Doctoral Degrees (Public Administration)

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Access to justice : the role of community-based paralegals in community restorative justice in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
(2014) Martins, Busiwana Winnie.; Ruffin, Fayth Anese.
Access to justice in rural KwaZulu-Natal is wholly inadequate, particularly where domestic violence is concerned. Despite the enactment of post-1994 criminal justice statutory frameworks, the majority of women living in rural areas experience barriers to justice. Yet the fight against injustice cannot be left solely to the police, lawyers and courts. Rather, there is a need to involve other stakeholders, such as ordinary people, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and traditional authorities. This research study investigates whether and how community-based paralegals (CBPs) facilitate access to justice. It explores the role of paralegals in community restorative justice through four rural community-based advice offices under the umbrella of the Centre for Community Justice and Development (CCJD), an NGO in Pietermaritzburg. The four community advice offices under study in rural KwaZulu-Natal are Bulwer, Ixopo, Madadeni and New Hanover. The study examines the interrelationship between restorative justice, community-based paralegals and domestic violence with specific reference to the Domestic Violence Act (No. 116 of 1998). Underlying the domestic violence lens adopted to explore the role of CBPs in community restorative justice are philosophical worldviews of pragmatism to determine what works under the circumstances and advocacyparticipation to give voice to the study participants. The study employs a socio-legal, qualitative research design supported by statistical case intake and outcome data. A meta-conceptual framework allowed a multiple-case study strategy that applies several units of analysis and draws upon multiple sources of evidence. The research findings reveal the connection between the engagement of paralegals by rural community members and the role of paralegals in handling domestic violence cases in an environment of legal pluralism. Furthermore, findings show that while paralegals straddle criminal, traditional and informal justice systems to address the legal needs of rural women, contrary to mainstream literature, domestic violence cases can be resolved through community restorative justice. Findings demonstrate that the Domestic Violence Act fails to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence who seek family sustainability. The community restorative justice practices of CBPs directed toward domestic violence fill a justice gap created by contradictions between rule of law orthodoxy and customary law. Based upon the role of CBPs in advancing access to justice through community restorative justice, the study concludes with process theory-building for forum shopping and communication pragmatism and suggests a private-based conceptual model for community-based paralegals addressing domestic violence cases through community restorative justice. Practical implications for law and policy and a way forward for community restorative justice in rural areas are also presented along with visions of future research.
Access to municipal markets by agro-smallholder producers in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality: a public administration perspective.
(2020) Nyawo, Jabulani Christopher.; Mubangizi, Betty Claire.
The government's inability in South Africa to ensure that both local and national markets adequately accommodate smallholder producers is hindering the sector’s ability to grow and develop. Minimal research has focused on how local government interacts with other spheres of government to improve and ensure accessibility to municipal markets for agro-smallholder producers, and limited studies have been conducted that explore the influence of municipal markets on agro-smallholder producers. Therefore, this study aimed to critically examine municipal markets' influence on agro-smallholder growth within a decentralised state. This study employed a qualitative exploratory research methodology using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The researcher utilised a non-probability, purposive sampling method—the sample comprised participants from government departments and agrosmallholder producers falling under the eThekwini Municipality’s jurisdiction. The researcher conducted seven individual face-to-face interviews with government officials and 15 focus group discussions with agro-smallholder producers. The data collected were analysed using the thematic analysis technique. The study results show that the municipal markets and the extension services do not provide substantial support to agro-smallholder producers who are seeking access to markets. Furthermore, the study found that there is no integration or relationship between the eThekwini Municipality and the KZN Agriculture and Rural Development on the issues related to the promotion and development of agro-smallholder producers. Through the application of administrative theory, the study recommends that the government institutions incorporate stakeholders’ insights, lay a policy foundation for a whole-of-government approach to planning, and set the direction for agrosmallholder's planned future. The creation of a coherent planning and coordination system could assist government institutions in ensuring that better outcomes are achieved to deliver support services to agro-smallholder producers. Furthermore, the government institutions will be more effective if they have sufficient human resources who are qualified and able to ensure their departments' effective management and smooth functioning.
