is vir ontwikkelende lande soos Eritrea, die hoofuitdaging daarin Iê om ou en nuwe tegnologie te integreer in die nasionale ontwikkelings prioriteite. Dit kan nie gedoen word sonder die boublokke van genoegsame infrastruktuur, menslike en finansiele hulpbronne, en verbintenis tot sukses in die inligtingsera nie. 'n Reeks aanbevelings word gemaak vir Eritrea, gegrond op die ontleding van die beleid, proses en vooruitgang van Suid-Afrika in die geheel, en veral van die Wes-Kaap.

This thesis discusses the involvement of informally housed communities in shaping local government policies aimed at poverty alleviation. Involving the poor in the design of anti-poverty policies at local level is regarded as an invaluable opportunity that should be used by municipal governments to make poverty alleviation efforts more demand-driven and therefore more relevant to the people they are meant to benefit. The argument is that because the poor know about poverty first-hand, they would be in a position to revive local government's capacity to respond effectively to their needs. But this does not come without a price. Because of the complexity of public management, participative democracy is liable to slow down the process of governance. It may also become advantageous to the interests of some people or groups of people at the expense of others if attention is not paid to the representation and consideration of all the voices in the community–to name two drawbacks. For this reason, it is essential to the realization of an effective bottom-up approach to anti-poverty policy-making that certain conditions are in existence and practical issues of involvement are worked through. Accordingly, it is the intention of this study to focus on two particular areas (conditions and practical issues that would facilitate the process of involving informally housed communities in the design of local government policies that affect their lives), which are investigated with particular reference to the South African context. Drawing upon a series of field surveys and a broad selection of relevant works of scholars from both the international and local scene, the picture that emerges is that there needs to be a proper level of government's commitment, capacity and legally binding responsibility coupled with a healthy degree of community's motivation, ability and organizational capacity in order to involve the poor in local governance efficiently. The study has also found that there needs to be proper forms of involvement (the most relevant of which are identified as an ombudsman, public meetings and residents' committees) that are to be employed with attention to such issues as stakeholders to be engaged, degree of participation, timing of involvement and topics for which public debate may be sought. / Development Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

The global threat of climate change is one of the most crucial environmental issues facing the world in modern times. In response to this threat, international governments have drafted the Kyoto Protocol which included the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM is a scheme which invited developing countries, like South Africa, to become involved in climate change mitigation projects. While South Africa has been identified as an attractive host country for CDM projects, research has revealed that it lags behind other developing countries in this regard. This study provides a theoretical background to the CDM and grounds the subject within the field of Environmental Economics. Following a literature review of factors that could influence the involvement of a municipality in CDM projects, this thesis undertook a case study of the barriers and drivers to CDM implementation within the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM). Use was made of semi-structured interviews, where a questionnaire was used to guide the researcher’s interview process. Five NMBM officers, who were likely to have been involved with CDM project implementation, were interviewed. Data collected was analyzed using a coding technique and was compared and contrasted to the literature in a process of explanation building. It was possible to elicit 14 factors that acted as CDM-barriers; seven that acted as CDM-drivers; and 10 that were required to change within the NMBM to encourage greater CDM involvement. Of the barriers, lack of awareness, poor political will and lack of funding emerged as the most inhibiting. Of the CDM-drivers, the potential financial benefits; ownership of infrastructure capable of producing carbon assets; and technology transfer emerged as the factors most likely to promote CDM involvement. With regards the factors that require change, it emerged that a positive response would result from a proactive stance by National Government on the CDM; the use of Public-Private-Partnerships to facilitate CDM projects; and improved communication and capacity building within the NMBM and the Nelson Mandela Bay business community. The main recommendation offered to the NMBM was for it to draft a Sustainable Development Policy as well as a formal sustainable development strategy to drive a coherent and consolidated approach to the Municipality’s involvement with CDM projects. Further, it was proposed that the NMBM should, lobby National Government for it to promulgate enabling legislation and a framework which would encourage CDM investment in South Africa; and engage with local business to promote the active involvement of the Nelson Mandela Bay with the implementation of CDM projects. Keywords: Global Warming, Kyoto Protocol, Clean Development Mechanism, Sustainable Development, Environmental Economics, Public Sector, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

