When the African National Congress took power from the apartheid regime in 1994 it promised to transform the public service by eradicating the inequalities of the past in the provisioning of basic services. The ANC-led government aimed to be a people-centred one, and service delivery became the central focal point. For government to realise its goal of annihilating the inequalities of the past, it became imperative that services be provided in a transparent, coherent and representative manner to all citizens, particularly the previously marginalised communities. in order to promote efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability, the government identified various alternative strategies that would enhance service delivery and bring it closer to the people. One of the strategies was to set up Multipurpose Community Centres (MPCCs), also known as Thusong Service Centres (TSCs), that were to serve as the vehicle to enhance service delivery. Although such a move was a noble one and brought hope to many impoverished South Africans, there are still challenges faced by government in the provision of basic services that culminated in recent violent service delivery protests that adversely affected the whole country. The purpose of the research was to determine if the establishment of the MPCCs as a vehicle in enhancing service delivery has made a difference in the lives of previously marginalized communities. This study, therefore, critically examines whether the already established Centres play a pivotal role in enhancing service delivery. The literature review revealed that successful public service transformation has to create a sound relationship between government and its constituencies, and that can be attained by meaningfully engaging the public in matters such as policy formulation, as such engagement will inform government on the kind of programmes to be initiated and implemented that will respond to the social and economic needs of citizens. It is crucial that government must be community owned so that citizens must not only see themselves as recipients of services but also as decision makers. The literature review further argues that government must recognise that its primary responsibility is to drive the delivery of services in an efficient, effective and economic manner. It is therefore crucial that public administrators be committed and accountable toward the community, expand customer choice of services, ensure that citizens get the best possible value for money, and that access to basic services is increased regardless of the locale. On the contrary, the empirical study revealed that the Centres are not effectively addressing the needs of communities. One of the reasons of the failure of these Centres is due to the fact that the establishment of some Centres there was lack of proper consultation with communities and other relevant stakeholders on what services need to be rendered. The study also revealed that some Centres do not have adequate physical and human resources, Centres are managed by managers that are not adequately trained in managerial skills. The study further revealed that lack of funding makes it impossible for these Centres and services rendered sustainable, and lack of communication and coordination of activities between departments utilising the Centres render integrated service delivery ineffective The research concludes by presenting recommendations that were carefully drawn from the analysis of the findings and the entire study, followed by a proposed model that provides a multifaceted approach that outlines an action plan in the delivery of services, and should serve as a guide to Government with regard to the implementation of strategies and policies for the betterment of lives of South African citizens, especially the previously marginalised. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

In this dissertation a study was undertaken of environmental administration in city-status local authorities in South Africa. Local authorities in South Africa constitute the third tier of government. They are established to provide essential goods and services to the community and to contribute to the national goal of community welfare. The services rendered by a local authority affects the quality of life of its inhabitants. South Africa is presently undergoing a period of transition and there are demands placed on local authorities to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. Local authorities have become increasingly sensitive to environmental matters. Environmental administration plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of life of the community. In order that local authorities carry out their environmental functions efficiently and effectively, it is essential that the enabling generic administrative processes, managerial, functional, auxiliary and instrumental activities be instituted and executed. The enabling administrative processes include policy-making, organising, financing, staffing, determining methods and procedures and exercising of control. In the execution of these duties it is imperative that the normative factors, namely respect for environmental rights, ethics of environmental conservation, requirements of administrative law, maintenance of public accountability, fairness and reasonableness, efficiency and effectiveness and transparency and freedom of information be taken cognisance of. Attention was focused on the policy-making process emphasising environmental concepts and applications, environmental projects, pressing environmental issues, environmental awareness and external participation. Organisational structures in the form of committees are regarded essential to ensuring effective environmental administration. Appropriate and specific financial allocations are necessary for the environmental administration function. Well defined staffing practices are basic to ensuring that municipal functionaries involved in environmental administration achieve their objectives. Methods and procedures have to be constantly reviewed in the light of overall changes in environmental administration. The exercising of control is vital to ensure that the processes of environmental administration are performed within the context of the normative factors. The recommendations contained in the dissertation are directed at continuous review of environmental administration in local authorities within a conceptual framework which constitutes the following functions, policy-making, organising, financing, staffing, determining methods and procedures and exercising of control. Focus was placed on processes such as : (i) the formulation of environmental policy; (ii) designing separate organisational structures; (iii) specific budgetary allocations; (iv) the need for staffing practices to ensure that objectives are achieved; (v) the need for uniform and constant review of methods and procedures; and (vi) establishing codes of conduct relevant to environmental administration. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1994.