An exploration of the drivers of vulnerabilities in informal employment: a case study of the agricultural sector in uPhongolo Local Municipality.
(2023) Ndlangamandla, Wiseman Siboniso.; Mubangizi, Betty Claire.; Okem, Andrew Emmanuel.
This study explores the drivers of vulnerabilities in informal employment using the agricultural sector in uPhongolo Local Municipality as a case study. The study is against the backdrop of inefficient enforcement laws governing the relationships between employers. This study employed a qualitative research methodology with 30 purposively selected participants comprising, twenty farm workers, five municipal workers, and five officials of the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. Data were collected using face-to-face in-depth audio-recorded interviews. The interviews were transcribed, coded thematically, and analysed using the Institutional theory. The study’s findings revealed that informal agricultural labourers have substantial risks and vulnerabilities due to the unpredictability of their working status, the lack of a documented labour contract, and the lack of efficient enforcement of regulations surrounding the terms of their employment. The government's inability to effectively enforce labor regulations in the agricultural sector has resulted in worker vulnerability in this sector. Due to these factors, informal agricultural workers have limited access to good and affordable health care for themselves and their families. Most unprotected agricultural laborers face a variety of difficulties, including significant criminal exposure and a lack of legal and social protection. Lastly, most farm workers are victims of salary deductions without any contractual or verbal agreement, low remuneration including unpaid overtime, and inconsistent working hours. This study recommends that government must review current labour legislation in the agricultural sector, this could be done by creating a single joint interdepartmental collaboration structure. This study also recommended that there is a need for increasing digital communication mechanisms and media coverage on labour issues in the agricultural sector. There is a need for amendment and enforcement of the Labour Relations Act of 1995; and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997 (Sectoral Determination 13: Farmworker Sector). The government has the mandate to ensure that Determination 13 for Agriculture is applied in agricultural farms. This can be done by maximizing the number of professional labour inspectors. Finally, the study recommended a need for the establishment of a workplace forum to represent farm workers’ labour rights.
An analysis of revenue management in water and sanitation in Harry Gwala and Ugu water services authorities.
(2019) Nkabane, Nobuhle Pamela.; Nzimakwe, Thokozani Ian.
Local government municipalities in South Africa are beset by poor revenue collection and management and the Harry Gwala and Ugu WSAs are no exception. In this regard, public finance is a decisive and overriding factor in determining the financial viability of municipalities. Failure to collect revenues properly compromises the quality of service delivery, including the provision of water and sanitation. In general, financial viability of urban and rural municipalities differs respectively. This claim is based on the fact that some municipalities are self-sufficient while others remain dependent on national revenue for survival and the revenue base in most rural municipalities is weak and unsustainable, rendering service delivery ineffective and unsatisfactory. Arguably, the transition to democracy has instilled a culture of non-payment and a culture of entitlement even though households are able to pay for service charges. However, 25 years later the government is still providing free services to such individuals. This study intends to conduct an explorative analysis of revenue management of water and sanitation with specific reference to Harry Gwala and Ugu WSAs. The study explored the communication challenges being experienced by both WSAs in the provision of metered services in water and sanitation service delivery. It assessed the challenges relating to the billing system and to the management of revenue collection for water and sanitation in the Harry Gwala and Ugu WSAs. Furthermore, the study investigated the challenges of compliance management for water and sanitation businesses in Harry Gwala and Ugu WSAs. The research approach uses a qualitative research method. Data collection methods were interviews and questionnaires as the primary data collection strategy. Based on the empirical data collected and analysed, the study further developed and introduced a normative model/new conceptual framework on revenue management for water and sanitation service delivery which the researcher has found as being a gap in the literature. The normative model/conceptual framework will contribute to the body of knowledge and reinforce existing theories, which will assist in determining the financial standpoint of rural and urban water services authorities. The study has recommended how best the WSAs can improve water and sanitation revenue inflows to ensure availability and sustainability of revenue sources in order to operate, maintain and refurbish the existing infrastructure to ensure that the future generation is not deprived an access to this precious ecological resource.
