Thesis (MA (Public and Development Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Developmental local government places emphasis on the importance of partnerships between local government and various stakeholders such as community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations and private sector organisations delivering services to communities. The focus of this thesis is on a service delivery improvement plan for Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay, Cape Town, a poor Black informal settlement alongside a well-established and affluent White suburb. There is severe lack of service delivery in that community and the study has sought to suggest a solution that would address the appalling situation in which the people of Imizamo Yethu live. It seeks to respond to the question: How can partnerships between civil society organisations, local government and the private sector improve service delivery in Imizamo Yethu? The main research objectives were to determine how local government, business and civil society organisations can deliver services; to establish whether there were any partnerships between local government, civil society and the private sector in Imizamo Yethu; to describe the activities of role players in Imizamo Yethu; to identify areas that require partnership between these role players; to generate information for future research that will enable the community of Imizamo Yethu to address their problems; and to make recommendations on how service provision could be improved by establishing partnerships between local government, civil society and the private sector. Service provision is a complex exercise that needs different skills and strategies. Local government alone cannot win the battle of service delivery. What is needed is the collaboration of different role players using their different and unique capabilities. Partnerships between local government, civil society organisations and the private sector can be an effective alternative model of service provision. The study therefore focuses on improving partnerships between local government, civil society and business in Imizamo Yethu. While many civil society organisations, business organisations and local government departments are involved in service delivery and development in Imizamo Yethu, these organisations operate in isolation from each other. This makes it virtually impossible for them to make a dent in service delivery challenges. Through partnerships, local government, civil society and the private sector could wszssork together to mitigate the situation in the particular community. Forums by means of which local government, civil society organisations and business can work together should therefore be formed. Such forums could assist in terms of devising a strategy to provide services, and disseminate information. The study examines the level of service delivery and partnerships in Imizamo Yethu. It was found that there is both lack of service delivery and lack of partnership between the local government, which is the City of Cape Town, civil society and the private sector. It is recommended that community service delivery be established, with dissemination of information by the City of Cape Town by means of a communication strategy aimed at informing the community about such service delivery. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ontwikkelingsgerigte plaaslike regering beklemtoon die belangrikheid van vennootskappe tussen die plaaslike owerheid en verskillende belanghebbers soos gemeenskapsgebaseerde organisasies, nie-regeringsorganisasies en organisasies in die private sektor wat dienste aan gemeenskappe lewer met die oog op ontwikkeling. Die tesis fokus op ‘n verbeterde diensleweringsplan vir Imizamo Yethu te Houtbaai, Kaapstad, ’n arm, informele Swart nedersetting aangrensend aan ‘n goed gevestigde en welgestelde wit voorstad. Die gemeenskap ondervind ’n ernstige gebrek aan dienslewering en die studie het gepoog om ’n oplossing aan die hand te doen om die haglike omstandighede waarin die inwoners van Imizamo Yethu bestaan, aan te spreek. Dit het probeer om die vraag met betrekking tot hoe vennootskappe tussen organisasies van die burgerlike samelewing, die regering en die private sektor dienslewering aan Imizamo Yethu kan verbeter. Die hoof navorsingsdoelwitte was om vas te stel hoe plaaslike regering en organisasies binne die sakelewe en burgerlike samelewing dienste kan lewer; om vas te stel of daar enige vennootskappe tussen die plaaslike owerheid, die burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor in Imizamo Yethu bestaan; om die aktiwiteite van rolspelers in Imizamo Yethu te beskrywe; om areas waarbinne ’n vennootskap tussen sodanige rolspelers benodig word, te identifiseer; om inligting vir toekomstige navorsing wat die gemeenskap in Imizamo Yethu in staat sal stel om hul probleme aan te spreek, te genereer; en om voorstelle aan die hand te doen oor hoe dienslewering deur die daarstelling van vennootskappe tussen die plaaslike bestuur, die burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor verbeter kan word. Die lewering van dienste is ‘n ingewikkelde oefening wat verskillende vaardighede en strategieë verg. Die regering is nie in staat om die stryd om dienste te lewer, op sy eie te stry nie. Wat vereis word, is samewerking van die kant van verskillende rolspelers wat