Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2001 / Refer to document

The South African government is obliged to render basic services for the people through local government municipalities. These basic services include among others the development of adequate roads, clean water and electricity. The responsibility of the delivery of these services was given to the municipality after the 1994 general elections, with the belief that it is the government that is closer to the people on the ground than the national and provincial governments. The issue of the provision of quality roads in rural areas of South African still remains a critical challenge. The issue addressed in this study is the provision of quality roads provided in Polokwane Municipality. The study focused on the implementation of roads infrastructure development project in rural areas of South Africa and the provision of roads in the rural areas of Polokwane Municipality in Capricorn District, with a special focus on the provision of roads in the rural villages of Thabakgone, Komaneng, Segopje and Ga-Molepo. The study used data collection instruments such as interviews, questionnaires and supporting documents, such as Polokwane Integrated Development Plan and relevant scientific articles to collect data in the four selected villages. The findings of the study revealed that the provision of roads infrastructure in the municipality is of substandard quality, and that the provision of quality roads in the areas is required.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The study seek to analyze the role of the Local Government in distribution of equitable and basic needs to its community through efficient and effective service delivery through the utilization municipal infrastructure grant. Municipal service delivery is still a major concern in South Africa. In terms of the Constitution of South Africa (Act 106 of 1996), municipalities are the only spheres of government that are mandated for delivery of basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity, refuse removal, development and maintenance of community infrastructure, storm water, primary health and provision of better housing to the poorest of the poor. The new dispensation in 1994, necessitated the transformation of the municipalities towards service delivery. The apartheid system was characterized by inequities in terms of provision of sustainable needs to its communities. The service delivery was fragmented along racial lines. Blacks were largely excluded from better services, while the minority enjoyed the services of municipalities around the country. Various laws, policies were enacted to find ways of ensuring that municipalities are responsive to community’s demands and needs in an equitable manner. The White Paper on Local Government in 1998, outlined some strategies that needs to be followed for the Local Government to achieve its objective. The background of the study, problem statements highlighted the historical imbalances in the system and how it can be redressed to provide good governance at the local government. The research questions form the basis of the study. The questionnaire for data gathering were formulated in line with the research questionnaire. Municipalities are characterized by service backlog, lack of skills (administratively and technically), lack of transparency and accountability that contribute to major challenges faced by municipalities in service provision. The research methodology used in this study focused more on the qualitative to allow participants to express their feelings in a descriptive manner and less on the iv quantitative approach wherein figures were reflected in a form of tables and graphs . The provision of service, as a social phenomena focused on human beings as object of study. Ethical considerations were taken into account. Questionnaires were distributed to executive directors and officials in strategic positions of service delivery of City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and also to SALGA, CoGTA and National Treasury. The aim of the questionnaire was to find out and assess the challenges faced by municipal officials on their day to day activities regarding the management and utilization of MIG in a responsible and accountable manner. Extensive literature review covered a range of books, journals, African National Congress (ANC) Manifesto, Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), White Paper, Discussion Documents and City of Tshwane’s Annual Reports, Service Delivery Strategies Reports and other related documents that advocate for service delivery challenges and its impact. The findings revealed that municipalities faced common challenges that impede on the progress of service delivery. Some of the challenges are beyond their control like the non-availability of government owned land. Most of municipalities are characterized by lack of funding, under-spending or over-spending. Media news regularly covers negative aspects such as corruption that occurs in municipalities and not positive issues of delivery of service. In the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, housing is still a major challenge. The ever increasing demand from communities also impact on the budget of the municipality. Immigration in Tshwane area have negative effect on service delivery, particularly the housing backlog and proper sanitation.

Thesis (DTech. in Public Management)