The historic year of 1994 marked the demise of the apartheid government and its replacement with a new era of participative democracy in South Africa. Government in the new South Africa adopted a decentralised structure underpinned by chapter three of the Constitution (1996). Consequently, there are three spheres of government, which are, national, provincial and local levels. These spheres are obliged and mandated to mutually cooperate and support each other through peaceful interactions termed intergovernmental relations (IGR) which are aimed at achieving a cooperative system of government. IGR is institutionalised through forums which cut-across all spheres of government and such structures are established by the Intergovernmental Relations framework Act (No. 13 of 2005). Sustained intergovernmental cooperation can lead to an integrated and coordinated system of government, which can, deliver services effectively while meeting the needs of the citizens and ultimately promoting sustainable socio-economic development in South Africa.The aim of this empirical study was to assess the role played by cooperativegovernment and intergovernmental relations in promoting effective delivery of services in the Amathole District Municipality (ADM). Local government is the ‘grassroots’ government and it is where the actual rendering of services is situated which was reason behind the choice of the study area by the researcher. The study adopted amixed-method research paradigm in which both the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were triangulated to ensure that the validity and reliability of the research findings is improved. Data in the study was gathered from a representative sample of seventy (70) respondents carefully selected using non-random sampling designs, viz, judgmental and snowball sampling. The study used both primary (questionnaires and interviews) and secondary (documentary analysis) sources of data to achieve the research objectives as validly as possible. Respondents in the study comprised of municipal officials, IGR practitioners, representatives from Community Based Organisations and the residents of ADM. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) software and the mains findings of the study were that; ADM has got IGR forums in existence although some of these are dormant and dysfunctional, only three out of the seven local municipalities in ADM are cooperative in IGR, there is general lack of political will on the side of politicians in terms of support of IGR initiatives, political factionism and interferences is crippling IGR and cooperation, the legal framework for IGR needs revision and revamping, there are still communities without access to basic services in ADM, public sector planning cycles are fragmented and need synergisation and IGR is not being monitored and evaluated. The study therefore recommended that; the relevant stakeholders in IGR should be fully dedicated towards cooperation, planning cycles for public entities need to be synergised, the National Planning Commission (NPC) should take an oversight role in the entire planning process, the legislation should be enacted which has a clause for punitive action being taken against those who fail to cooperate in IGR and the national, provincial and local governments should prioritise access to basic services in communities cooperatively.