An analysis of systemic thinking in decision-making processes in the municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2015) Ntuli, Mbuyiseni Goodlife.; Lekhanya, Lawrence Mpele.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the understanding, application and effectiveness of systemic thinking in decision-making processes in the municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This study was based on the premised that the success or failure of the municipality is, among other factors, the product of the decision-making processes of its leadership-politicians, administrators and relations between them. These relations derive not only from conflict or cooperation, but also from the power and influence each side wields over strategic decision-making processes. A mixed method approach was used to collect data from 61 municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal to test a plethora of theoretical paradigms of different erudite scholars on the discourse of systemic thinking in decision-making processes. A sample size of 183 senior managers from the population of 305 senior managers was chosen through the stratified random sampling techniques. The participants were Chief Financial Officers, Director Corporate Services and Municipal Managers. A response rate of 83% was attained. The key results indicated that the majority of respondents (88.1%) do not believe that the conventional ways of thinking are still relevant in resolving management challenges in municipalities, and the majority of the respondents (89.4%) believe that systemic thinking would be a better approach in managing the municipalities. This study contributes to the existing theory of systemic thinking in decision-making processes in the municipalities within South Africa, as a whole. The conclusions made out of this study, is that, there is a need for a development of a user-friendly manual on systemic thinking that will empower senior managers in municipalities with relevant systemic thinking skills and expertise, and this study further recommended that institutions of higher learning must incorporate systemic thinking in their management or leadership curriculum.
An analysis of the theory and practice of governance in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority.
(2005) Nzimakwe, Thokozani Ian.; Singh, D.
South Africa's negotiated settlement and its transition to a democratically elected government has often been referred to as a small miracle. Despite that, the country faces major governance challenges, ie. it has to embark on a comprehensive governance programme. The main aim of this study is to discuss and review the state of governance in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The concept of governance has a broader relevance than the narrow and traditional term of government. The latter refers conventionally to the actions of a narrow set of government institutions. On the other hand, however, governance encompasses a wider range of issues and actors and the interactions among them. The interest in and importance of governance has followed a longer interest in the concept of civil society. With the advent of democracy, the South African government, together with its nine provincial administrations, has committed itself to maintaining and working with civil society structures. The design and implementation of public sector projects increasingly reflect : a partnership approach between government at all levels, the private sector and civil society. One aspect of governance in South Africa, which this study has also paid some attention to, is what is called good governance. One hallmark of the new Constitution is that a decentralised political system has been created which allows opportunities for wider consultation and participation by civil society, public sector, and the private sector in promoting good governance. This research is motivated by theoretical and practical concerns. It has attempted to cast light on governance issues of KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority by identifying some important and common dynamics of governance processes within this province. Further it has attempted to show how general principles of good governance can guide legislators, public officials, the private sector and civil society as they continue to grapple with governance challenges. The study has revealed that essentially there are four suggested properties of governance: Firstly, it is the degree of trust that exists between classes, clans and political elites about the nature, purpose and the rules of sociopolitical interactions and practices. Without trust, individuals and organised interest groups will see no reason to actively engage in public life. The second element is the extent to which there are effective relations of reciprocity in the public realm. Reciprocity exists if associations and parties are allowed to form, to defend and promote stakeholder interests within the public realm via political competition, pressure, negotiations and conflict resolution. The third element is the degree of accountability, i.e. whether the governors can be held accountable by the governed via institutionalised procedures and processes. This cannot be sustained over time without the eventual implementation of structures of accountability and trust across society. Fourthly, the nature of authority, i.e. how political leaders make policies and implement them in a way that resolves the problems of ordinary citizens and promotes the legitimacy of the public realm - what many in South Africa refer to as the capacity to govern. The conclusion drawn from this study is that if a government wants to promote and practise good governance, it must try to involve all stakeholders, namely civil society, public officials and the business sector, when making decisions concerning the delivery of services. This requires consultation with these stakeholders or their representatives. Leaders in politics, government institutions, private sector and civil society should announce good governance as the only option. Given that governance involves a number of new challenges for everyone, the researcher examined how each segment can contribute to the practice of good governance in the province. The study has identified the quest for good governance as the most formidable challenge, not only facing the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority, but also the country as a whole. All concerned are urged to find ways and means of reversing the trend towards declining governability and institutional decay. In the final analysis the following recommendations were made: • Good governance must result in better delivery of services; • Good governance programmes must change society for the better; • To promote good governance, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority must consistently implement growth-oriented and market-friendly economic policies; • Legislators must ensure that there are mechanisms for enforcing accountability and transparency; and • Government must encourage citizen participation, and governance must be undertaken to improve the general welfare of a society.
