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Item Open Access The challenges facing developmental local government in South Africa with specific reference to the Capricorn District Municipality in Limpopo Province(2017-06) Hungwe, Nyasha Alex; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.i This study focused on the challenges faced by Developmental Local Government in South Africa with specific reference to the Capricorn District Municipality. Local government in South Africa has undergone significant and far-reaching changes. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 stipulates that local government is no longer expected to render basic services only, but also to serve as an agent of development. Mixed research method was used to obtain a picture on the challenges facing developmental local government. Mixed research method made use of qualitative and quantitative research methodology. Quantitative research methodology in this study was used because it enabled the researcher to test relationships, describe and examine cause and effect relations. Qualitative research methodology was used because it covers issues in great depth and detail and allows for the ability to interact with research subjects. For this study, the researcher used a non-probability sampling and its subtype purposive or judgmental sampling method to select the respondents of the study. The reason for using purposive sampling method was to produce a sample that can logically be assumed as representatives of the population.Two data analysis methods where used, that is thematic analysis and statistical analysis. Data collected through questionnaire will be analyzed using a computer program called Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22.0. The findings of the study are: With regards to the importance of developmental local government the findings revealed that developmental local government was important in that it had ensured effective service delivery. With regards to the challenges facing developmental local government the study findings revealed that there were indeed challenges with regards to developmental local government. These challenges ranged from lack of understanding of the way local government operates, political differences amongst political parties and failure to implement local economic development policies. The study findings revealed that the municipality has no stable financial resources to be able to sustain service delivery without national government support. It was further revealed that the municipality has a shortage of relevant critical skills and quality human resources with the required technical and managerial competence to ensure quality service delivery at the local government sphere. The findings on the strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges of developmental local government revealed that communities need to be educated on the meaning and importance of developmental local government. v The recommendations of the study are: The researcher recommends that for the communities to be fully aware of the new mandate of developmental local government there is need for Capricorn District municipality to embark on community awareness program to inform people on the importance of developmental local government. Alternative service delivery methods should be pursued by the Capricorn District Municipality to reduce pressure on the available resources. Services should not be provided through traditional methods only. It is recommended that the municipality need to improve on local participatory governance. Capricorn District Municipality must secure greater participation by residents in matters of governance. Participation will assist in communities to have an understanding of the way local government operates. The researcher also recommends that municipal capacity building should be prioritized by the municipality. As a way of mitigating the challenges of critical skills shortages the researcher recommended that relevant municipal officials should attend service excellence training courses. The researcher recommends that education on the meaning of developmental local government can enhance the performance of Capricorn district municipalityItem Open Access Community participation as tool for promoting accountability in local government with specific reference to Makhado Local Municipality, Limpopo Province(2020) Mawela, Ndivhaisafhi; Nkuna, N. W.; Mahole, E.The research investigated community participation as a tool to promote accountability, using Makhado Local Municipality as a prime focus/case study. Makhado Local Municipality has seen a rise in public protest resulting from dissatisfaction with service delivery and lack of accountability by public officials. The dissertation was normative in nature because it employed the theoretical disposition of community participation and accountability on Makhado Local Municipality. A mixed method approach was adopted for the research, which enabled the combination of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis approaches to gain deeper insight of the topic under investigation. A general background review of available literature was presented to contextualise the problem statement understudy. An interpretive research was adopted to assess how community members navigate to create their social world though participatory mechanisms made available by the municipality. Research data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted using standard interview guidelines. Collected data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively through in-depth review of responses extracted from the sampled population with the aid of a questionnaire. Statistical methods of data interpretation were incorporated to enhance data analysis. The findings of the study was that accountability is promoted through community participation, policy of the municipality are aligned to legislative framework and that municipal officials lack professionalism and accountability. It was recommended for the municipality to create systems that will enforce and promote professional conduct by public officials. Furthermore, it was recommended for the municipality to create mechanisms to ensure the involvement of community members as to promote accountability. The study drew its conclusions and recommendations from the views provided by the community participants and public officials on how to best use community participation as a tool for promoting accountability. Identity confidentiality of participants was respected and guaranteed throughout the course of the study. The research problem investigated was the lack of accountability by public officials in Makhado Local Municipality.Item Open Access Critical analysis of job strategies in the Makhado Local Municipality(2019-09-20) Mbedzi, Langanani; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.; Nkuna, N. W.This study focused on critical analysis of job creation strategies in the Makhado Local Municipality (MLM). Even though there are policies and strategies adopted by Local Economic Development (LED) in order to speed up the process of job creation, there are still many unemployed people with no potential job prospects in the area. There are quite a number of factors