Road and rail are the predominant means of freight transport in South Africa and generally contribute to approximately 99% of all logistics costs. While there exists a solid infrastructure of rail and road transportation, and with the latter being a cheaper option, the former is still the most preferred mode. This places tremendous pressure on South Africa’s rapidly deteriorating roads network. Unfortunately the downside to this popularity is the enormous costs incurred in repairing the roads and the principal wrongdoers are the commercial carriers, especially heavy vehicles. The problem is exacerbated by overloaded vehicles intending to maximise profits. Law enforcement of this particular problem in the Durban Metropolitan region has been ineffective due to a lack of skilled personnel and proper equipment. A joint venture in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Durban Metropolitan Police Service and the Vululeka-TMT Consortium was created to combat this problem. There are various benefits in general where PPPs exist, such as private sector efficiencies, innovation and specialisation. However endemic to this PPP was the addition of accountability resulting in increased productivity and a ‘watchdog’ situation that certainly aided in the prevention of corruption. / Thesis (MPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

Up until 1994 the area of local government has been faced with a number of challenges. Communities blame both councillors and municipal officials for poor service delivery and maladministration. Whereas some cite cases of limited resources for the slow pace of delivering the services that are required by the community. Given the limited resources at their disposal, municipalities are bound by the Constitution of the country to satisfy the legitimate expectations of their communities. This relates to the provision of water, sanitation, electricity, health and other services. This requires municipalities to establish and operate on a basis of an effective, efficient and professional governance system. The main objectives of the study were to critique local governance and investigate the challenges facing the Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality; and bring to the fore the service delivery disparities with a view to suggest possible remedial measures for the consideration of the municipality and government. The aim of this research project was to investigate the extent to which the pre-1994 administrative system impacted to the service delivery effort of the Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality. The project also sought to analyse the capacity of the municipality in respect of it being functional governance machinery. Data analysis reveals that there is a positive attitude of the community towards participation in the affairs of the ward and the municipality. This is evident when one looks at the results of the community participation in the drafting or formulation of the IDP and also on the formulation of the ward budget. Most importantly, it is noticeable that the majority of the respondents took it among themselves to effectively participate in the local affairs through voting in the municipal elections and through effective participation when community meetings are called. / Thesis (MPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

In this dissertation a study is undertaken of the performance appraisal function in South African local authorities. Local authorities in South Africa are the third tier of government and are subordinate to the other two tiers, namely, the central and provincial authorities. They are established to render a variety of goods and services to the local community and to contribute to the national goal of community welfare. In the light of changing circumstances in South Africa, communities are becoming more advanced and complex and are placing new demands on local authorities everyday. Therefore, local authorities must ensure that their limited human resources are utilised as efficiently and effectively as possible to achieve an acceptable quality of life for the local community. Thus, municipal personnel administration plays an important role in contributing to the welfare of the local community. Municipal personnel administration comprises of several component activities such as personnel provisioning, support functions, training and development, and personnel utilisation functions. Performance appraisal falls within ambit of the personnel utilisation function and plays a pivotal role in promoting the improved· productivity of municipal personnel. In view of the aforementioned, this study investigates the implementation of the performance appraisal function in South African local authorities. The research was necessitated by the fact that local authority employees make up 14,8 percent of public sector employment and up to 70 percent of a local authority's operating budget is allocated for staff expenditure. Therefore, it is important that local authorities have an efficient and effective work force, and one of the ways this can be achieved is through the implementation of the performance appraisal function. Furthermore, very little research has been undertaken on the performance appraisal function as an activity within municipal personnel administration. Municipal employees must ensure that all activities constituting the performance appraisal function be implemented in terms of the dictates of the generic administrative, management, functional and auxiliary and instrumental activities. They must also adhere to the normative guidelines which have direct bearing on the performance appraisal function, such as legislative supremacy, maintenance of public accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, respect for community values and ethical standards. The study undertaken on the performance appraisal function in South African local authorities is viewed from a theoretical and operational perspective as follows: performance appraisal and municipal administration; theoretical perspectives of the performance appraisal function; nature and content of performance appraisal systems; the performance appraisal function in South African local authorities; and developing an acceptable performance appraisal system for South African local authorities. The performance appraisal systems at local authorities studied, are primarily viewed within an administrative frame of reference. Particular attention is focused on the generic administrative, management, functional and auxiliary and instrumental activities, as well as the normative factors of public administration. The efficient and effective utilisation of municipal personnel resources, especially in regard to their placement, development and promotion through the use of the performance appraisal function, is stressed. In the light of the aforementioned the following recommendations are made: (i) that municipal councils and high-ranking officials give due regard to the importance of the performance appraisal function within the context of municipal personnel administration; (ii) introduction of the performance management and development programme as postulated in chapter 6; (iii) review of performance appraisal on an ongoing basis (at least once a year) within an administrative frame of reference with particular attention to the following: legislative measures; policy directives; organising; financing; staffing; determining systems and procedures; and exercising control; (iv) that supervisors (appraisers) in municipal departments undergo training to implement the appraisal system and to keep abreast with the latest developments in the field; and (v) the creation of a separate department or section to deal specifically with the performance appraisal function. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1993.

