Enhancing ethical conduct in the codification and education options: A case of Vhembe District Municipality

Abstract

The study examined the importance of the ethical conduct of municipal officials in promoting a code of conduct for municipal officials through education. In strengthening the code of conduct for Local Government Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000, chapter 12, Schedule 1, and Schedule 2 provide the code of conduct for municipal employees; the Code of Conduct for municipal employees is similarly described in Schedule 5 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998. Its objective is to promote an environment rich in ethical and moral standards and behaviour. Unethical behaviour is delinquent conduct that affects organizations locally and globally, with ill implications for the societies they serve. Unethical conduct manifests in various forms, including coercive, destructive, deceptive, intrusive, secretive, manipulative, and exploitative conduct. The Limpopo Province has an eminent, recent history of unethical public service conduct involving large-scale tender-related corruption. Based on this concern, this study aimed to enhance ethical conduct regarding coding and education options in the Vhembe District Municipality. An integrated mixed-method research method was used in this study. The target population is municipal officials, and 30 VDM officials were sampled. Simple random sampling was employed in this study. Data collection was based on a Likert scale, and self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were adopted. The data analysis was based on descriptive and inferential quantitative methods, while the qualitative data was thematically analysed. Digital support from the latest SPSS and Microsoft Excel software was used to manage the statistical data and compute standard deviations, whereas NVIVO was used to build themes. The findings of this study revealed that while the municipality has a code of ethics in place, codification and education are effective options to enhance the ethical conduct of municipal officials. This study concludes by recommending strategies to promote ethical codes in municipal settings