working against job creation which range from geographic and demographic dispositions, availability of industries within the area, and limited infrastructure that can help to fast track job creation. The researcher used descriptive research design for this study. The researcher followed a mixed methods approach in which quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. The reason for using a mixed methods approach was to integrate both qualitative and quantitative research methods to enable them to complement each other, thereby adding value to the findings. The researcher used non-probability sampling and its sub-type purposive sampling to select the respondents for this study. Purposive sampling method provides a wide range of non-probability sampling techniques for the researcher to draw on. Data collection instruments which were used were interview questions and questionnaires. Statistical analysis and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. The researcher followed the research ethics before conducting study. The following were the major findings of the study: • The study findings revealed that municipality fails to inform members of the public with regard to job creation strategies in any process of development. • The research study findings revealed that the municipalities should create positions instead of internships without getting employment after completion. • The study findings revealed that public participation encourages community members to be actively involved in the municipality projects and helps to create good relationship between communities and the municipality to improve basic service delivery. The following are the recommendations of the study: • The research study revealed that good working relationship between municipal officials and community members should be encouraged as it is vital in enhancing the provision of service in the communities. • The study recommended that the municipalities should create positions which are permanent. • The researcher recommends that openness between community structures and the municipality should be encouraged in order to bring development in the municipality.Item Open Access Factors that contribute to the street children phenomenon in Thohoyandou Town at the Vhembe District in Limpopo province(2017-09-18) Matodzi, A. N.; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.See the attached abstract belowItem Open Access The functioning of funded community based organisations in rural areas: a case study in Collins Chabane Local Municipality(2023-10-05) Tshabalala, Basani Violet; Mahole, E.; Nkuna, N. W.The purpose of this study was to investigate the functioning of funded Community Based Organisations in rural areas: A Case study in Collins Chabane Local Municipality. It has been widely reported that over the past decades, poor, dishonest management of public affairs and corruption (immoral acts) have dominated management of the public-sector divisions. Often, maladministration and corruption in the public sector are widely publicised and exaggerated, largely because it spends on taxpayers’ money. In trying to resolve this dilemma, practitioners in the public sector, particularly public managers adhere to guidelines which channel them on how they should administer and direct the public service. More so, the guidelines must help in placing subordinates on the right track precisely to prevent corruption and eliminate maladministration. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm as a guideline for developing research methodology and took on the research venture in a manner that was most valid and appropriate. Thus, a mixed method research design, in which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used was utilised. Field research study as a research design was used wherein non-probability sampling and its subtype purposive sampling method to select the respondents was applied. Two data collection instruments were used namely; research questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive analysis as a statistical technique and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. The researcher followed all the processes required for ethical considerations when conducting a study, as well as having knowledge and understanding that respondent’s participation in research must be done voluntarily without any harm. The findings of the research study were: The study findings revealed that 69 (49.3%) of the respondents agreed that the management performed different functions in funded Community Based Organisations in rural areas. It was also discovered that at 68 (48.5%) of the respondents agreed that Community Based Organisations are controlled by the members of the board. In addition, most of the respondents at 73 (52.2%) agreed that the members of the board have skills for managing the funded Community Based Organisations. Data further revealed that Community Based Organisations do not belong to people but to the community. The study findings also discovered that members of the board are educated and have knowledge on organisational matters. Finally, the study findings confirmed that the organisation is not run by young people. vi The recommendations of the research study are: The researcher recommended that members of the management should ensure that Community Based Organisations are fully operational because of the functions performed by the management. The members of the board should know their duties of guiding and leading the staff on their duties on daily basis. The management should share the knowledge or skills with the staff members to ensure that they have the same knowledge so that they can assist when the need arise. The authority must be given to all community members to limit the power of the leadership in having full control over people. The members of the board should be educated and have knowledge on organisational matters. The last recommendation is that staff members should also be involved in running the organisation to be familiar with new knowledge related to organisations.Item Open Access Good governance in the provision of municipal services: a case of Vhembe District Municipality(2023-10-05) Mudzusi, Takalani Nancy; Munzhedzi, P. H.; Mahole, E.The study focuses on good governance in the provision of municipal services at the Vhembe District Municipality. The local communities judge their municipalities’ performance through the provision of services and the treatment that they get from its officials. The challenge of governance adversely affects the delivery of municipal services. People always expect good governance and service from their respective municipalities. However, it seems as though the municipalities are failing greatly. It is therefore; important for the municipality to adhere to good governance provisions which ultimately manifests through effective municipal service delivery. