Towards a Municipal Infrastructure and Finance Model for Local Government: a Case of uMgungundlovu District Municipality

Abstract

Local government institutions in South Africa have had to endure a perpetual bout of service delivery protests. Protests are a public manifestation of conflict; hence the terms 'conflict' and 'protest' are used interchangeably in this article. Local government is a key element in the reconstruction and development effort in South Africa. This article proposes an infrastructure and finance model for service delivery by evaluating service delivery at uMgungundlovu District Municipality as a case study. The objective of the article is to analyse elements that contribute to municipal distress, assess municipal service delivery mechanisms and evaluate the Local Government Turnaround Strategy. The complex process of service delivery is viewed to be of national importance and requires an immediate developmental solution through innovative service delivery models. An attitudinal survey determined the perceptions of local communities on levels of service delivery. Another survey was conducted on officials to ascertain the root causes and elements contributing to municipal distress. The findings here reveal that national government grants are not sufficient in addressing service delivery backlogs. Timely delivery of municipal infrastructure is constrained by limited municipal resources. Therefore, municipalities can form Municipal Service Partnerships (MSP) with the private sector. The article underlines the need for a holistic approach to development planning through service delivery models and well-structured planning and implementation strategies for municipalities to fulfil their mandates. Finally, the article recommends that municipal services must be sustainable and that municipal business models remain at the core of sustainable service delivery.