No abstract available.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Local government in South Africa has gone through the transitional phase to become developmental with a number of challenges, one of the most prominent of which has been the lack of adequate financial resources to carry out various service delivery obligations. The lack of financial resources was one of the important reasons that led to local authorities being reduced from 843 to 284 municipalities through the process of re-demarcation that resulted in the consolidation of most of the local authorities. Because of these long standing challenges of financial viability, the objective of the study was to investigate stakeholder involvement in strategic planning and management within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council. It had become evident that existing financial constraints in municipalities in general and at Ekurhuleni in particular would remain for the foreseeable future, unless ways and means are found to improve the management of existing resources. The contention in this study is that the inclusion of stakeholders in strategic planning and management should be viewed as important to the Metro as it significantly lessens the doubt as to whether there is a common understanding of what is possible given the limited resource capacity to address many competing service delivery needs. The literature study undertaken showed that local government has learnt lessons from the private sector, and has adopted some of its strategic planning and management practices and adapted them to suit public service delivery needs. In South Africa the local government planning framework is called integrated development planning (IDP). The IDP approach entails the formulation of focused plans, based on developmental priorities. This approach assists in avoiding wasteful expenditure and perpetuating past spending patterns. Furthermore, the idea of adopting a more business-based approach does therefore not mean that the council is run like a company but rather that scarce resources are spent effectively and that all citizens have access to at least a minimum level of basic services. The IDP should be undertaken through participatory processes for effective urban management given the fact that private and public investments and municipal services delivery affect the well-being of all urban residents. Observation at the Ekurhuleni Metro revealed that while strategic planning and management does take place, it does not involve various stakeholders in the processes in a manner that is contemplated by the integrated development planning framework. The absence of a public participation strategy at the Metro meant that methods of engagement, consultation and communication with stakeholders are not clearly spelled out. So is the identification of various stakeholders in terms of the needs, the roles that they can play in the planning processes, allocation of resources to facilitate their participation and empowerment in various planning processes. It was the conclusion of the study that there is limited stakeholder involvement in strategic planning and management at the Ekurhuleni Metro. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Plaaslike regering in Suid-Afrika het deur ‘n oorgangsfase na ‘n ontwikkelings orientasie gevorder maar het ook ‘n aantal uitdagings bygekry. Die prominentste een hiervan is die gebrek aan fondse om die verskillende dienslewering verpligtinge na te kom. Die gebrek aan finansiële bronne was een van die belangrike redes vir die reduksie van plaaslike owerhede van 843 na 284 munisipaliteit deur die proses van her-afbakening wat gelei het tot die konsolidasie van die meeste plaaslike owerhede. In die lig van die lang-durige aard van die uitdagings van finansiële lewensvatbaarheid, ondersoek hierdie studie belanghebber betrokkenheid in strategiese beplanning en bestuur binne die Ekurhuleni Metropolitaanse Raad. Dit het duidelik geword dat die bestaande finansiële beperkings in munisipaliteite in die algemeen, en in Ekurhuleni in die besonder, so sal bly in die voorsienbare toekoms, tensy meganismes gevind kan word waarmee die bestuur van die bestaande bronne verbeter kan word. Die studie voer aan dat die betrokkenheid van belanghebbers in strategiese beplanning en bestuur as belangrik geag behoort te word in die Metro aangesien dit die onsekerheid oor ‘n gedeelde verstaan van wat moontlik is met die beperkte bronne kapasiteit in die hantering van die baie kompeterende diens behoeftes, verminder. Die literatuurstudie poog om aan te toon dat plaaslike regerings lesse geleer het by die privaatsektor en sommige van die stategiese beplanning en bestuurspraktyke opgeneem en aangepas het by die publieke diensleweringsbehoeftes. In Suid-Afrika word die plaaslike regering beplanningsraamwerke, geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsplanne genoem (IDP). Die IDP benadering vereis die formulering van gefokusde planne, gebaseer op ontwikkelingsprioriteite. Hierdie benadering vermy verkwistende uitgawes en die voortsetting van uitgawepatrone van die verlede. Verder beteken die aanvaarding van ‘n besigheidsgeoriënteerde benadering nie dat die raad soos ‘n besigheid bestuur word nie maar eerder dat skaars bronne effektief bestuur word en dat alle burgers ten minste toegang tot minimum dienste het. Die IDP behoort deur deelnemende prosesse uitgevoer te word ten einde effektiewe stedelike bestuur te verseker, gegee die feit dat private en publieke beleggings en minisipale dienste die welsyn van alle stedelike inwoners affekteer. Waarnemings by die Ekurhuleni Metro bring aan die lig dat, terwyl strategiese beplanning en bestuur wel plaasvind, dit nie verskillende belanghebbers op die wyse betrek wat in die geïntegreede beplanningsraamwerk voorsien word nie. Die afwesigheid van publieke deelname in die Metro het beteken dat meganismes van deelname, konsultasie en kommunikasie met belanghebbers nie duidelik gemaak word nie. Dieselfde geld vir die identifikasie van verskillende belanghebbers in terme van belanghebberbehoeftes, die rol wat hulle kan speel in die beplanningsprosesse, die toewysing van bronne en die bemagtiging van belanghebbers om hul deelname te verseker. Dit is die slotsom van die studie dat daar beperkte belanghebber betrokkenheid in strategiese beplanning en bestuur in die Ekurhuleni Metro is.

Section 153 of the Constitution of South Africa (RSA, 1996) states that “a municipality must structure and manage its administration, budgeting and planning process to give priority to the needs of the community and to promote the social and economic development of the community”. Despite this mandate placed on local government, De Wet and Moseki (2015, p. 61) write that insurgent South Africans engage in violent protests against continued “municipal ineffectiveness in service delivery, poor responsiveness to citizens’ grievances, and a conspicuous consumption entailed by a culture of self-enrichment on the part of councillors and staff”. The Department of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA ) (2014) identify huge service delivery backlogs, poor communication and accountability relationships with communities, corruption and fraud, poor financial management and insufficient municipal capacity as a result of lack of scarce skills as some of the priority areas impacting hardest on the municipality’s ability to function as a well-performing municipality. Mpofu and Hlatywayo (2015) report that poor performance by workers in local government has been established as one of the major issues affecting the efficient provision of municipal services by municipalities. It thus follows that the performance and conduct of municipal employees need to be improved in order to improve the delivery of basic services to the communities they are to serve. Hanyane and Naidoo (2015) hold the view that without proper service delivery, the achievement of good governance and the effective use of public resources will remain elusive. The primary objective of this study was to contribute to improving the levels of service delivery at a selected municipality by identifying which factors the employees of the municipality consider most effective in improving their levels of service delivery within the organisation. A questionnaire was structured and used to conduct a survey with 65 middle-level managers, senior-level supervisors, middle-level supervisors and operational staff.The study concluded that talent management and retention strategies were the only independent variable that proved to have a significant positive relationship with service delivery within the selected municipality.

