A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of
the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the Degree of Doctor
of Philosophy, 1979 / The central focus of this thesis is on the machinery of
planning in tae Lesotho Government and the tasks which it
endeavoured ;o initiate and administer. One objective of the
study has therefore been ti furnish a detailed internal history
of those departments of" Government (in particular, the
Central Planning and Development Office) principally concerned
with planniig. The primary purpose, however, lias been to use
this casu study to provide an insight into the nature of the
bureaucracy and, mere specifically, into its attitude toward,
and capability of Initiating, reform. The study thus relates
to one of the major issues of concern to political and administrative
analysts of underdeveloped and recently politicallyindeoendent
states: namely the compatibility or otherwise of
the ’bureaucracy* with 'reform' and 'development'.
Planning wa. selected as an appropriate focal point for
this analysis, since it had generated such great expectations
in the early post-colonial period. It was common to the administrative
experience of many new state that the establishment
of a central planning office was considered to be one
essential early step toward change and progress.
The detailed case study covers the administration of planning
in Lesotho for the ten years between 19^5 and 1975• It
commences immediately before the establishment of the Planning
Office, obt.vrvcs its establishment, the problematic early years
of minimal advance and, later, its more rapid growth and relatively
enhanced efficiency. A portrayal of this history as a
subunit struggling to increase its influence in conflict and
competition with other subunits of a large bureaucratic organization,
presents a more accurate representation than one
Which suggests the evolution of tic planning machinery as part
oi a s'- Totic exercise in administrative reform.
next section, which relates and discusses the visws
and concerns of the participants themselves, is intended Co
offer further insight into the •official mind' of the Lesotho
bureaucracy, and thus to supplement the case study.
A brief examination of the principal features of Lesotho's
economy follows. This reveals clearly that the me L. trends are
towards a deipening state of underdevelopment and a steadily
growing dependence. The record of a deteriorating economic
predicament is Jux+*posed with the strengthening of the planning
machinery and so throws into question the role of the
bureaucracy in a situation of this nature.
At the cloaa, three approaches to public administration in
underdeveloped countries are discussed as a means of interpreting
wlia t , exactly, lias been observed.
Ihe 1 irst conclusion is tliat the case a^udy reveals a
strengthening of the planning machinery which would satisfy the
very m dest requirements of reform as understood by the 'African
Public Administration and Management' movement. Taking
note of the manner in which the planning machinery has grown
and also of certain practices and policies of the civil service
as a whole, the second conclusion is that the changes
observed fall far short of the demands of the 'development administration'
movement; there was little serious interest in
the type oi reform which that movement proposed.
v- brief discussion of the 'bureaucracy' and the 'migrant
worker , set against the background of economic deterioration
and increasing dependence, leads to the final conclusion. This
confirms the 'underdevelopment and dependence' movement's perception
of the role of the bureaucracy in the post-colonial
or,,. Lesotho's civil Service was gaining material advantage
from, and serving to abet, the forces of underdevelopment. In
the i trial analysis, therefore, the case observed is one of
administration for underdevelopment; tliat is, underdevelopment
administration.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/18187 |
| Date | 06 August 2015 |
| Creators | Hirschmann, David |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
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