hul onderskeie en unieke vermoëns inspan. Vennootskappe tussen die plaaslike owerheid, organisasies binne die burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor kan ’n effektiewe alternatiewe model vir dienslewering wees. Die studie is dus ook gerig op die verbetering van vennootskappe tussen die plaaslike owerheid, die burgerlike samelewing en die sakelewe in Imizamo Yethu. Terwyl vele organisasies binne die burgerlike samelewing en sakelewe en plaaslike regeringsdepartemente reeds by dienslewering en ontwikkeling in Imizamo Yethu betrokke is, tree hierdie organisasies afsonderlik op. Hul geïsoleerdheid maak dit haas onmoontlik om die uitdagings verbonde aan dienslewering die hoof te bied. Vennootskap tussen die plaaslike owerheid, die burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor kan egter samewerking bewerkstellig om omstandighede binne die besondere gemeenskap te verlig. Forums waarbinne samewerking tussen die plaaslike owerheid, die burgerlike gemeenskap en die sakelewe moontlik is, behoort dus geskep te word. Sulke forums kan die ontwikkeling van ’n strategie vir dienslewering en die verspreiding van inligting aanhelp. Die studie het die vlak van dienslewering en vennootskap in Imizamo Yethu ondersoek. ’n Gebrek aan dienslewering sowel as aan vennootskap tussen die plaaslike owerheid, naamlik die Stad Kaapstad, die burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor is gevind. Die voorstel is dat die Stad Kaapstad dienslewering aan die gemeenskap instel, tesame met ‘n inligtingstrategie wat daarop gemik is om die gemeenskap oor sodanige dienslewering in te lig.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a rising groundswell of citizens globally questioning the equity, integrity and sustainability of the philosophies, values and institutions inherited from the 20th century. The continuum of civil disobedience has increased over time; sit ins, community unrest, uprisings and finally revolutions have marked this first decade of this new age. People are voicing their disillusionment with increased frequently, impatience and violence globally calling for the creation of a world which, in Freire’s words, is “menos feio, menos malvado, menos desumano [less ugly, less cruel, less inhumane] (Mayo, 2003:42). President Jacob Zuma at the 14th Nedlac Annual Summit in September 2009 called for a “stronger social dialogue underpinned by a sense of cooperation, and responsibility will also be important if we are to avoid a situation where the recovery ends up being business as usual. We need to find new way of doing things” (Zuma, 2009a:1). Social Franchising is a relatively new concept in the service delivery discourse having recently emerged as a sub-sector of social enterprise. Social franchising is a derivative of the long established commercial franchise model with a dual purpose of generating sustainable economic returns and advancing social good by encouraging profit making not profit taking (Mseme, 2010a:1). Social franchising has been mainly operating in the NGO sector, on the Indian sub continent, accommodated in larger private or public health institution, providing women related health services into poor communities. Recent research undertaken by Mseme (2010a) has shown social franchising should be considered as a strategic option in the delivery of public service to improve citizens development, promoting new venture creation and strengthen the developmental state at local level This study seeks to make a contribution to the limited local government body of knowledge by developing an appropriate social franchising governance model. This model aims to accelerate accessible and sustainable public community development services generally and early childhood development in particular at local level by delivering on the two primary national priorities of poverty alleviation and quality education provisioning. This study merges a number of key issues that are substantive in determining the future well being of South Africa and all of her citizens namely; affordable, universal and comprehensive service delivery, equitable quality education and cognitive development of young children and increased economic participation and wealth generation especially in marginalised and vulnerable communities within the context of the developmental state. This study is guided by a postmodernist philosophy and stems from a transformative and emancipatory approach applying Paulo Freire’s pedagogy and politics of hope that is not meant to consolidate “what is” but is driven by a vision of “what should and can be” (Mayo, 2003:42).This research has applied both empirical and non – empirical design with a mixed qualitative and quantitative component. The areas of non –empirical study were determined by the theoretical framework which focuses on developmental state, developmental local government, public service management, partnership service delivery mechanisms, early childhood development and small enterprise development. The research findings arising out of the empirical ECD needs assessment survey and case study were further explored and tested in semi structured interviews with political decision makers, policy makers, policy drafters and policy experts. This study has designed a social franchise governance model for the delivery of ECD at local government level. Its implementation however is premised on a