The last decade has seen an increase in the institutionalised professionalisation of the White teachers in the Republic of South Africa. In 1981 the de Lange Commission called for the professionalisation of teacher educators and this was accepted by the Government in the White Paper of 1983. Subsequently teacher educators have been compelled by the National Education Policy Amendment Act (House of Assembly), 1986 (Act 103 of 1986) to register with the Teachers' Federal Council and financial pressure was brought to bear under the Act for teacher educators to associate with recognised teacher organisations. The outcome of this requirement appears to be greater control of the profession by the Government. It is timely to investigate precisely what is understood by professionalisation vis-a-vis teacher educators, as the professionalisation of teacher educators cannot be accomplished by statutory fiat alone. Nor have teacher educators held a particularly professional position within education. The colleges of education have been hemmed in by the provincial authorities on the one hand and by the powerful university lobby on the other. Colleges of education have historically been associated with secondary education and still are, in that they are controlled by the provincial authorities and have not been accorded full tertiary status and standing within the educational organisational structures. The colleges of education per se have no representation and no direct input into policy making and planning for education in South Africa. It is relevant and urgent to ask questions such as "What is meant by the professionalisation of teacher educators?", "What process is involved in professionalisation?" and "How can the increased professionalisation of teacher educators be realistically accomplished in the Republic of South Africa?" To this end, a full exposition of the concept of professionalisation is derived from the literature. The phenomenon and process of professionalisation are thoroughly considered, mainly from a theoretical sociological perspective. A relatively recent history of important events in Education within the Republic of South Africa is considered in the light of the possibilities for furthering the process of the professionalisation of teacher educators in this country,. In particular, the implications of the recommendations of the De Lange Commission (1981) and the Government's reaction to this Commision, as contained in the White Paper (1983), are considered. The South African Teachers' Council for Whites and its impact is assessed, and the implications of the 1983 Constitution are considered, as they affect teacher education in the Republic of South Africa. All the facets and factors implicit in the process of the professionalisation of teacher educators are critically reviewed via the attributive and process paradigms of professionalisation as explicated by Ozyga and Lawn. Recommendations are generated based on the insights obtained. In particular two facets of paramount importance emerged : (i) The need for an organised professional teacher educator association, to promote professional concerns and to represent professional interests in educational provisioning, is essential; and (ii) The need for the Government to reorganise its educational structures, so as to afford teacher educators a channel of professional representation, is evident. These facets would be of mutual value to the profession and the Government alike. Current education structures are sketched and futuristic idealistic models of organisational structures are proposed. On the basis of these studies a number of recommendations are proposed, including, inter alia, the following primary facets : Teacher education should be occupationally delineated, its members should be incorporated in a distinct and discrete professional registration category and statutory recognition should be given to this profession and its members; Teacher educators should form a fully developed national professional association to promote individual and corporate interests and to negotiate on matters of interest and concern; The teacher education profession should be rationalised and coordinated nationally, be accorded a greater degree of professional autonomy and be formally involved in national policy making in a unitary general affairs body; Teacher education should be upgraded to a fully degreed profession, with specialised post graduate degrees being made available with a specific bearing on teacher education, including the opportunity for research; and The courses offered by colleges of education should be upgraded via establishing the option of degree courses at colleges, concentrating all teacher training at colleges of education, providing enhanced facilities for serving teachers to upgrade their qualifications at colleges, promoting a wider acceptance and implementation of integrated teacher training degree courses and promoting the esteem of teaching degree and diploma courses as professional and academic qualifications of repute. / Thesis (M.P.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