An assessment of sustainable human settlement strategy in creating a quality living environment: a case of eThekwini Municipality.
(2019) Mvuyana, Bongekile Yvonne Charlotte.; Nzimakwe, Thokozani Ian.
Various factors complicated the process of urban transformation in South Africa – these included the legacy of apartheid, legislation and settlement planning, private sector investment decisions, political and economic transition, and inter-governmental relationships, government capacity, and financial constraints. The lack of service delivery, more particularly, at local government sphere, is one of the conflicts among policymakers and development planners. Different strategies have been implemented by the South Africa government to address this lack and absence of service delivery in housing provision. The main objective of the study was to identify the interventions that the eThekwini Municipality has engaged in, and whether or not they have contributed to improving quality living environments of poor households. The Housing Act of 1997 defines housing development as the establishment and preservation of houses fit for human habitation, and secure and sustainable public and private residential environments to ensure viable households and communities. These houses should be built in areas enabling suitable access to economic opportunities, health, educational and social amenities. The study examined the processes and procedures for promoting integrated housing strategy in local government in order to create a quality living environment in post-apartheid South Africa. The study is in qualitative in nature and data was collected from members of the Cornubia community and officials from the eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements. The study was able to indicate problems that the municipality has encountered and strategies embarked on to ensure that the right to adequate housing is fulfilled. The study, through its findings has reflected the challenges that the Municipality is facing in the provision of houses, as some of the houses provided do not have facilities as expected, to complete human settlements. Against this background, the study recommends the need for a change in the processes followed by municipalities in housing provision, in order to ensure that the human settlements mandate is achieved. Hence, the new framework proposes that an appropriate legislative and policy framework for planning be developed to support the operation of an efficient, effective and transparent planning system. This framework can afford departments an opportunity to align their vision, mission, strategic plans and operational plans. The framework further provides for the importance of awareness programmes amongst communities and in building capacity in communities. Housing policy reforms are a key in addressing human settlements problems in South Africa and meeting the current backlog.
Community perceptions about climate change in iLembe district municipality.
(2022) Zondi, Nokukhanya Thobeka.; Nzimakwe, Thokozani Ian.
The country has experienced significant climatic shocks over recent years. Water is the primary medium through which the impact of climate change is going to be felt in South Africa. As one of the world’s top CO2 emitters, this reflects a political commitment to ensuring that the country transitions to a low-carbon economy. Successfully navigating this transition will require a nuanced understanding of public opinion and behaviour, in order for policy processes to take account of individual preferences, concerns, and lived realities. This study used political ecology, and the stakeholder engagement theory into understanding and examine the phenomenon of climate change and considered the link between governance. This was highlighted in order to reveal the missing mechanisms of governance that would help public organizations and other stakeholders to take on joint responsibility for the impacts of climate change. The study also focused on the relationship between beliefs about climate change, concerns about climate change as well as personal norms and efficacy beliefs. An investigation into the Ilembe District has been provided and served as a departure point from which to critically examine the governance around water management and climate change attitudes in Noodsburg, Ilembe district municipality. The study employed a qualitative research design. New data on this topic was collected via focus groups which consisted of South Africans 18 years and older living in ward 6 Noodsburg. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with ILembe District municipality officials in the environmental and planning units. The study provides insights into the understanding of Noodsburg community members’ attitudes toward climate change. The findings revealed that the community members in Noodsburg identified a range of expected adverse effects over the coming decades, particularly water shortages and drought, food shortages, and higher temperatures. These findings have relevance to climate change communication in the country, and matter for ongoing policy interventions that are striving to minimise the human development consequences of climate change. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings and recommendations for crafting effective climate change frameworks and policy interventions in South Africa in the coming years.