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research method which is a mixed method underpinned by the pragmatic paradigm as it advocates for the use of mixed methods. Data was collected through questionnaire and interview. The questionnaires were distributed to IDP officials, LED officials, PMS officials as well as other administrative officials and managers, whiles interviews were conducted telephonically with PR councillors of the Vhembe District Municipality in order to gather information related to adherence of good governance in the provision of municipal services. For data analysis, the study adopted statistical and thematic analysis. Information gathered through questionnaires was analysed using Micro-Soft Excel and thematic analysis is used for information collected through interviews. The following research ethics were considered in this study: permission to conduct the research study, informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity, no harm to respondents and voluntary participation. The study will enhance the knowledge of relevant political office bearers and administrative officials regarding the understanding of good governance in the Vhembe District Municipality. The study found that the status of good governance in the Vhembe District Municipality is not at a desired state and as such; it needs requisite improvements. It is also found that there is a relationship between good governance and provision of municipal services and revealed that sufficient municipal service delivery to the local communities is more likely if the provisions of good governance are correctly implemented. The study found that lack of resources makes it difficult for the municipality to resolve municipal service delivery challenges of the local communities in its jurisdiction. Prolonged waiting time for municipal services to be delivered to local communities is one of the major challenges faced by the municipality. The study found that raising awareness on the importance of good governance, community participation and training officials on how they can implement good governance principles can be used as improvement mechanism. The study recommends for the municipal officials to follow good governance provisions because it positively contributes to the effective and efficient provision of high quality municipal services. It is further recommended that the municipality should set time frames to adequately address prolonged waiting time regarding the delivery of municipal services to the local communities. To address limited understanding of good governance by officials, the study recommends that greater awareness and through training about good governance be instilled with a purpose of enhancing the provision of municipal service delivery. The establishment of monitoring and evaluation mechanism may contribute positively to the provision of municipal services, and as such it is one of the recommended measures.Item Open Access Implementation of Batho Pele principles in Local Government: the case of Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo Province South Africa(2022-07-15) Mboweni, Phanuel Cyril; Nkuna, N. W.; Mahole, E.This research investigates the implementation of Batho Pele principles in local government, the case of Mopani District Municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Batho Pele principles provide a framework about how government establishments are supposed to implement an efficient and effective public service to enhance the development of local government. Adherence in the implementation of these principles will guarantee the provision of excellent free basic services that meet, amongst others, the people’s needs, expectations and enhance customer satisfaction, while upholding the government’s promise that access to decent public services is no longer a privilege to be enjoyed by a few, but the rightful expectation of all citizens. A critical evaluative theoretical framework was adopted to establish the extent of implementation of Batho Pele principles within the South African local government landscape using Mopani District Municipality as a case study. The 1994 South African democratic dispensation has posed challenges and opportunities to all spheres of government. The democratic transition has signaled the government's commitment in dealing with societal challenges, ranging from physical infrastructure development to value-laden developmental aspects. The study utilized a triangulation/mixed-methods research design, although, the approach was more biased towards qualitative than quantitative. Purposive sampling method was used for participant selection and both primary and secondary data was used. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire; the data was analysed using the thematic approach and through the International Business Machinery-Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) software version 25. These findings based on the analysed data from the questionnaire are as follows: most public representatives and officials are either literate or aliterate (unwilling to read further, although able to do so); agreements that are reached between stakeholders on outcomes of demands that are raised during protest marches, picketing and other mechanisms of industrial actions to press for improved service delivery in the municipalities, are not implemented; not all municipalities ensure that regular monthly Ward Committee meetings are convened; several municipalities close municipal offices during protest marches for more than one day. Based on the responses of the questions that were posed during the interviews, the following findings were made: the launch of the Batho Pele have not cascaded down to the local government sphere; municipal officials and public representatives perceive the implementing of the Batho Pele principles to be a provincial and national government imperative; and some Councillors and municipal officials do not play their oversight role on projects that are implemented, in their areas of jurisdiction. The ensuing paragraphs detail the recommendations established in line with the problem statement and the objectives of the study that were discussed in chapter one. The recommendations are as follows: public representatives and officials should be encouraged to be lifelong learners, hence, should be encouraged to further their studies in areas relevant to their current duties; municipalities should honour all agreements and proposals that are reached between stakeholders and them, on demands that are raised during protest marches, picketing and other mechanisms of industrial actions; this, it is anticipated will enhance service delivery; municipalities which are not ensuring that regular monthly Ward Committee meetings are convened should do so; those municipalities that close municipal offices due to protest marches for more than one day, should work with state agencies that will assist them in activating early-warning strategies to curb, in advance, such protests from happening. Based on the responses of the questions that were posed during the interview, the following recommendations were pronounced that: all spheres of government should consider cascading, on a regular basis, the implementation of the Batho Pele principles. Such was reiterated by the Minister of Public Service and Administration during the Launch Public Service Month held at The Ranch Hotel in Limpopo Province on 28 August 2019; vii municipal officials and public representatives should formally be reminded that Batho Pele principles should be implemented at local, provincial, and national government