shift of public administration mindset from bureaucracy to innovation, a shift of public policy from government as sole provide to facilitator of services, a shift from survival partnerships to delivery partnerships by desire and a change of citizens attitude from dependency to self development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wereldwyd bevraagteken inwoners toenemend die billikheid, integriteit and volhoubaarheid van filosofiee, waardes en wette vanuit die 20ste eeu. Wetteloosheid het toegeneem oor ‘n tydperk. Opstand en eintlik revolusies is kenmerkend in die eerste dekade van die nuwe era. Mense spreek hulle ontnugtering toenemend op ‘n gereelde basis uit, wat uiteindelik aanleiding gee tot ongeduld en geweld. Wereldwyd is mense op soek na ‘n samelewing wat soos Freire dit beskryf “menos feio, menos malvado, menos desumano (minder haatlik en onmenslik) (Mayo, 2003:42). Tydens die 14de NEDLAC Jaarlikse Konferensie gedurende September 2009 het President Jacob Zuma die balangrikheid van sterker sosiale dialoog gegrond op samewerking en verantwoordlikheid beklemtoon ten einde ‘n situasie van besigheid soos gewoonlik te voorkom. Hy het mense aangemoedig om vorendag te kom met nuwe manier om dinge te doen.(Zuma, 2009a:1) Sosiale agentskap is ‘n relatiewe nuwe konsep in die lewering van dienste wat ontstaan het vanuit die sub-sektor sosiale ondernemings. Sosiale agentskap het voortgespruit vanuit die kommersiele agentskaps model met ‘n tweeledige doel naamlik die skepping van volhoubare ekonomiese inkomste en die bevordering van sosiale goedere deur die aanmoediging van die maak van winste en nie die neem van winste nie (Mseme, 2010a:1) . Sosiale agentskappe het primer voorgekom in nie-regerings organisasies, groot privaat of publieke gesondheids instansies en die verskaffing van gesondheids dienste aan vroue in die armer gemeenskappe. Huidige navorsing deur Mseme (2010a) bewys dat sosiale agentskappe oorweeg moet word as ‘n strategiese opsie in die lewering van openbare dienste om die onwikkeling van inwoners te verbeter, om die skepping van nuwe projekte te bevorder sowel as die versterking van die ontwikkelende staat op plaaslike regeringsvlak. Deur die ontwikkeling van ‘n toepaslike sosiale agentskaps bestuurs model beoog die studie om ‘n bydrae te maak tot die beperkte beskikbare inligting oor plaaslike regering. Die model streef daarna om toeganklike volhoubare openbare gemeenskaps onwikkelende dienste in die algemeen te lewer sowel as spesifiek dienste rondom vroee kinder ontwikkeling op plaaslike regerings vlak. Hierdie oogmerk van die model is gebaseer op die nasionale prioriteite van werkskepping en die voorsiening van kwaliteit onderrig. Die studie kombineer ‘n aantal belangrike sleutel dimensies in die bepaling van die voortbestaan van inwoners van Suid-Afrika, naamlik bekostigbaarheid, universele en omvattende dienslewering, gelyke kwaliteit onderrig, die kognitiewe ontwikkeling van jong kinders, toenemende ekonomies deelname, en die ontwikkeling van rykom spesifiek in marginale kwesbare gemeenskappe binne die konteks van ‘n ontwikkelende staat. Die studie is gebaseer op ‘n post-moderne filisofie and spruit voort vanuit ‘n transformerende en moderne benadering deur die toepassing van Paulo Freire’s opvoedkundige aard sowel as politieke hoop wat nie bedoel is om “die wat is” te konsolideer nie, maar wat voort gedryf word vanuit ‘n visie “wat moet en kan gedoen word” (Mayo, 2003:42). Die nie-empiriese studie is gabaseer op ‘n teoretiese raamwerk wat focus op die ontwikkelende staat, ontwikkelende plaaslike regareings, staatsdiens bestuur, ‘n vennootskap dienslewrings meganisme, vroee kinder ontwikkeling and klein sake ondernemings ontwikkeling. Beide empiriese en nie-empiriese ontwerpe is gebruik met ‘n kombinasie van kwalitatiewe and kwantitatiewe komponent. Die bevindinge vanuit die navorsing spruit voort uit die empiriese vroee kinder ontwikkelings behoefte bepalings studie. ‘n Gevalle studie is ook verder gebruik en getoets deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met beleidmakers, en beleids deskundiges. Die studie het ‘n sosiale agentskaps bestuurs model ontwikkel vir die lewering van vroee kinder ontwikkeling op plaaslige regerings vlak. Die implementering van die model is gabaseer op ‘n aantal veranderinge van denkwyses naamlike vanaf publieke administrasie opinie van burokrasie na innovasie, vanaf openbare beleid dat die regering die enigste verskaffer van dienste is na die fasilitering van dienste, vanaf oorlewings vennootskappe na vennootskappe wat gehalte dienste lewer en laaste ‘n verandering van ‘n aghanklikheids houding na self ontwikkeling.