Complex adaptive leadership approach in the South African local government: a case of uMzimkhulu Local Municipality, South Africa.
(2023) Ngqoyiya, Andile Christopher.; Mutereko, Sybert.; Ndebele, Nduduzo Comfort.
The South African local governments are faced with a growing trend of service delivery protests from a population that requires an array of high-quality services. To overcome the service delivery challenges faced by South African local government there is a need for strong adaptive leadership. The main objective of this study was to recommend an adaptive complex leadership style towards achieving optimal performance in a specific South African Local Municipality with a view to assisting local government to achieve optimal service delivery and reach set goals of the South African Constitution. This study was conducted in the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality. A mixed-method approach was used. Data were collected through interviews and a survey questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed through the use of NVIVO software and quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. A total of 112 respondents completed the questionnaires and 11 participants were interviewed. The findings of this study revealed that effective leadership strategies should be adaptive to complex internal and external environmental factors. Leadership effectiveness is affected by several internal environmental factors. These internal factors include personality clashes among employees, conflicting interests between management, tensions from agent interactions, management unwillingness to embrace innovation, lack of skills among employees, employee lack of passion and a lack of organisational cohesion. External factors affecting leadership included: technology, political influence, public pressure, economic factors and changes in the needs of residents. A model for complex adaptive leadership should include leadership that is enabling, administrative, and adaptive, and must have a combination of different leadership styles. In conclusion the model confirms that leadership is a complex phenomenon as it demands the understanding and appreciation of various factors occurring simultaneously. Leadership decision making requires an understanding such complex internal and external factors. From the study, it is recommended that future studies should focus on understanding the cause of the internal and external complexities affecting leadership in local municipalities.
The confluence of regionalism, state functionalism and public private partnerships in southern Africa: perspectives from Botswana, Malawi and South Africa.
(2017) Nkhalamba, McBride Peter.; Ruffin, Fayth Anese.
This thesis examines the politico-administrative efficacy of regional integration (RI) and statecraft in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with implications for public private partnership (PPP) development. Through comparative case studies of Botswana, Malawi and South Africa, one aim, inter alia is to determine the degree to which SADC RI accounts for any relationship between RI, state fragility or state functionalism and PPPs. The units of analysis are the three countries embedded with individual multi-sector stakeholders. The multi-inter-trans-disciplinary approach employs a sequential transformative multi-method qualitative research design underpinned by philosophical worldviews of interpretivism, pragmatism, critical theory and post-positivism. Primary qualitative data are drawn from interviewees in the three countries across multi-sector organisations while secondary qualitative data stem from literature and policy documents. Secondary quantitative data are drawn from a variety of global indices, including the State Fragility Index, the Country Policy Institutional Assessment, and the Global Competitive Index and analysed for trends across the SADC fifteen-member countries. Qualitative data are analysed through content, textual and discourse analysis whereas quantitative indicators from indices are analysed afresh through SPSS, considering parameters related to the study. The study found that an ideological deficit in perceptions, architecture and measures of politico-administrative dimensions of RI, state fragility or functionalism and PPPs limits SADC’s role in advancing the synergy between these dimensions. Findings challenge the incoherencies derived from the predominance of Eurocentric and trans-Atlantic theory, particularly westernised notions of state fragility that seem to pre-empt emergence of endogenously-driven state functionalism to facilitate RI. Results show how new modes of theoretical perspectives and discourses help to deconstruct, redefine and endogenously establish functional polities that fit the governance context of the current political-economy of the SADC region and its stride toward RI. The thesis submits new conceptual formulations and theoretical propositions on RI and African statecraft, including introduction of the endogenously-driven concept of ‘Afristate functionalism’ that promotes epistemological pluralism.