levels; and councillors and municipal officials should activiely play their oversight role on projects that are implemented in their area of jurisdiction. The study proposed that since Batho Pele principles model was introduced in 1997, its inception and implementation was not fully devolved at the local government sphere of government. Therefore, this study engineers that the Batho Pele principles should be fully re-cascaded in all spheres of government.Item Open Access Implication of community protests on infrastructure development in local government : A case study of Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality, Limpopo Province(2021-06-23) Modiba, Kongkong Maria; Nkuna, N. W.; Mahole, E.The prevalence of community protest is one of the burning issues in South Africa. Communities protest for various reasons but most commonly they are for service delivery concerns with the hope of attracting the attention of government officials and politicians. The study is about the implication of community protest on infrastructure development in local government. Communities decide to protest violently as a way of making their grievances heard by the municipality. There is a chines Idiom that says “when you open the window for fresh air to come in, flies enters too”. In the process of protest, criminal activities take place; for instance, shops owned by foreign nationals are looted by protestors; school kids are deprived of their constitutional right to education and state infrastructure such as schools, clinics, hospitals and other government facilities are burned or damaged. Not all violent protests, however, are about poor service delivery by the municipalities but also shortfalls, holistically, from government. The study applied a mixed method approach in order to get in-depth information from the respondents. Data was collected through observations, interviews and questionnaires. Sixty respondents answered the questionnaires and ten participants answered the interview questions. The interviews were conducted face-to- face, while the questionnaires were distributed to the municipal officials on door-to-door bases. Questionnaires were collected once the respondents had completed them. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY ARE: that most respondents at 37 (62%) Strongly Agreed that vandalism and burning state property is a criminal offence. that 34 (57%) of participants Strongly Agreed that burning and vandalism of infrastructure slow down development. that the majority of participants A,B,C,E,F,G,H,I and J are of the same view that community protests have a negative impact on infrastructure development because protestors tend to burn, loot and vandalise state properties. that strategies that can be used to address the issue of looting or vandalising state infrastructure during protest, include, government not waiting for the public to protest in order to provide services but that officials should regularly ascertain areas of service needs and attend to them. RECOMMENDATION FROM THE STUDY: The study indicates that vandalism, looting and the burning of state property is a criminal offence. Those protestors who are caught in the act of burning and vandalizing state property, must be arrested and denied bail because destroying or damaging state property is a criminal offence and such acts cannot be tolerated; vandalism and burning of infrastructure slow down development. From the findings the researcher suggests that protestors must stop burning, looting and vandalizing infrastructure, rather they must go to the institution or department concerned and picket outside until they get the answers or services they are looking for; destroying infrastructure is not a solution, rather it hinders the very development that the communities are urgently seeking for. It should be emphasized to the communities that when a community becomes developed, employment opportunities increase, services are easily accessible, the economy grows and the wellbeing of the community gets uplifted. The statistics revealed that lack of infrastructure has a negative impact on development and the economy of the country. Infrastructure contributes a great deal to development, job creation and Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the country, therefore, it is crucial that it gets much funds from treasury. Infrastructure and service delivery projects must be monitored from the scratch by competent experts to avoid mismanagement of state resources and substandard work. Infrastructure enables service delivery to be effective and efficient, hence, has the ability to impact positively on community development. In addition, it is recommended that, municipal officials, politicians and government department must perform their tasks and stop making promises which cannot be met. The researcher urges the municipality to meet the needs of the communities and if there are some difficulties, they must be updated to prevent violent protests.Item Open Access Implications of youth unemployment on socio-economic development in South Africa : A case of Mankweng Township in Limpopo Province(2021-06-23) Magoro, Baven Katlego; Nkuna, N. W.; Mahole, E.Unemployment in South Africa has been a socio-economic issue since the era of apartheid. Race played a central role in economic and political matters and most Blacks could not access employment opportunities, as compared to their White counterparts. The study argues that, unemployment levels among the majority of the black population has a very significant impact on the country's economy as it hinders economic growth. The study, hence, seeks to understand the implications of youth unemployment on socio-economic development taking place in the Mankweng Township, in the Limpopo Province. The central argument is that, as long as the youth are marginalised from participating in economic affairs of their communities and the nation at large, the effects on the society, will be negative. The research adopted qualitative research methods to investigate the implications of unemployment among young people in Mankweng Township. Data gathered through questionnaires and interviews, was thematically analysed. The research report provided an understanding of the causes and impact of unemployment among young people in Mankweng Township in Limpopo Province; in the process, the unemployed youth were given an opportunity to suggest what can be done to improve their current situation, thereby, voicing out relevant localized solutions. The results revealed that unemployment has a negative impact on the society as it contributes to high rates of poverty, crime and prostitution, which in turn fostered emotional and psychological conditions, ultimately, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. The conclusion of this research report is that, there is a need for the government and business entities to review their employment policies and provide young people graduating from different institutions with entry level jobs that do not require work experience.Item Open Access Local economic development as a strategy to enhance community development projects: A case of Thulamela Local Municipality(2019) Ngobeni, Tlangelani; Nekhavhambe, M.N.; Mahole, E.The purpose of this study was to examine