This research dissertation investigates the level of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing delivery in Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province. The post-apartheid South African Constitution indicates that the provision of basic services like formal housing is a basic right for all South Africans. In Limpopo Province and in particular, Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District, there is still massive shortage of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing for the poor, despite funding being made to address this need. Millions of poor families are suffering and are still living in shacks in informal settlements. There is a backlog in the provisioning of RDP housing delivery. Low cost housing projects have been identified in Limpopo Province to address the RDP housing delivery backlog. It takes time to complete RDP houses and the communities become impatient and frustrated. The quality of completed houses is often perceived to be of unacceptable standards. This study investigates the level of RDP housing delivery in Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province. This study also identifies the challenges of RDP housing delivery experienced by Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province. Recommendations with the view of resolving problems pertaining to Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province are made. The findings from this research work identified significant challenges of RDP housing delivery experienced by Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province which needs to be addressed. In its contribution, this study made recommendations with the view of resolving problems pertaining to Disteneng (Polokwane Extension 44) Township, Capricorn District: Limpopo Province. This study in conclusion, emphasizes the need to address RDP housing backlogs and ensure that RDP houses are of good quality and that the government and all South Africans have to join hands and collectively address the problems of RDP housing delivery in South Africa.

In the Eastern Cape Department of Health the performance management and development system progress reviews are performed in a summative manner. This happens when a supervisor leaves out all the other progress reviews and conducts a final progress assessment and monitoring at the end of the year. It is worse when the performance agreements are not even signed during the start of a financial year, neither does a newly qualified employee sign. As a result employees are not appraised because there are no progress reviews that are entered on the Persal system. Employees miss an opportunity to be sent for training at the same time they are rewarded late or not at all. It is obvious that the managers do not understand the aims and objectives of the PMDS policy. The research was an assessment of the effectiveness of the performance management and development system in inculcating professional behaviour in the nursing staff in the three Buffalo City hospitals, namely, East London Hospital Complex, Grey and Bisho hospital. The aspects of the policy investigated were the performance reviews, the competency framework and the performance incentive scheme. This research is qualitative in nature. Data was collected using unstructured interviews and open ended questions. The population of this study involved selected Performance Management Managers, Quality Assurance Manager, Area Managers, junior nurses and clerks working in the Buffalo City Hospitals. The respondents of the study were selected using the stratified random sampling technique. Descriptive methods were used to analyse data. Confidentiality was highly maintained and consent form even distributed from the start of the research. The three Buffalo City hospitals are practising a balanced scorecard as a performance measurement tool. It is in the form of workplans that are different for different levels of employees such as the performance workplans, standard framework workplan and individual workplans. ix The study discovered that there is poor compliance in performing the performance reviews. The attention is on the appraisal aspect more than the development aspect. Also, there is a delay in taking the employees for training as a result they end up not being trained. The employees are not rewarded according to their performance. The PMDS policy states that employees that get a score of three are entitled to get a one percent and those that are rated a four or a five qualify for a performance bonus. The study found that the PMDS policy is not implemented well. It is recommended that the performance management manager and the quality assurance manager need to apply a radical strategic transformation and change management to address the challenges.

This study was conducted at Intsika Yethu Local Municipality of Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, in the Republic of South Africa. The study has as its main thrust: The role of councillors in service delivery: The case of the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality of Chris Hani District Municipality. This municipality consists of 21 wards and 21 ward councillors. The Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, states that the injustices of the past have to be addressed and those who suffered for justice and freedom in the country should be honoured. The results of the 1994 national and 1995 local government elections marked a political breakthrough in South African politics. The new democratic and social reconstruction agenda necessitated the transformation of the legislative framework in various areas. The legislative prescriptions that underpin the operations and activities of municipal councillors in delivering public services to citizens and in ensuring the effective and efficient implementation of government policies are therefore crucial. In this study, the role of ward councillors in service delivery was interrogated and investigated to establish whether the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality community in Tsomo and Cofimvaba has benefited in accessing basic services. Furthermore, the study seeks to find ways through which the relationship between community and ward councillors could be managed to harmonise the relationship between them in order to improve service delivery in Intsika Yethu Local Municipality. In this regard, a legislative framework regulates and guides municipal councillors in performing their developmental duties to achieve local government developmental outcomes.