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Browsing Conference Proceedings by Subject "Accountability"

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    The Impact of Accountability Mechanisms in Enhancing Municipal Water Service Delivery: A Case of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province
    (International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA), 2022-09-14) Hlatshwayo, O.; Zwane, E.; Sebola, M. P. (Chief Editor); Molokwane, T. S. (Quest Editor)
    The study is investigated the impact of accountability mechanisms in enhancing municipal water service delivery at Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in Mpumalanga province. The issue of accountability and the supply of water services has been a major concern for more than two decades in the Bushbuckridge local municipality. Despite the fact that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) provided the majority of South Africans optimism for a better life, the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has been receiving orders from community members demanding adequate water delivery. The continual demonstrations protest by the community members shows that the municipality is failing to meet the demands of the communities. To this end, the study uses qualitative method to collect data for better understanding for the historical and current concerns about water scarcity in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. Data collection was gathered from internal stakeholders that are municipal officials and external stakeholders which are BLM community members, ward committee members, ward councilors in ward 18 and 20. The researcher used face-to-face interviews, focus groups and semi structured questionnaires. This investigation could lead to future water-related solutions in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.
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    Is Accountability in the Management of Public Finances a Myth? The Case of the West Rand District Municipality
    (International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA), 2021) Sambo, V.; Sebola, M. P. (Chief Editor); Molokwane, T, (Quest Editor)
    Several South African municipalities, including West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) had deposited funds into VBS Mutual Bank, which they subsequently lost because of the severe illiquidity that the bank experienced. On 11 March 2018, the then Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene placed the VBS mutual Bank under curatorship due the liquidity crisis, as explained above. This liquidity crisis was caused by amongst others what has been reported as grand theft of the bank's funds and fraud by allegedly amongst others, the bank's directors. The VBS theft and fraud case is currently being heard in court, and some of those who are alleged to have benefitted have been charged. Section 7(3)(b) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) 56 of 2003 requires municipalities to only open bank accounts such as investment accounts with banks registered in terms of the Banks Act 94 of 1990. Investments in mutual banks such as VBS are as such prohibited by the MFMA. As described above, the WRDM is one of the 14 municipalities, which were found to have illegally deposited money into VBS, whereby municipal officials and political office bearers are alleged to have personally benefitted for making such deposits. A forensic report by audit firm Deloitte, published in 2019 indicates that the WRDM may have lost as much as R224.5 million after illegally investing in the now-defunct VBS bank. The paper used the qualitative methodology wherein the materials used consisted of documents in the public domain. Through a careful analysis of both primary and secondary sources of information and statutes on local government finance, the researcher provides an in-depth and objective description of the case. The paper considered the necessary prerequisites that need to be in place to ensure accountability in the management of public finances at the WRDM, and come up with a framework that will highlight these prerequisites. The paper highlights three broad prerequisites in this regard, that is, following an accountability ladder, instituting internal controls and implementing a combined assurance model. The presence of these prerequisites could go a long way in ensuring that there is accountability in the management of public finances
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    South African Public Secondary School Administration Machinery: A Case of Three Educational Institutions
    (International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA), 2022-09-14) Modiba, N. S.; Sebola, M. P. (chief Editpr); Molokwane, T. S. (Quest Editor)
    This paper examines how a public secondary school administration machinery could be made more responsive to the attainment of an institution's mandate of quality instructional practice. The paper is both conceptual and empirical in nature within the qualitative research paradigm. Narrative enquiry and interviewing techniques were employed to generate data. Out of the population of 15 public secondary schools in Mopane District in Limpopo Province, South Africa, three were conveniently sampled and in each secondary school, a school principal and a deputy principal became research participants. Research findings revealed that lack of accountable institutional leadership contributes to unaligned administration machinery. Secondly, the absence of ethical institutional leadership contributes to administration machinery being in disarray. Thirdly, the absence of solidified work ethic contributes to unaligned administration machinery. Lastly, lack of consequence management for derelict of duty promotes utilisation of inappropriate administration machinery. The researcher recommends for the repurposing of administration machinery to contribute to its efficacy.
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    Towards Correlating Subnational Legislative Oversight and Service Delivery as Subnational Level: The Case of Gauteng Province
    (International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA), 2021) Ntshabeleng, M.; Wolela, K.; Sebola, M. P. (Chief Editor); Molokwane, T. (Quest Editor)
    Legislatures and parliaments are critical democratic governance avenues for accountability and intervene, at policy level, to address the needs of the electorate. Legislative oversight literature provides a reflection on the effectiveness of legislative oversight and the factors underlying such effectiveness as well as its impact on the political posture. However, there is limited interrogation on the role that effective legislative oversight plays on service delivery. Therefore, this paper seeks to conceptualise an empirical research that interrogates the role of effective legislative oversight on service delivery using the Gauteng Provincial Legislature as a case study. To this end, the paper employs a summative thematic content analysis to interrogate the research problem and expose the knowledge gap on this subject. Specifically, to draw out the symptoms and the underlying causes of ineffective legislative oversight as well as the consequences, we make use of the systems thinking – more specifically the problem tree and the theory of constraints. We then use our research problem analysis as well as our research knowledge gap analysis to suggest an appropriate research problem statement, research purpose statement, and the research questions for such as study. We also propose an appropriate research strategy, design, procedure, and methods, as well as the interpretive frameworks that could appropriately guide and serve the empirical part of such a research.
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    Utilising Monitoring to Manage Teaching and Learning: A Perspective of the Open Distance Learning Universities
    (International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA), 2021) Modiba, N. S.; Sebola, M. P. (Chief Editor); Molokwane, T. (Quest Editor)
    This paper evaluates why monitoring is being under-utilised to manage teaching and learning during the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode by universities. The paper is both conceptual and empirical in nature within the qualitative research paradigm. Interviewing techniques and document review were used to collect data from six lecturers involved in the Open Distance Learning mode by universities. Research findings revealed that monitoring could be a nucleus for the enhancement of tuition by universities. Secondly, monitoring could promote students' accountability towards the completion of their studies on record time. Thirdly, monitoring could facilitate remedial teaching for students-at-risk. Fourthly, monitoring could advise on the accommodative assessment types for diverse students. Fifthly, monitoring could enable the restoration of the culture of quality and excellence by students. Lastly, the absence of well-coordinated monitoring during the ODL period, compromises the sustenance of academic standards by universities. The researcher recommends for the embracing of the decolonisation project to restore the centrality of monitoring during the ODL period. This is about transforming to suite conditions of the new normal.