The crime prevention role of street committees in selected townships in the eThekwini Municipal area.
(2022) Ngcobo, Nhlanhla Floyd.; Ferreira, Ignatius Wilhelm.; Wissink, Henry Frank.
The role of street committees (SCs) in crime prevention in South Africa (SA) is key to combatting crime. Black local authorities (BLAs) commenced in 1982, leading to the formation of several civic structures. BLAs served the black population, but they were never accepted by the black majority for political reasons. They were regarded as apartheid projects. Moreover, BLAs allegedly contributed to the social stratification of society, and individuals who represented them developed a confrontational attitude towards the local community structures that boycotted them. In areas, such as Lingelihle in Cradock, boycotts led to the resignation of councillors from the BLAs. The Cradock Residents Association (CRADORA) was instrumental in the resignation of councillors in this area, owing to the pressure it had applied. It appears that, because of this pressure, CRADORA paved the way for the first formation of SCs in the country, although, before the advent of BLAs, civic organisations had been formed by the Committee of Ten (CoT) in Soweto in 1977. CRADORA was responsible for recruiting numerous township residents for the SCs, although the introduction of these structures in other areas differed from one community to another. SCs were robust structures that the security forces and police of the apartheid government could not control or disband. However, in 1988, SCs were ended by the repressive apartheid government that declared a state of emergency with a view to supressing political protest, rather than dealing with the crime prevalent in the 1980s. However, these structures continued to operate clandestinely. Numerous crime prevention strategies have been used by the government. The crime scourge has ravaged many families, communities, businesses, and other societal sectors. This has necessitated the ANC-led government and a president of the country to call for the resuscitation of SCs to assist in crime prevention. This study focussed on the role of SCs in preventing crime in the townships of Chesterville and Clermont in the eThekwini Municipal Area. The investigation followed a mixed-methods methodology, and a case study design to collect and analyse data. The contribution to knowledge is that municipalities should enact by-laws that recognise street committees
Determinants of public policy implementation in a decentralised state : the case of the language policy in Kwazulu-Natal.
(2015) Mpungose, Bongumenzi Emmanuel.; Mubangizi, Betty Claire.
This research project is based on the challenges that arise when a policy formulated by one level of government has to be implemented by a different (lower) level of government. This research project explored policy implementation in a decentralised state and did so through the lens of the National Language Policy (NLP) and its implementation in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal as its case study. The South African government adopted the NLP in 2003 which, inter alia, recognised eleven official languages of the country. The NLP gave implementation responsibilities to government at national, provincial and local level and identified various structures and mechanisms that were crucial for the effective implementation of the Policy. Despite the existence of the policy framework it is clear that it is fraught with implementation problems and that some languages have not been given the prominence as envisaged by both the Constitution and the NLP. What then is the problem? To answer this question, the study drew on the 5-C protocol on policy implementation. Provincial government departments; district municipalities; universities and select representatives of stakeholder organisations which are recipients of language services in the Province were identified as the study‟s population. Appropriate sampling techniques to select respondents from the identified population were used. Data was collected through mailed questionnaires and interviews augmented by documentary analysis. The qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis based on the conceptual framework developed for the study. Findings of the study suggest, inter-alia, that factors relating to content, context, commitment, communication and client and coalitions were fundamental to successful policy implementation within a decentralised state. Commitment to policy implementation (or the lack thereof), as this research established, does not only refer to the implementers in public service for a lot is dependent on political will to provide that much needed drive. It also depends on stakeholders and coalitions that have an interest in a given policy. The study further noted that, for a re-distributive policy as the NLP is, it is important to have the commitment of the citizenry who are the true beneficiaries of such policies. The study noted the centrality of policy content conceptualisation by officials in the implementing level of government. The ability to comprehend the role of the policy and its relevance to work circumstances, coupled with an intrinsic level of flexibility together with the leeway to adapt the policy to local content, appeared to have a great impact on policy implementation in a decentralised state - as evidenced by vertical and horizontal adaptability. The study drew conclusions from data received. One of the major conclusions was that there was lack of coordination of structures that could be used effectively to promote the use of official languages in an equitable manner. The study also concluded that, although the KwaZulu-Natal government had adopted its own language policy, it had failed to legislatively regulate the use of official languages because of the soft nature of the policies which made them not enforceable. Finally the study made recommendations on how the areas of weakness in the implementation of the policy could be addressed. It also commented on how the areas of success can be maintained and used as bench-mark for effective policy implementation in a decentralised state. Some of the major recommendations made by the study were that the policy content should be clear, unambiguous for vertical and horizontal adaptation, that there should be effective institutionalization of policy implementation, improving the capacity and budget for proper implementation, and that there should be proper monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the language policy.