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research report is to identify the alternative service delivery models that could deliver effective and efficient services to the South African public in future. The current economic realities, the effects of globalisation, the potential for technological innovation and the public‟s demand for better services have led the South African government to reconsider the manner in which services are being rendered. A futures methodology tool that was employed in understanding the environment in which services are delivered in South Africa is the environmental scanning. Environmental scanning which took the form of literature review, analysis of statistics already produced by other researchers, official publications and correspondence, newspaper surveys, pamphlets and newsletters, dissertations and theses as well as information from the internet will be employed in this study. Constructive environmental scanning which encompasses both material monism (also known as pop-ism) and the transcendental monism (Naude.2008; 53) was employed to develop a sound understanding of the environment (factors and forces) which have a bearing on the futures of the public service delivery. This exercise revealed that in South Africa services delivery is influenced by the following driving forces (environments): cultural and social, political and legislative, technological and economic. The environmental scanning also revealed that due to the importance attached to service delivery; government had to move away from the conventional approaches to public service delivery where government was the sole provider of services to the public and sought alternative ways of delivering services to the public. The following alternative service delivery models were adopted by government: contracting out, concession, leasing, privatization, management contract, and Electronic government as alternative models of service delivery. Notwithstanding the success of most of the models, some of these proved to be a breeding ground for nepotism, corruption, fraud and a paradise for white collar criminals. Political interference, that masquerades as political oversight is the order of the day. All of these are taking place at the expense of services delivery and are costing the government dearly. Government viewed this as an unhealthy state of affairs and also realised that this situation cannot be left to perpetuate into the future. Most importantly, government has awoken to the reality that the future can no longer be left to chance. Scenario planning was adopted as the research methodology employed in anticipating and preparing for the future. In the quest for v seeking alternative service delivery models for the future, the research report adopted the six stages of scenario planning. The chief value of scenario planning is that it allows policy-makers to make and learn from mistakes without risking career-limiting failures in real life. Further, policymakers can make these mistakes in a safe, unthreatening, game-like environment, while responding to a wide variety of concretely-presented situations based on facts. Scenario planning has an added benefit of allowing participants the latitude to think freely, allows creativity and encourages innovation.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The World Bank (1994) concluded that there is a close relationship between infrastructure and economic growth. This also reflects on the water sector because, despite water sector importance, water services infrastructure is probably one of the most difficult to finance, while its deficiency or absence instils a particular burden on society. According to Baietti and Raymond (2005), more than 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water, and approximately 2.4 billion are without adequate sanitation. Yet these estimates underestimate the gravity of the situation in relation to access gap and quality of services provided. Most consumers face situations where water services are intermittent and when available the water is not safe for consumption, while sanitation facilities are overloaded, unused or in despair. This research was conducted in the North West Province with municipalities that have the status of water services authorities. This included a combination of district and local municipalities. The North West Province has 11 water service authorities of which nine are local municipalities and two are district municipalities. The competing demands and needs for governments to provide infrastructure for other sectors such as roads and energy further aggravate the stance of finance unavailability for the water sector. The purpose of the study was to highlight the challenges that municipalities face in financing water services infrastructure. The result of the study will provide knowledge and innovative ideas that will allow South Africa‘s municipalities to address challenges of service delivery. At municipal level water services are provided through a variety of approaches, although most involve centralised systems with large supply, distribution and treatment facilities. The social benefits that water services provide are well known, particularly those that relate to public health including reduced morbidity and mortality from waterborne diseases. The challenge is that funding to meet these development objectives is either scarce or entirely unavailable. The Water Services Act 108 of (DWAF, 1997) requires water services authorities and water service providers to put significant efforts into cost recovery for sustainable provision of water services. This aspect has significant challenges which results from widespread poverty and a culture of non-payment from communities inherent as a remnant of protest against apartheid. The scope of the water sector is complex, owing to its diversity, interactions and synergies with other industrial, commercial and financial sectors, and its international nature. Under the current South African constitutional and legislative framework, municipalities will remain to be a major player in the development, financing