In this dissertation a study of the management of change in local government is undertaken with specific focus on the North Local Council area of the Durban Metropolitan Council. In the previous era municipalities were structured to coincide with the system of separate development under apartheid. The new democratic order in South Africa at national and provincial levels ushered in the need to transform municipalities in various ways as follows: From a system of apartheid to a system of democracy. From being financially unsustainable to being sustainable. From merely providing basic services to being developmental in nature. From being tiny enclaves to covering broader catchment areas. From doing isolated land use planning to undertaking integrated development planning holistically. From being the sole service provider of municipal services to being service facilitators in certain instances. From being the regulator of development to being the facilitator of development. The above challenges were presented to all the roleplayers in municipal government to transform municipalities to meet these challenges. Change impacts on everyone in one way or another within the system that has changed. In a public environment this could mean millions of people. Municipal government was programmed to change over three phases, namely, the pre-interim phase, the interim phase and the final phase of transformation. Municipal government is currently in the interim phase of transformation and will reach the final phase of its transformation after the next municipal elections which are expected to take place any time between November 2000 and February 2001. During the apartheid era municipal government had numerous failings. The system of separate development saw the White minority having the best land which was close to economic activities and tourist facilities much to the detriment of the Black majority who were only allowed to occupy land that was far from any economic activity. Based on this method of land allocation there were wealthy White municipalities and poor Black municipalities. Blacks, mainly the labourer class, contributed to the economic growth of White municipalities whilst the areas in which they lived lacked the infrastructure and other municipal services some distance away from where they worked. The challenge to transform municipalities means that the basic needs of people ought to be linked to economic activities. This is quite a challenge given the innumerable constraints in the environment. Separate developments coupled with abject poverty the majority of people suffered from, will take time to overcome. The Indians in Chatsworth, Whites in Umhlanga Rocks and the Africans in Kwa-Mashu will be with us for a long time to come. It must be accepted that real change to overcome the effects of apartheid will not happen overnight. It will take time. However, every effort must be made to speed up the process of change to enable South Africans to benefit sooner rather than later from its chosen course of democracy. The key to achieving this would be to integrate development for which integrated development planning is a prerequisite. This dissertation provides a historical overview of municipal government in South Africa during the apartheid era and thereafter proceeds to document the post apartheid transformation of municipalities, with special focus on the North Local Council of the Durban Metropolitan region. The study also documents and evaluates new legislation that will set municipalities on the 'final phase' in its transformation. The penultimate chapter is dedicated to 'change management' which includes the theory of change and the final chapter make's general conclusions and offers several recommendations. RECOMMENDATIONS: The following recommendations have been made at the end of the study. These include: ? Municipalities must be democratic and transparent Democracy and transparency must be prevalent at the local sphere of government before South Africans can claim that their country has transformed from the legacy of apartheid to a fully fledged democracy. The way municipalities are structured is therefore important to the measure of transparency and democracy that could be achieved. If, for example, they are too large, with vast areas that are inaccessible, democracy and transparency could be compromised. ? Municipalities must be financially viable For municipalities to be effective they must be financially viable. Many of the apartheid structured municipalities relied on the national government for their funding which was grossly insufficient. This position needs to be remedied in the restructuring and demarcation of municipalities so as to ensure their financial viability. ? Promote mixed use zoning of land wherever feasible Bringing people closer to their places of employment will reduce travelling time and costs as well as improve their social well-being. ? Recognise that each town or area will have features that are unique and must be taken into account in any transformation The legislature is required to establish a framework for the orderly transformation of municipalities from apartheid to democracy. In so doing the legislation must be flexible to enable people to live out their new found democracy. ? Change must be processed in manageable portions To enable change to be managed properly it must be processed in manageable portions to enable resources allocated to manage change cope. ? Any new system must be given adequate time to settle Change and especially major change takes time. It must be afforded the time to settle. For example, the Durban Metropolitan Council started to reap the benefits of its transformation in 1999 although the transformation process began in 1994 and took effect in 1995 with the establishment of the transitional councils. However, in March 1998 the national government pronounced that the transformation of municipalities across the country was inadequate and embarked on a new transformation process. ? Senior management must be made part of the change process The technical expertise and experience of senior management must be utilised by their councils during the transformation of municipalities. ? The organisation must fit reality on the ground Municipalities must be able to meet the requirements of its citizens and consumers. When municipalities are being transformed the realities on the ground must be taken into account. ? A process for change must be determined and then change must be implemented according to that predetermined process Change must be planned and managed and must be recognised as a process and not an event. ? Avoid organisational change that is ineffective Change is instituted to improve any given situation. If change does not improve the situation or makes it worse than it already is, then such change must be avoided. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.

Abstract not available.