local economic development (LED) as a strategy to enhance community development projects in the Thulamela Local Municipality as well as the effects of effective LED. The LED was introduced in the municipalities to create jobs and alleviate poverty. The LED strategy uses local resources with local communities, public institutions, and the private sector to create employment and eradicate poverty. This is due to the lack of job opportunities and high levels of unemployment in rural areas. Therefore, this study addressed that with the realisation of the importance of local economic development as a strategy in local government, rural areas in TLM can be developed through community development projects. The study used the pragmatic approach paradigm and the mixed-method approach, in which both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect and analyse the data. This was done to take both the advantage of quantitative and qualitative methods, whereby, when the other method could not provide valuable information, the other was used. In-depth information from the respondents was extracted, whereby participants expressed their feelings, and opinions during data collection. The research design used was the convergent parallel design, which allowed the collection of data in both methods to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena. The study area was the Thulamela Local Municipality. The study used the purposive sampling procedure to select the respondents to obtain more knowledge from skilled respondents. Two instruments of data collection were used, namely: structured questionnaire and open-ended interview schedule. Data was analysed through inferential statistics and the narrative method. Respondents were informed and made aware of the challenges of taking part and that they can withdraw from the study at any time. The findings of the research study were: The major findings of the study are that 55 (55%) of the respondents agreed that LED is a strategy that enhances community development projects. The study revealed that 45 (45%) of the respondents strongly agreed that skills and administrative capacity is vital as a way to strengthen LED strategy. The majority of respondents at 48% agreed that Location Theory is vital in promoting local economic development. The study found that community participation and funding are major problem as a key to LED projects. The study also revealed that there is a shortage of land as most land is owned by traditional leaders, and land ownership is through Permission to Occupy (PTO) arrangements. The study further affirmed that the policies of LED in the Municipality are outdated. Recommendations of the study are: The findings suggested that TLM should create a conducive environment for LED projects to exist in order to create jobs and alleviate poverty. fund existing and new community projects for them to flourish. It was indicated that the Municipality should train project coordinators regularly as well as to employ officials that have the capacity and administrative skills to implement LED projects. It is recommended that the Municipality should view LED in a locality-based approach to stimulate local economy whereby, local resources are used and skills to benefit citizens to ensure. It is recommended that the Municipality should influence effective participation as well as fund existing and new LED projects. The study recommends that the Municipality must work with traditional leaders as the custodian of the land. The study further recommends that the LED policies must be updated to meet the current socio-economic needs.Item Open Access Public participation as a strategy to promote good governance in local government: the case of Blouberg Local Municipality(2020-06-18) Maela, Khutso Delphus; Mahole, E.; Nekhavhambe, M. M.The study focused on public participation as a strategy to promote good governance in Local Government. The focus area was Blouberg Local Municipality. Public participation is a process by which an organization consults with affected individuals, organizations, and government entities before taking a decision. Public participation is considered as a two-way communication and cooperative problem-solving process whose goal is to achieve better and more acceptable decisions. Public participation simply entails that the publics must be able to cooperate with government on decisions that affect them. The municipalities must also be able to interact and consult with the public on the use of land and municipal development at the local level, defined as a process involving the training of civil servants, administrative and fiscal decentralization, dialogue between governments and civil society and staff incentives. Good governance begins with the political will to govern well. However, Good governance is a tremendously indefinable objective. This is because good governance means different things to different organizations and to different actors within these organizations. The study used the mixed method research approach to understand the scope and nature under which public participation is practiced, to achieve good governance. For the purpose of this study, the researcher used both qualitative and quantitative research approach as well as pragmatic approach to support the research. In addition, the researcher used descriptive and contextual research design. The data collection methods used are questionnaires and interviews. The sampling group of the study consists of municipal officials, councillors and selected community members. The research used non-probability sampling and purposive to select the sample members. The data was analysed using thematic and statistical analyses. The researcher strictly adhered to ethical conduct. The major findings of the study are the following: The study found that the 36 respondents, who constitute 36%, pointed out that community members are not informed about the activities of the municipality. The study found that the majority, 36 (36%) of respondents strongly disagreed with the statement that the municipality has adequate financial and human resources to enable public participation. Fifty-five (55) respondents, which constitute 55% strongly disagreed that the municipal officials have a good relationship with the residents and councillors of the Blouberg local Municipality. Public participation helps in the provision of adequate and relevant services to the publics. The findings revealed that corruption hinders public participation. Finally, the study revealed that public participation can be enhanced through imbizos and utilization of radio stations to inform members of the public about public participation. iv The recommendations of the study are the following: The study recommends that there is a need to inform the public about the activities of the municipality. The researcher recommends that there must be adequate financial and human resources to enable public participation. The study recommends that there must be a good relationship between municipal officials, residents and the councillors of the Blouberg local Municipality. The study recommends public participation is in the provision of the adequate and relevant services to the publics. The study recommends that there is a need for