This study was researched at Mnquma Local Municipality of Amathole District Municipality in Eastern Cape Province, in the Republic of South Africa. The study is about: The assessment of relationship between the traditional leaders and ward Councillors and its impact on service delivery: A case of Mnquma Local Municipality. This municipality consists of 61 wards and 41 ward Councillors. The purpose of this study was to investigate what causes tensions in the relationship between traditional leaders and ward Councillors and also how can it be managed and or be improved as it affects production in service delivery and development. Furthermore, the study seeks to find ways through which the relationship between traditional leaders and ward Councillors could be managed to harmonize the relationship between them in order to improve service delivery in Mnquma Local Municipality. Most municipalities which are based in rural areas in South Africa are faced with a lot of challenges which has left development staggering and thus in long run inefficiency in service delivery is caused. As a result of poor service delivery Mnquma Municipality is faced with the challenge of instability towards its management, whereby several Mayors have been chased away through protests, as result service delivery has been hampered and delayed. These challenges are the results of the poor relationship between traditional leaders and ward Councillors over land ownership, control and authority of resources for development. The legislations that govern traditional leaders are ambiguous or rather vague when it comes to their roles and functions in development and service delivery in the new democratic government of South Africa and thus cause the traditional leaders to feel that they are undermined by the ward Councillors whom according to traditional leaders feel they that ward Councillors are more recognized than them. It is in this context that this study seeks to investigate the causes of conflict between the traditional leaders and ward Councillors and how the conflict impacts on service delivery and development and also can it resolved to harmonize the situation. The researcher used a qualitative method to collect data, the questionnaires and interviews were conducted to Municipalities, Traditional Leaders, Municipal Managers, Ward Councillors, Ward Committees and the community. Data was collected and analysed using descriptive method. The researcher came out with the following summary of the findings: The management of relationship between traditional leaders and ward Councillors over ownership of projects, control, land distribution and authority is very poor. Traditional leaders felt that the present democratic government has given too much power to the ward Councillors for most development programs. There is no absolute proper consultation of traditional leaders by neither local government officials, municipalities and ward Councillors before any development is done in their areas. Poor recognition of traditional leaders by ward Councillors and other politicians. There is allegation by the community members and traditional leaders that ward Councillors are bias in delivering services, preference is given to the group that belongs to their party of interest. When there is development projects employment opportunity is not given to the local communities of that area. Traditional leaders are not allowed to actively participate in council meetings.

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.

The research study focused on the service delivery challenges regarding water and sanitation in the Gauteng Province. Two metropolitan municipalities including the City of Johannesburg and the City of Tshwane were investigated and used for this research study. The study used a qualitative research design and the methodology includes literature reviews and structured interviews to highlight the challenges from an international, South African, and provincial perspective, particularly in Gauteng. An interview schedule was developed and structured interviews were conducted to collect primary data from the selected participants. Although the literature review conducted indicate that the provision of water and sanitation in the Gauteng Province had improved, significant challenges remain. Areas such as informal settlements are still experiencing shortcomings as compared to the metropolitan areas. Institutional challenges such as a lack of appropriate skills still exist. Other challenges such as poor financial management and non-payment for services by the communities persist. Furthermore, the literature indicates that community protests over basic services occur more in the Gauteng Province than in other provinces. This indicates that the challenges of providing basic services such as water and sanitation are still persistent. To deal with the challenges of providing water and sanitation services, the government and agencies involved in the provision of these services implemented several measures. To alleviate the challenges, not only government help is needed, but also help from other sectors, including non-governmental organisations, agencies, and communities. The findings of this study might assist the municipalities to improve the services through its recommendations. The study is also meant to help public officials and political office bearers to understand the dynamics and challenges they are faced with when carrying out their duties. This study will be used to add to the current literature on the basic service delivery challenges in the Gauteng Province, it will also contribute to academic and government related publications for further references and broadens research on the subject. / Public Administration / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

The purpose of this study was to identify the relevant factors to develop a framework for optimising public participation to improve service delivery in a metropolitan municipality in South Africa. This approach was undertaken with a view to identify the gaps created through the expectations generated among citizens by the national government and the weaknesses in the capacity of the local government to deliver through its supply chain processes, and hence develop strategies to close the existing gaps as much as possible. There were four samples in the study namely: citizens, managers, businesses and ward committee members (WCM). The data that were collected for citizens were conducted at each Customer Care Centres (CCC). For the other three sets of respondents, it was conducted through email. The research approach was quantitative. Factor analysis was applied in this research study in order to identify significant factors that drive public participation in service delivery by local government. Findings of this study showed that there are two major perceptions of the respondents perceived to affect the optimisation of effective service delivery: 1) the facilitating factor and 2) the impeding factor. This was assisted by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) where a model was designed which resulted in the development of the public participation framework for effective municipal service delivery. These findings will inform the management of local governments to prioritise inclusion of all citizens by optimising their participation for effective service delivery. Areas where participation in local government was lacking were identified and this study presents well-informed strategies for local governments and for their possible implementation. / Business Management / D.B.L.