and delivering of water services infrastructure for sustainable growth and development. Water Services Authorities (WSAs) have responsibilities including protection and management of water resources, provision of adequate and sustainable water services, operation and maintenance of water services infrastructure, monitoring and management of municipal water quality to regulatory requirements and reporting to the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) with regards to the aforementioned. Water service delivery failures at the municipal level are a widespread and fundamental problem in South Africa. At the same time, under the current decentralisation policies, the responsibility for delivering such services is increasingly being delegated to lower levels of government/municipalities that are often ill equipped for the challenge in terms of financial and human resources capacity. Cardone and Fonseca (2006) indicated public administration and financial management capacity at central and sub-sovereign levels of government as limited, and affecting the timely transfer of funding as well as the capacity of municipalities to absorb those funds. Various strategies are needed to enable municipalities to secure and finance their water services infrastructure. These include understanding what bankers are looking for, understanding where donors are going, greater involvement of the private sector, matching service levels to affordability, improving revenues and influencing the regulatory regime.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / This study gives an overview of the sustainability of potable water supply in rural areas of South Africa in general and four rural areas of uMhlathuze in particular. Three key challenges in achieving sustainable rural water supply are discussed in more detail and later on used to evaluate the inadequacy of financial revenues to cover the full operation, maintenance and replacement of infrastructure. This research study analysed the factors pertaining to the tariff structure used in maintaining and sustaining rendered service. It analysed the current tariff structure that includes the poorest and most marginalised in line with revenue needed to cover recurrence costs. It was the purpose of this study to examine the adequacy of the management system used to sustain the supply of potable water in rural areas, taking into cognisance the costs of rendering the account and of illegal connections combined with high water losses. The study also attempted to link these points to the challenges faced by the rural areas. The sustainability of rural water supply was analysed, based on financial factors, affordability and on the willingness to pay for the service. The researcher first compared the water billing (levies) and payment patterns of each customer in rural areas of uMhlathuze Municipality with others; and secondly, compared the primary data against theory and the literature. Differences and similarities between the collected data and theory were at the core of the analysis The research results determined that the municipality has the capacity to maintain and sustain the potable water supply network in these areas, while dealing with management questions and recommending to management what is needed to ensure that the water reticulation system is run on a sustainable basis. Sustainability of rural water supply seems to be dependent on factors like policy, legal framework and economic factors such as an ability to meet the costs and willingness to pay for rendered service.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa boasts significant cumulative public-private partnership experience when compared to other African countries. However, little has been done to investigate the success and failure of implemented projects versus those registered on the National Treasury database. There is a limited amount of documented progress of public-private partnerships in South Africa, these being successes and failures in project implementation as well as the contributing factors for such outcomes, and these would serve as critical lessons for future partnerships. The main objective of this study is to investigate the challenges faced in the implementation of municipal public-private partnerships, especially concerning the City of Tshwane’s accommodation public-private partnership. A case study approach was adopted, reviewing the City of Tshwane’s public-private partnership initiative by looking at some of the reported challenges faced as well as the process followed during the implementation of the project. The results of this research assignment indicate that major strides have been made in acquiring sufficient experience and knowledge relating to public-private partnerships as they relate to the South African environment, and the main project team members, who have been involved long enough to understand the objectives of the project. However, of concern is the constant change of project team members taking into account that for each project phase a new team is established. The implication of this is that project knowledge may be lost due to changes in the structure of the project team. It should be noted that at the submission of this assignment the City of Tshwane accommodation public-private partnership was still in progress and in the initial stages of physical construction.