ethical practises within the municipality to promote public participation. The study recommends that public participation be ensured through imbizos, utilization of radio stations to inform public about their participationItem Open Access Public value perspectives of Integrated Development Planning in Thulamela Local Municipality(2023-05-19) Mudau, Ndivhudza; Ochara, N. M.; Mahole, E.Integrated development planning has changed the way in which community and local government interact about service delivery. This study was based on the public value perspective of Integrated Development Planning (IDP). The IDP commits that municipalities must work with communities in ensuring that together sustainable ways to improve the value of lives of all citizens can be reached. The South African government has adopted development approach for local government to eradicate the legacy of apartheid. The local government has developed and formulated policies to promote and strengthen development planning in municipalities. The Municipal System Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), Section 118 mandated that municipality should provide principles and mechanism that will enable municipality to move progressively towards social and economic upliftment of local communities. However, several studies have indicated that there is lack of community participation in the process of IDP. The nature of IDP should be understood on the perspective of public value creation. This study adopted positivist method. The study adopted a descriptive research design. A probability sampling was used in the study and the cluster sampling approach was adopted to select the sample of which the sample size was selected from employees of Thulamela Local Municipality and community representatives. Structured questionnaire was used to gather information. A descriptive statistic was used to analyze data. The researcher followed research ethics before conducting the study. The study found that there is too much control from the three levels of government which frustrates the process of democracy. The study showed that most public participations are not inclusive and are not involved on deliberation and creating new understandings but rather are oriented to consulting with the public to gather input or just allowing people to express different perspectives. The researcher revealed that the roles of the other sphere of government are not clear in the local developments. The study findings showed that local authorities are not equipped to undertake the developmental role envisaged in the IDP. The findings showed that traditional role of local government is non consultative and paternalistic. The study found that local authorities lack the capability to coordinate multiple stakeholders in development initiatives. The findings of the study revealed that operating as equal partners with national and provincial government agencies at the local level makes it difficult to operate. The study recommended that there should not be too much control from the three levels of government to strengthen the process of democracy. The recommendations of the study noted that public participation should be inclusive and involved in deliberation and creating new understandings and oriented to consulting with the public to gather input for people to express different perspectives. The researcher recommends that the roles of the other sphere of government should be clear in the local developments. The Recommendations of the study showed that local authorities should be equipped to undertake the developmental role envisaged in the IDP. The recommendations of the study showed that traditional role of local government should be non-consultative and paternalistic. The study recommends that local authorities should have the capability to coordinate multiple stakeholders in development initiatives. According to the findings, the study recommends that operating as equal partners with national and provincial government agencies at the local level should not be difficult to operate. According to the study, the IDP process of Municipalities should be clear and there should be opportunity for all to participate and contribute to the IDP process. The study recommended that Municipality should regularly use participatory focus groups during the IDP process.Item Open Access The role of community participation in the delivery of basic services: The case of the Thulamela Local Municipality(2021-11-19) Maemu, Emmanuel; Nekhavhambe, M. M.; Mahole, E.The study sought to investigate the role of community participation in the delivery of basic services at the Thulamela Local Municipality Limpopo Province. Community participation is a concept meant to ensure that community members are an integral part of processes that determine their destiny in relation to their development needs. Community participation is a means of empowering people, by developing their skills and abilities, to enable them to negotiate and make appropriate decisions for their development. Basic services are the most important services that enable the public to live an acceptable and enjoyable life. Community members play an active role in the delivery of basic services by providing inputs related to the matters of the delivery of basic services. A healthy relationship between the communities and the municipality is an important element in the delivery of basic services to communities. This is evident in the role that communities play in the delivery of basic services, such as volunteering at agencies that are responsible for the delivery of basic services on behalf of the government and providing relevant inputs related to the delivery of basic services. In this study the researcher used a mixed research methodology in which both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. The reason for using the mixed method is that it can be combined in such a way that quantitative and qualitative methods retain their original structures and procedures. To achieve the objective of the study, non-probability sampling and its sub-type, purposive sampling method were used by the researcher to select the samples. For data collection, the researcher used two data collection methods namely, questionnaire and interview. The data collected through the questionnaire were analysed using statistical analysis through the computer software called: International Business Machinery (IBM): Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 25.0 and the information was presented using graphical tabular form, frequencies, and percentages. The data collected through interview were analysed through thematic analysis and presented in narrative form. The major findings of the study are: Involving communities in basic service delivery and empowering them has the potential to boost their livelihood and foster development. The Municipality has an annual financial budget to deliver basic services. Voluntarism by community members is allowed by the Municipality to enhance the delivery of basic services. The absence of infrastructure such as roads and proper bridges hinder the relationship between the Municipality and the communities. There is apathy in some communities due to poor basic service delivery as communities no longer