Municipalities In South Africa Research Articles

Impact of land restitution benefits on Water, Energy and Food (WEF) misgovernance and social injustice

Land restitution has been used to achieve redistributive justice. However, such social justice has been compromised by the misgovernance of water, energy, and food (WEF) which has resulted in distributive injustices and compromised welfare outcomes. The objective of the study was to ascertain the land restitution benefactor impacts on WEF misgovernance in lieu of offsetting social injustice. The study was carried out in Matatiele, Magareng and Greater Taung Local Municipalities in South Africa. A purposively selected sample of 1184 households was obtained through a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire. Vulnerability indices, independent sample t-tests and Propensity Score Matching were used to analyze the data. The results showed that land restitution beneficiaries were vulnerable to WEF misgovernance relative to social injustice. In addition, becoming a land restitution benefactor had a significant impact and increased the level of vulnerability to WEF misgovernance. This was mainly through increased exposure and sensitivity to WEF misgovernance. Benefiting from land restitution did not have an impact on vulnerability to WEF social injustice, even though exposure and adaptive capacity to social injustice were increased. The study concludes that benefiting from land restitution increased vulnerability to WEF misgovernance while having no impact on social injustice. The study recommends improving access and fixing dilapidated WEF infrastructure in land-restituted areas. Furthermore, there is a need to implement livelihood-improving programs in addition to social protection support to enhance access to WEF resources. Water, energy, and food (WEF) decision-making should be decentralized to improve participation, governance, and procedural justice.

Traditional Leadership and Rural Municipalities in South Africa: Conflicts and Alliances in Water Governance

Traditional Leadership and Rural Municipalities in South Africa: Conflicts and Alliances in Water Governance

The struggle within dual systems of government: dealing with conflict between traditional leaders and ward councilors in the greater Giyani Municipality in South Africa

IntroductionCurrent frameworks of conflict resolution have shown only partial success, particularly in the context of local municipalities where conflicts persist. There is a pressing need for context-specific framework that address leadership conflicts while fostering peace.MethodsTo address the lack of progress in resolving conflicts, this study identifies major challenges undermining the assimilation and implementation of objectively informed conflict resolution strategies. A purposive sampling method was employed to select 33 respondents from the Greater Giyani Municipality. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using statistically established matrix scoring procedures. ATLAS.ti software was utilized for data analysis.ResultsWithout claiming to be exhaustive, this paper highlights examples of externalities that threaten the coexistence of the dual system of governance in South African communities, with a focus on leadership conflict and unsustainable peace. Factors contributing to conflict escalation include capacity constraints, lack of inclusive, bias, divisive decision-making and contested court decisions.DiscussionThe study underscores the importance of addressing these challenges to foster effective conflict resolution. It emphasizes the need for the scientific community to provide critical information necessary for responding effectively to these challenges.ConclusionTo enhance conflict resolution in local municipalities, it is imperative to develop context-specific frameworks that address underlying challenges and promote sustainable peace. This requires concerted efforts from both researchers and practitioners to provide the necessary insights and strategies for resolution.

A Review and Reformation of Municipal Indigent Policies Towards Sustainable Service Delivery in Selected Rural Municipalities in South Africa

A Review and Reformation of Municipal Indigent Policies Towards Sustainable Service Delivery in Selected Rural Municipalities in South Africa

The Role of E-Government in the Promotion of Municipal Service Delivery in South Africa

The advent of the fourth industrial revolution necessitates that government institutions move away from the traditional paper-based system to an electronic system. Many countries in Africa, including South Africa, have adopted the e-government system as one of the main delivery channels for municipal services and information to society (Mafunisa Consulting, 2021). However, despite the government's ability to establish a new public service model where all government agencies provide their constituents with modern, streamlined, and seamless services (Norris and Moon, 2005). Municipalities in South Africa are regarded as entities that provide direct services to the citizens, however are not financially self-sufficient and often lack the necessary infrastructure such as ICT infrastructure to carry out their duties to deliver e-services to the society at large (Development Bank of South Africa, 2023). Many people in rural areas are affected by the lack of ICT infrastructures and basic digital literacy to enable the participation and accessibility of digital services. Therefore, for the society to participate in e-government, it should be proficient with ICT skills, assisted by the availability of ICT infrastructure within their area. As a result, these people are left out of the participation of e-government services due to the complexities associated with the lack of ICT infrastructure. Because the ICT infrastructure is the backbone and a critical component for implementing the e-government system to ensure digital public administration. Therefore, the study examines the role of e-government in the promotion of municipal service delivery within the South African public sector environment. The main objective of the study is to establish the best electronic government mechanisms that will help the South African government in delivering sustainable services. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology with specific reference to a conceptual approach based extensively on secondary data.

