Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research analyses traditional public sector delivery impediments and the resultant
reforms which have emanated from these impediments, how the reforms have been
implemented in the developed and developing countries and the challenges facing rural
local government structures, which must implement alternative service delivery
mechanisms at the grassroots level in South Africa.
The research further explores external and internal issues affecting public service
delivery in general, and then concludes by exploring the local government and rural
development realities in South Africa. The developmental divide between developed and
developing countries is increasing for various reasons, among them, the public
management reforms that have enhanced performance in developed countries, but
cannot do the same in developing countries due to the overwhelming constraints.
Developing countries experience constraints which include vague definitions of what
performance entails in a developing context, unresponsive organisational cultures,
unclear performance indicators, a resilient ethos of governance, unfavourable
organisational factors, incorrect use of resources and unsuccessful policy initiatives.
A literature review has shown that ideological contradictions, lack of a common vision and
policy process constraints are also hampering South African public sector service delivery
processes. Although local government legislation and reforms have freed municipalities
from many impediments to improve delivery, the huge service backlog, infrastructure
neglect, lack of integration with other spheres of government, lack of capacity, the impact
of HIV/AIDS and the culture of non-payment are still eroding that ability, especially in rural
areas. In addition, rural areas have even greater levels of underdevelopment, poverty
and service backlogs and consequently municipal structures in deep rural areas carry
less legitimacy.
The ethnographic research chapter focuses on a rural municipality in South Africa,
Engcobo, and on how effectively it will be able to deliver the required municipal services
in the absence of resources and amid a culture of non-payment for services, a huge
unemployment rate and escalating HIV/AIDS in the area. Local economic development
will be hard to realise because the municipality faces the constraints of finance, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, lack of institutional skills and inadequate infrastructure to foster
and drive developmental local government.
The premise, that such a municipality cannot deliver the expanded local government
designated services while it faces the above internal constraints and external ones that
emanate from the traditional public sector context, the global economic set up and the
South Africa national government constraints, is qualified in this research. Amid the
magnitude of the service backlogs, delivering the basic services in Engcobo Municipality
will require sustainable funds and skills currently lacking. Engcobo Municipality does not
have the required capacity to deliver the designated services for local government and
neither will this capacity be built up in the short term.
A number of recommendations for improving on the prospects are nevertheless made.
These recommendations focus on institutional development and capacity building,
improving financial viability, harnessing profit in service delivery, public participation,
partnership arrangements, dealing with HIV/AIDS, infrastructure development as well as
waste and environmental management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing analiseer die tradisionele hindernisse vir openbare sektor
dienslewering en die hervormings wat daaruit voortspruit, hoe die hervormings uitgevoer
is in ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande en die uitdagings van landelike plaaslike
regeringsstrukture wat die implimentering van alternatiewe diensleweringsmeganismes
op voetsoolvlak in Suid Afrika in die gesig staar.
Die navorsing ondersoek verder die eksterne en interne aspekte wat openbare sektor
dienslewering oor die algemeen beïnvloed, en ondersoek dan plaaslike regering en
landelik ontwikkelingsrealiteite. Die ontwikkelingsskeiding tussen ontwikkelde en
ontwikkelende lande vergroot vir verskeie redes, insluitend die openbare
bestuurshervormings wat prestasie in ontwikkelde lande verbeter het, maar wat nie
dieselfde doen in ontwikkelende lande nie, weens oorweldigende beperkings.
Ontwikkelende lande ondervind beperkings wat vae definisies oor wat prestasie in 'n
ontwikkelende konteks behels, insluit, onresponsiewe organisatoriese kulture,
onduidelike prestasie-indikatore, 'n elastiese karakter van regeerkunde, ongunstige
organisatoriese faktore, verkeerde gebruik van hulpbronne en onsuksesvolle
beleidsinisiatiewe.
'n Literatuuroorsig het getoon dat ideologiese teenstrydighede, gebrek aan 'n
gemeenskaplike visie en beleidsproses beperkinge ook Suid Afrikaanse openbare sektor
diensleweringsprosesse aan bande lê. Alhoewel die wetgewing oor plaaslike regering en
hervormings munisipaliteite bevry het van baie hindernisse om lewering te verbeter,
veroorsaak die enorme diensagterstand, die verwaarlosing van die infrastruktuur, die
gebrek aan integrasie met ander sfere van regering, die gebrek aan kapasiteit, die impak
van HIV/VIGS en die kultuur van nie-betaling nog steeds dat diensleweringsvermoë
aangetas word, veral in die landelike gebiede. Boonop, het landelike gebiede nog groter
vlakke van onderontwikkeling, armoede en diensagterstande en dus geniet munisipale
strukture in diep landelike gebiede minder legitimiteit.
Die etnografiese navorsingshoofstuk fokus op 'n landelike munisipaliteit in Suid Afrika,
Engcobo, en hoe effektief die munisipaliteit in staat is om verlangde munisipale dienste te lewer te midde van die afwesigheid van hulpbronne en te midde van 'n kultuur van niebetaling
vir dienste, enorme werkloosheid en stygende HIV/VIGS in die area. Plaaslike
ekonomiese ontwikkeling sal moeilik wees om te realiseer omdat die munisipaliteit die
beperkinge van onvoldoende fondse, HIV/VIGS, 'n gebrek aan institusionele
bekwaamhede en 'n onvoldoende infrastruktuur om ontwikkelende plaaslike regering te
bevorder en te bestuur, in die gesig staar.
Die premis dat so 'n munisipaliteit nie die aangewese uitgebreide plaaslike
regeringsdienste kan lewer terwyl dit die interne gedwongendhede en eksterne
beperkinge voortspruitend uit die konteks van 'n tradisionele openbare sektor, die globale
ekonomiese opset en die gedwongendhede van die Suid Afrikaanse nasionale regering
in die gesig staar nie, word met hierdie navorsing gekwalifiseer. Te midde van die
omvang van diensagterstande, sal die lewering van basiese dienste in Engcobo
Munisipaliteit genoegsame fondse en vaardighede wat tans ontbreek, benodig. Engcobo
Munisipaliteit het nie die vereiste kapasiteit om die aangewese dienste vir plaaslike
regering te lewer nie en ewemin sal hierdie kapasiteit oor die korttermyn opgebou word.
'n Aantal aanbevelings ter verbetering van die vooruitsigte word nietemin gemaak.
Hierdie aanbevelings fokus op institusionele ontwikkeling en kapasiteitsbou, verbetering
van finansiële lewensvatbaarheid, aanwending van die winsmotief in dienslewering,
publieke deelname, vennootskapsreëlings, hantering van MIV/VIGS, infrastruktuur
ontwikkeling sowel as afval en omgewingsbestuur.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53297 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Luwaga, Lydia |
| Contributors | Burger, A. P. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 65 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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