interested to attend IDP meetings and in this regard, the Municipality should have tangible project to motivate community members to attend IDP meetings related to the delivery of basic services. The following recommendations are therefore made based on the findings of the study The study recommends that the Municipality should involve community in basic service delivery and empower them to have potential to boost their livelihood and foster development. The Municipality should have an annual plan related to the delivery of basic services to the communities. It is recommended that Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) should be allowed to participate in enhancing the delivery of basic services. Community members should be involved in the municipal decision making on the delivery of basic services. The researcher recommends that the Municipality should fully interact with the community for effective service delivery.Item Open Access The role of performance, monitoring and evaluation within municipal service delivery: A case study of Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo Province(2021-11-19) Sethu, Mahlodi Joyce; Mafunisa, M. T.; Mahole, E.This research study is about the role of performance, monitoring and evaluation on municipal service delivery in the Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo Province. The performance, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) is used by the Department of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to track service delivery progress by local government. The notion of PM&E was introduced by Cabinet in 2011. The introduction of government-wide monitoring and evaluation (GWM&E) as a policy framework has contributed towards the improvement of PM&E on municipal service delivery. The study used mixed research methods, where qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. A pragmatic research paradigm was used as a philosophical partner for the mixed research methods. The study employed a narrative exploratory research design and a descriptive research design. Purposive sampling method was used as a sub-type of non-probability to select the participants of the study and interviews and questionnaires were utilised to collect data. Data collected through the questionnaires was analysed through International Business Machinery (IBM): Statistical product and service solutions (SPSS) latest version; the results were presented in the form of tables, with frequencies and percentage, followed by a synthesis of information. The researcher also applied a thematic-narrative data analysis approach, which focuses on a variety of procedures for interpreting research data. Outlined also were the research ethical guidelines that informed this study. The key finding of the research study was that the PM&E systems have failed to serve their purposes, chiefly due to lack of implementation of policies and corruption among officials. The study also revealed that majority of respondents, 43 (38%), disagree that senior managers understand the role of PM&E on municipal service delivery, thus, this did not influence their decision-making processes on municipal service delivery. The research study therefore recommends that a more systematic monitoring and evaluation of policy interventions be undertaken. Management tools must be employed as interventions to influence decision-making processes to eliminate resistance to change. Communication and intervention strategies should be promoted to educate and empower role-players in the execution of PM&E programmes/projects.Item Open Access The role of public participation in the improvement of basic service delivery in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province(2023-10-05) Matloga, Sanah Tebogo; Mahole, E.; Nekhavhambe, M. M.The focus of this study is to investigate the role of public participation in the improvement of basic service delivery in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province (LP). The study concentrates on matters of public participation and basic service delivery to discover how public participation in municipalities influences the improvement of basic service delivery. The study was conducted in Vhembe District Municipality. The mixed method approach that includes quantitative and qualitative research was used. The reason for using a mixed research method is that it can be integrated; such that quantitative and qualitative methods retain their original structures and procedures. Quantitative method is used because it enables the researcher to get results from many respondents through questionnaires, while the qualitative method allows flexibility, and therefore, the researcher becomes more innovative and has closer interaction with the respondents by way of observation and personal interview. A field study was used as the research design. A non-probability sampling technique was applied to purposively select respondents of the study who have an idea about public participation and the delivery of basic services in municipalities. Non-probability sampling was chosen because the units to be observed are selected on the basis of the researcher’s judgment on which one is most useful or representative. Quantitative data collected were analyzed using International Business Machinery: Statistical Product and Service Solution (IBM: SPSS) latest version, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis in a narrative format. In the process of data collection, all forms of ethical considerations were followed to ensure that all respondents participated freely without force or intimidation. The major findings of the study are: • Members of the public are reluctant to attend meetings dealing with service delivery in the Vhembe District Municipality; • Traditional leaders work hand in hand with the municipality to improve basic service delivery; • Lack of public participation resulted in poor basic service delivery; • Limited staff and appointment of unqualified personnel in strategic positions in the municipalities create challenges to public participation and the improvement of basic service delivery within the Municipality; • Public participation can manage conflicts, increase accountability, promote democracy, and help the municipality in providing information and feedback to the community; and • The implementation of Batho-Pele principles can be used as a strategy to address challenges facing basic service delivery. The recommendations of the study are the following: • Based on the findings, it is recommended that municipalities should encourage members of the public to attend public participation meetings to improve basic service delivery; • Municipalities should continue to work hand in hand with the Traditional leaders to encourage public participation and to improve the delivery of basic services. • Municipalities should continue to encourage public participation as it is revealed through the findings that lack of public participation results in poor service delivery. • Municipalities should appoint qualified staff personnel in strategic positions for proper facilitation of public participation in improving basic service delivery. • Municipalities should implement Batho-Pele principles to the latter as a strategy to address challenges