The administrative effects of political killings of officials in South African Municipalities

Background: Politically motivated killings have been an increasing concern in South Africa since the dawn of democracy in 1994. Over the years, various municipalities have seen a rise in the killing of local government officials. While there are records of the number of incidences of killings in provinces such as Kwazulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo, it remains unclear how these occurrences affect local government administration.Aim: This study seeks to explore the administrative effects of politically motivated killings of officials in South African municipalities.Methods: Using the adversarial and politicised bureaucratic models, the study relied on secondary sources of data from accredited journal articles, books, conference proceedings, official reports and academic theses. A desktop qualitative review of data was used.Results: The research found that politically motivated killings of municipal officials have detrimental effects on good governance and service delivery such as staff rotations, destabilisation of the councils, skills erosion and continued political tensions.Conclusion: This study finds that the killings are part of the deeper crisis of politics and administration dynamics in the public service with detrimental effects on the governance of municipalities in South Africa. The study recommends that local governments introduce stringent minimum requirements for appointing officials to minimise the contestation between politicians and government administrators.Contribution: This study seeks to stimulate further research interest in the anatomy of political killings, specifically the diagnosis and specific measures to help curb this phenomenon for better governance within local government.

Drivers of Learner Aggression in Selected Schools in the Amathole District Municipality in South Africa

In the pursuit of an environment conducive to effective teaching and learning, schools are universally regarded as sanctuaries of nonviolence for all stakeholders. However, the South African education landscape has witnessed a distressing trend as schools have increasingly transformed into arenas of criminal activity and violence. Against this background, the present study sought to explore the drivers of learner aggression in selected schools situated in the Amathole District Municipality. The study followed a phenomenological research design that enabled the researchers to explore the lived experiences of the participants and unearth insights into learner aggression. Using a purposive sampling technique, twenty-five participants were purposively selected from five separate schools and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the overarching influence of violent communities and dysfunctional family structures and teacher favouritism, particularly directed towards academically proficient students, were drivers of aggressive behaviour. Among others, the study recommends the urgent need for teacher training programmes that focus on dealing with learner aggression. By equipping teachers with enhanced tools to discern, prevent, and effectively respond to instances of learner aggression, the education system can foster an atmosphere of safety and inclusivity.

The role of corporate social responsibility in SMEs in eThekwini municipality in South Africa

Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have an important role to play in promoting sustainable development and social responsibility in their communities. In the eThekwini Municipality of South Africa, there are many opportunities for SMEs to engage in social responsibility activities. A validation approach can be used to assess the effectiveness of these activities and ensure that they are meeting the needs of the community. This study sought to investigate the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in eThekwini municipality in South Africa. Data collection from 210 small business owners or managers in the eThekwini Municipality revealed a significant relationship between community involvement, environmental awareness, and community upliftment in the quest to build long-term relationships with communities. The primary objective for the study was to determine and establish the CSR activities of SMEs in the eThekwini Municipality.

A Digital Transformation Framework for Smart Municipalities

Smart cities, as defined by Sustainable Development Goal 11, strive to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Digital technologies addresses urbanisation concerns, such as rising energy use, pollution, waste disposal, and social inequities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven technologies are essential drivers, with a focus on infrastructure and decision-making in smart cities and municipalities. Digital Transformation (DT) is a prerequisite for becoming a Smart Municipality. The research objective of this paper is to investigate the role of digital technologies in improving urban processes, focusing on Smart City dimensions for municipalities, namely smart governance, environment, living, and technology. Municipalities in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape, used digital adoption to boost productivity and skill development. However, the need for standardised DT principles presents problems for transitioning municipalities into data-driven organisations. The paper also examines the global energy issue and how smart cities can contribute to energy solutions. Finally, the paper addresses the following research question: ‘How can lessons learned from the Eastern Cape Municipalities digital adoption be scaled to other developing nations facing similar challenges in energy management and urban planning?’ Using a survey method, it provides guidelines in the DT framework, offering empirical insights into Smart Municipality digitalisation.