Submitted in fulfilment of Masters in Development Planning, Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / The purpose of the thesis is to assess municipal own sources of revenue in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Section 229 of the Constitution of South Africa states that municipalities may impose rates on property and surcharges on fees for services provided by the municipality or on behalf of the municipality. The primary data obtained from the City of Johannesburg facilitated the assessment of property tax and user fees revenue performance of the municipality as well as the challenges in the administration of revenue. A case study approach was used and the data required was on assessment of property tax and user fees revenue performance of the municipality as well as the challenges in the administration of revenue. Data was therefore collected from the primary data sources.This research shed the light on challenges that the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality encounter in the process of tax rate and charges administration in order to raise enough revenue to cover the cost of service delivery. Findings in relation to revenue collection were based on the information obtained from a user’s survey, the department of revenue, head of property unit, MMC finance and the executive mayor. Amongst other challenges that affect the CoJ own source of revenue, is the issue of property valuation and billing system which is to allow the city to charges tax payers according to property market value. In addition, there is no proper line of communication between the city and the community about the necessity of property tax rates and fee charges. Hence, some members of local community are not fulfilling their property tax obligations because of poverty or by preference. Observations from the study indicates that practical difficulties related to tax base identification and the lack of human capacity contribute significantly to the underperformance of the property tax administration system across South Africa as a whole. The inadequate records on property information have contributed to the inefficiency of the property tax system since many taxable units are not known, and therefore, it becomes difficult for the taxing authorities to collect property tax. Consequently, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is unable to collect enough revenue to cover the cost of service delivery. In order to rectify these problems some of the measures recommended include the need to improve human capacity and the communication/collaboration between local community and the municipality. / MT2017

The management control systems package has been the subject of recent studies but no study was found that examined the role of management control on service delivery in local government. The Victor Khanye Local Municipality in South Africa has experienced repeated service delivery protests attributed to a deficiency in the delivery of basic municipal services. An in-depth analysis was conducted on selected planning and budgeting aspects of the management control systems package and their role in the delivery of basic municipal services. This qualitative case study, carried out with semi-structured interviews, found that the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP) and the budget were used to improve the delivery of basic municipal services. Further research may be conducted on factors inhibiting 100% alignment between the IDP, the SDBIP and the budget, and to determine the role of a quarterly review system for low ranking employees on service delivery / Management Accounting / M. Phil. (Management Accounting)

This thesis critically examines the nature and purpose of the MobiSAM partnership, in relation to its value as a model resonating with normative theories on the role of the media in South African democratic society. The MobiSAM project introduces a mobile polling application, designed for citizens to provide real-time, user-generated data on crucial municipal service delivery such as clean water in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The project has partnered with the local community newspaper, Grocott's Mail, to broadcast this data, with the aim to facilitate citizen participation in public problem solving and support local government accountability in service delivery. Despite pervasive poverty in areas such as the Eastern Cape, mobile penetration in South Africa is near universal. The MobiSAM partnership is an ongoing effort to forge new links between social accountability monitors, new media, traditional media, citizens and local government around public issues in Grahamstown, in line with the development objectives of the post-apartheid South African state. The overall theoretical framework for this thesis is taken from Christians, Glasser, McQuail, Nordenstreng and White's Normative Theories of the Media, which provides an analysis of four roles of the media in a democratic society, that is: the monitorial, the facilitative, the radical and the collaborative roles. Within each of these roles, the stated journalistic approach is explored, that is investigative journalism, public journalism, radical journalism and development journalism. Public journalism is focused on as having the most resonance with the goals of the MobiSAM partnership. The chosen research design is a critical realist case study with the selected methods of thematic document analysis and, primarily, in-depth interviews with key project participants. The research goals were to analyse this primary data against the normative theory on the role of the media in a democratic society, and the 'real world' constraints posed by the project’s specific political and socioeconomic context. The findings conclude by offering certain recommendations and areas for further research, such as the central importance of a dedicated municipal reporter for covering complex public issues. This critical realist case study, drawing on qualitative interviews with both the accountability monitors and the media practitioners, interrogates the philosophical understandings on the role of the media in this new project, towards an empirical model for advancing substantive socio-economic change through media in South Africa.

The aim of this study was to investigate reasons for non–payment by residents for services rendered by the Vhembe District Municipality. The municipalities are responsible for delivering such services as water supply, electricity, road maintenance, refuse collection and sanitation. Multistage sampling techniques were employed. The subjects in the study were grouped into clusters and a sample was taken from each cluster. In this case the municipalities that took part in the study were selected first, followed by wards, villages and households. Households in the selected villages were selected randomly to participate in the study. The results showed that although the municipalities were making an effort to raise and send bills to the residents, the residents were not forthcoming with payments. The reasons advanced for the unwillingness to pay services by residents include ignorance, poverty and simple unwillingness to pay. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration and Management)