facing basic service delivery through the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP).Item Open Access The role of public participation in the improvement of basic service delivery in Thulamela Local Municipality, Limpopo Province(2016-05) Matloga, Sanah Tebogo; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.See the attached abstract belowItem Open Access Skills development plan as a tool for enhancing performance in local government, with specific reference to Greater Letaba Local Municipality(2020-09) Seopetsa, Thato; Mahole, E.; Nekhavhambe, M. M.This study focuses on Skills Development Plan as a tool for enhancing performance in local government. The focus area is the Greater-Letaba Local Municipality. Lack of skills is one of the factors identified as being responsible for poor performance in many municipalities in South Africa in the Auditor-General of South Africa’s report of 2019. According to this report, evidence of poor performance of most municipalities is largely due to poor service delivery and infrastructure backlogs. The Skills Development Plan is a tool which was developed to enhance performance in service delivery and infrastructure development. Effective service delivery and infrastructure development will improve the quality of life of all South Africans, especially the poor. This study followed the mixed methods, in which both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. The mixed method was used to investigate the Skills Development Plan as a tool for enhancing performance in local government, with specific reference to the Greater-Letaba Local Municipality. Quantitative research methodology was used in this study because it enabled the researcher to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data to be transformed into usable statistics. Qualitative research methodology was used because it covered issues in great depth and detail, and it allowed the researcher to interact with the research subjects. The researcher used the contextual and descriptive design for the study, while the sampling of respondents was done through non-probability sampling, under which the sub-type, purposive or judgmental sampling was used to collect the data. Purposive sampling was chosen because the researcher wanted to use her judgement to select a sample that is most useful to the purposes of the research. Two instruments; namely, questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data. The reason for selecting structured questionnaires and open-ended interview schedule is that the researcher wanted to collect the primary data to obtain relevant information about the study. The researcher used descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for data analysis. Finally, the researcher adhered to the research ethics. The Major findings of the research study are: The study findings discovered that majority of the respondents at ninety (90) constituting 90% responded that skills development plan leads to an improvement in employee performance, which in turn improves services offered to municipal residents. The findings revealed that the majority of the respondents, 88 who constitute 88% indicated that skills development programmes are properly coordinated. It was found that the majority of respondents, 80 who constitute 80% affirm that municipal officials are encouraged to attend skills development programmes. The findings attest that the skills development plan play a role in filling the skills gap, training and developing the municipal officials’ scarce skills according to the plan and also in terms of career development for the municipal officials to perform work better. The study v found that budget constraints, time and poor skills audit are the challenges of implementing the skills development plan at the Greater-Letaba Local Municipality. The recommendations of the research study are as follows: The researcher recommends that the municipality should identify municipal officials who at all categories are struggling to operate and maintain their services standard and infrastructure in a cost-effective and sustainable manner and train them. The researcher recommends that the skills development programmes will be properly coordinated when municipal actors collaborate to achieve skills development goals and consequently ensure that the skills development programmes are linked to the organisational objectives. The researcher recommends that there is a need for mentorship in the municipality as a means of encouraging municipal officials to attend skills development programmes with the intention of supports in improving the welfare of communities. The researcher recommends that training of administrative and political component, technical staff and managers in both “hard” technical skills, as well as “soft” skills development including supervision, leadership, organising, coordination, monitoring and control are further required. The researcher recommends that the municipality should overcome the capacity challenges and manage unsatisfactory performance in several ways such as achieving targets on a regular basis with limited time, money and human resources who are not allowed to work every day to comply with the COVID-19 regulations.Item Embargo The role of leadership traits in successfully navigating politically motivated workplace conflicts by public managers: a case of Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo Province(2024-09-06) Radzilani, Florence; Munzhedzi, P. H.; Mahole, E.The study was intended to evaluate the role of leadership traits in successfully navigating politically motivated workplace conflicts by public managers in the Vhembe District. Workplace conflict has a detrimental impact in any public institutions’ productivity and financial viability. The specific problem is that some public managers lack effective leadership traits to manage politically motivated conflicts. In addition to this, many studies indicate how leaders through their institutions have adeptly mediated workplace conflict. The study was informed by the interpretivism paradigm, and a case study research design was implemented. A qualitative research methodology was used since the study sought to solicit detailed information from the participants. The total population comprised of 60 managers and a purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 20 public managers for participation in the study. The study area was in the Vhembe District, inclusive of its two local municipalities, Collins Chabane Local Municipality and Musina Local Municipality. Thematic data analysis was used as a data analysis tool. The study’s major finding revealed that causes such as power struggles and lack of transparency are the major causes of politically motivated conflict in the workplace. However, the causes have a severe effect on the productivity of institutions. The study recommends that causes of politically motivated conflict in the workplace should be addressed before it can lead to conflict, in that way it will help managers to deal with fewer conflicts. In addressing politically motivated workplace conflict, the municipality should consider stringent measures on people who do not focus on their tasks because it slows down the progress on the institution.