The demand for well-located land in order to be developed for the upper-middle to high-income housing, industries, offices, retail, etc in Mbombela Local Municipality, is substantial. Within the past 10 years, Mbombela Local Municipality, has experienced an increase in residential development on welllocated land in and around its urban centres, i.e. Nelspruit, White River and Hazyview. Most of the land in and around these urban centres is privately owned, and as such, development is mainly driven by the market forces. However, there has been persistence in the peripheralisation of the poor through the government’s programme on low-cost housing delivery in Mbombela Local Municipality. The high demand of well-located land has triggered high land prices and this is one of the causes of lack of access to urban land by the poor. Despite good government policies on socio-economic integration, there seems to be no challenges on the current situation, either by government, Mbombela Local Municipality or private organisations. This research argues that the lack of access to urban land by the poor is the cause of the persistent peripheralisation through the programme of low-cost housing delivery in Mbombela Local Municipality. These urban centres (Nelspruit, White River and Hazyview) accommodate only those who have power to purchase, and thus, creates a socio-economic gap because the poor are excluded by the market forces in these areas. Since the government and Mbombela Local Municipality own less land in and around the urban centres, the market forces become the sole supply of well-located land. It is therefore imperative that government, Mbombela Local Municipality and private organisations forge a partnership with the private sector and deduce a sound strategy that will seek to address and challenge the current situation.

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The study examined the role of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) towards effective financial management in a case study of City of Mbombela Municipality in the Mpumalanga Province. The MPAC is established in terms of sections 33 and 79 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), to provide an oversight role and functions on behalf of council. Literature attest to the role of MPAC as to scrutinize the spending of the municipal budget at the end of the financial year, which mirrors the work done by the finance committee before the beginning of the financial year. The qualitative research method using semi-structured interviews was conducted with specific role-players as part of the identified population who were the most important participants and have contributed to the research outcome. The respondents were selected in a purposive manner by targeting MPAC members and Senior Managers of the municipality, on account of their positions and experience, have more information than ordinary potential respondents. The study found that members of the MPAC do possess the required skills, knowledge and experience to perform their roles. Therefore, the study also reveals that most members of the MPAC do have financial management and accounting capacity hence they are capable in doing the oversight role in the municipality. Therefore, it is recommended that the municipality should develop and adopt a comprehensive MPAC policy. The adopted comprehensive policy should be used as a strategic tool to inform council on the effective performance of the MPAC or lack thereof. The study concludes by recommended that further researches should be undertaken on the oversight role of the MPAC with comparative approach to other municipalities within the province could give more depth and the municipalities can learn from each other.