Does Environmental Sustainability Influence the Competence of SMMEs? Evidence from the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa

Does Environmental Sustainability Influence the Competence of SMMEs? Evidence from the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa

Positive Tone Sentiment and Readability as Impression Management Tactics Used by District Municipalities in South Africa

Positive Tone Sentiment and Readability as Impression Management Tactics Used by District Municipalities in South Africa

Inclusion of ecosystem services in the management of municipal natural open space systems

Abstract Unprecedented urbanisation in the Global South is transforming natural urban landscapes, impacting on the ability of nature to provide essential ecosystem services. Within the context of pressures facing many urban natural open spaces, particularly in Africa, we used a local municipality in South Africa as a case study to (i) identify local government priorities for a natural open space system; (ii) develop an understanding of whether, and how, ecosystem services are considered by local government, and the reasons thereof; and (iii) ascertain the extent of proactive planning regarding regulating and other ecosystem services, including the temporal and spatial scales, and implications. In‐depth qualitative interviews (n = 12) were undertaken with senior municipal officials representing departments whose work impacts the environment. Municipal decision‐support documents were also analysed for any direct and/or indirect references to ecosystem services. Planning for, and management of, ecosystem services provided by natural open spaces is influenced by interwoven infrastructure, municipal service delivery and equity challenges, complex institutional constraints and poverty, with little focus on the socio‐economic opportunities and other benefits of natural open space systems. Values, perceptions and knowledge also influence the management of ecosystem services. The study contributes to understanding the opportunities and challenges for the future governance of natural open space in the Global South, which require explicit consideration in municipal planning, management and budgeting processes. Policy and management implications identified include prioritisation of the regulating functions provided by natural open space systems, pivotal to the urban resilience agenda; building on the inherent appreciation of nature features as city assets, while achieving socio‐economic upliftment; improved (on‐site) collaborative management of natural open spaces; and involvement of local government officials in the preparation and updating of environmental policies and decision‐support documents, to ensure skills and knowledge transfer and interest are entrenched in local government departments. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Community engagement and policy making matrix: insights from Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Extant literature has addressed some components of community engagement with little or no connection with the dynamics of policymaking. Hence, the current paper explains the matrix of policy-making using the practice of community engagement with insights from Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. It discusses the theories of community engagement in policy formulation at the local level. An empirical nature of community engagement and policy formulation is subject to analysis with particular reference to the Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. Secondary data were sourced from the existing literature. The paper relies on the data suitability of extant studies. It reveals the policy-making matrix within the community engagement sphere. It therefore concludes that the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality should view community engagement in public policy formulation as a tool to increase the legitimacy, transparency, accountability, support, and responsiveness of a particular policy.

An exploratory study on the challenges faced by South African municipalities in implementing the Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts: a case of the city of Tshwane

This study explored the challenges faced by municipalities in South Africa in the implementation of the Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts (mSCOA). The study adopted a qualitative approach, following an interpretive ontology, and a purposive sampling technique was used. The City of Tshwane in Gauteng Province was used as a unit of analysis; primary data was collected using virtual interviews as well as open-ended questionnaires, and secondary data was obtained in various documents on mSCOA implementation. The study revealed that there is a low mSCOA implementation level in the City of Tshwane. Furthermore, the study found that numerous challenges influenced the low implementation level. These challenges include resistance to change, a lack of adequate training on mSCOA implementation, a lack of personnel, a lack of pre-consultations, and poor system vendor skills transfer. The study recommends involving implementers in the concept and inception phases of any new reform.

Locational patterns of warehousing facilities in the City of Cape Town municipality

The proliferation of globalisation and e-commerce has led to an increasing number of warehousing facilities in cities and regions, which may contribute to the negative externalities of air pollution, noise pollution, and traffic congestion. Despite the close relationship between logistics and different sectors of the economy, there is a paucity of literature on the connection between warehousing and different land-use categories. Focusing on the City of Cape Town municipality in South Africa, the article aims to analyse the locational patterns of warehousing facilities relative to the transport infrastructure and the industrial, retail, and office land use. The study was based on a descriptive quantitative design wherein kernel density was employed in ArcGIS to analyse the locational patterns of warehousing facilities across the municipality. Data on the floor area of the industrial, retail, and office land use were classified into several ranges to ascertain the intensity of the land use relative to the concentration of the warehousing facilities. It was discovered that warehousing facilities cluster in the highly accessible areas within the municipality, namely the port’s environs, in the vicinity of the main junctions, and adjacent to arterial roads, which provide connections to the national roads. The areas with the highest concentration of warehousing facilities also accommodated the most significant percentage of industrial and retail land use. It is recommended that the existing warehousing clusters be prioritised in future warehousing development or consolidation, and that the future increase of the industrial and retail land use within the City of Cape Town municipality include a commensurate increase of space for warehousing facilities or vice versa.

The Inability of Municipalities in South Africa to Fulfil Their Developmental Agenda: The Case of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality

The Inability of Municipalities in South Africa to Fulfil Their Developmental Agenda: The Case of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality

Measures that may assist non-performing municipalities in improving their performance

Background: Municipalities’ non-performance in terms of service delivery is often considered to be a significant concern that affects the community. Municipalities constitute the most important sphere of government as they operate at grassroot level and are mandated to provide essential services to communities. A lack of governance, poor financial management reporting, poor supply chain and asset management processes are some impediments that affect the service delivery.Aim: This study aimed to identify performance enhancing measures that non-performing municipalities in South Africa could apply.Setting: The article focused on all 44 district municipalities and identified the best performing ones from the period 2017 to 2020 financial years before examining measures that assisted well-performing municipalities.Method: A sequential exploratory research design was used in the study. The municipal performance measures were identified from the literature, confirmed, and validated through the content analysis of performing municipalities’ annual reports. The performance of these municipalities was based on the audit outcomes from the Auditor General South Africa (AGSA).Results: Forty-two measures were recommended to enhance non-performing municipalities’ performance.Conclusion: The overall view of all district municipalities and the identification of measures to focus on may assist municipalities in reflecting and implementing the suggested measures.Contribution: Most of the available literature focuses on metropolitan municipalities and tends to focus on corporate governance. This study examined change drivers in district municipalities and focuses on governance, financial management, supply chain management, and asset management. Areas for improvement were flagged and improvement measurements were put in place to enhance performance.

The effectiveness of Section 139 interventions in strengthening municipal accountability in South Africa

Background: Section 139 interventions invoked against failing municipalities in South Africa are becoming prevalent and causing considerable apprehension among stakeholders in local government. Though previous studies have highlighted that Section 139 interventions have generally failed to address governance challenges in municipalities, their effectiveness in strengthening municipal financial accountability has not been examined.Aim: This article investigates the effectiveness of Section 139 interventions in strengthening municipal financial accountability architecture.Methods: This article utilised qualitative document analysis to assess the effectiveness of a Section 139 intervention in strengthening municipal financial accountability. Furthermore, the study utilised audit outcomes as qualitative proxy indicators to assess the effectiveness of Section 139 interventions to strengthen municipal financial accountability. The study focussed on municipalities from Limpopo, North West, and the Free State that have been placed under Section 139 intervention.Results: The findings from the analysis of data showed that a year after interventions, municipalities from Limpopo achieved a notable improvement in their audit outcomes, while municipalities from North West and the Free State did not improve. Though there was a notable improvement from municipalities in Limpopo, the improvement did not result in clean audit outcomes.Conclusion: The poor audit outcomes are indicators that Section 139 interventions are ineffective in strengthening municipal financial accountability.Contribution: This article contributes towards the debates and potential measures to strengthen Section 139 interventions to address the accountability challenges in South African municipalities.

Taking a back seat: the politicization of municipal environmental governance in South Africa

ABSTRACT Local government (LG) in South Africa (SA) is mandated to provide adequate service delivery and to ensure environmental protection within municipal boundaries. Local Environmental Governance (EG) is influenced by the actions of municipal councils and political leadership, resulting in politicized local EG. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has been gradually losing political power since 1994, and corruption and unprofessionalism in LG have increased and influenced EG. Limited scholars have attempted to examine the in-depth relationship between political dynamics, environmental issues and local municipalities within the political−administrative interface in SA. To address this, we utilize a Political Ecology Approach (PEA) to assess the influence of political dynamics on local EG in the uMzinyathi district and Endumeni local municipalities in SA. A mixed methods approach was utilised. The findings revealed that political dynamics both enabled and impeded local EG. While mainstreaming and alignment to national policy were evident, EG interventions and environmental resources were often co-opted for political canvassing and incentivization, or the relative prioritization of EG was dependent on political mandates. The research contributed to a detailed understanding of how EG ‘takes a back seat’ to political exigencies within a predominately fragile and under functioning LG sphere in SA.

The Role of Digital Transformation in Enhancing Communication: A Case Study of OR Tambo District Municipality in South Africa

This investigation delves into the digital communication strategies of the OR Tambo District Municipality in South Africa, a region characterised by its rural nature and high poverty levels. The research endeavours to comprehend the character of the municipality's digital communication strategies, evaluate their efficacy, and propose evidence-based recommendations for enhancement. The study is predicated on the necessity for local governments to align their communication strategies with technological advancements, whilst taking into account the socio-economic realities of their constituents. The research employs a comprehensive examination of the current digital communication tools, platforms, and techniques utilised by the municipality, and assesses their effectiveness based on their reach, accessibility, and impact. The study identifies areas of strength and weakness in the current communication strategies and proposes recommendations for enhancing digital communication within the municipality. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive and effective digital communication strategies in local governments, particularly in rural areas. The research contributes to the burgeoning body of literature on digital communication in local governments and provides a roadmap for other rural municipalities seeking to leverage digital technologies to improve their communication strategies. The study concludes that the OR Tambo District Municipality, akin to other rural municipalities, can enhance communication, improve service delivery, and foster greater engagement with residents by effectively leveraging digital technologies.