A distributed knowledge-based support system for strategic management.
(1990) Ram, Vevekanand; Finnie, Gavin R.
Abstract available in pdf file.
Evaluating public sector service delivery at KwaZulu-Natal provincial hospitals : a case study of the Durban Metropolitan and Ilembe region.
(2012) Ndlovu, Simphiwe Emmanuel.; Kader, Abdulla Dawood.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,1996 (Act 108 of 1996) and the Patients’ Rights Charter (Patients’ Rights Charter: Online) guarantee all citizens the right to basic health care services (South Africa, 1996: chapter 3). Furthermore, the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service (South Africa, 1997) states that the delivery of healthcare should be guided by the principles contained in the framework of Batho Pele, a Sotho term meaning “People First”. Hospitals play an important role in delivering healthcare. However, strong allegations have been made about the inability of various provincial hospitals to provide health care in line with the Constitution and the Patients’ Rights Charter. Customer satisfactionis a vital measure of performance for firms, industries and national economies (Anderson et al., 1994).The growing health care literature suggests that patient satisfaction should motivate strategic decisions in the healthcare sector (Andaleeb, 2001). Research has indicated that the services provided by a company or institution can be measured by determining the inconsistency between what the customer wants (expectations) and how the customer experiences the service (perceptions). Little research has been conducted to date in KwaZulu-Natal provincial hospitals to evaluate the progress made in improving service delivery of healthcare; the healthcare system and the administration thereof, which is a major cause of poor service delivery in the provincial hospitals. This research study aims to contribute towards the identification of health care requirements by articulating the expectations of patients. Following a literature review which provided insight into the conceptual and contextual framework of public administration and the role of knowledge management in enhancing public sector service delivery, empirical data were gathered by means of questionnaires administered to patients, nurses and doctors at three hospitals in iLembe region and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal – Addington, King Edward VIII and Stanger Hospitals – that serve urban, rural and semirural communities. The study’s findings revealed that there is indeed, reason for concern with regard to the identified service delivery goals and with regard to improving the health care system in general. The findings show that there is a weak, non-significant, negative linear relationship between the services offered at the three provincial hospitals compared with the expectations of patients who were admitted to these hospitals during the time the research was conducted. There is a need for further research regarding the interface between public sector provincial hospital services and service delivery, and the quality of services offered by hospitals in order to comply with Batho Pele Principles. It is anticipated that the study’s recommendations will assist hospitals in the eThekwini Metro and iLembe region in dealing with the challenges they face with regard to hospital service delivery and the monitoring and evaluating of Batho Pele Principles in the quest for a more efficient and effective delivery mandate.
Evaluation of local government capacity- building interventions by the provincial government in KwaZulu-Natal=Ukuhlola imithelela yokukhulisa amandla okusebenza komasipala nguhulumeni waKwaZulu-Natali.
(2021) Khunoethe, Halima.; Reddy, Purshottama Sivanarain.
Capacity and capacity-building are not simple concepts. Broadly defined, the term ‘capacity’, when it refers to an organisation, means the ability of the leadership to make plans and set goals; acquire, manage, and effectively use resources; resolve problems and manage the achievement of the goals. In terms of this definition, capacity-building is much more than intervening to develop the skills and knowledge of employees to set and achieve goals; it also requires the establishment of a workplace that is conducive to the successful application of these competencies. To ensure that local government organisations operate efficiently and effectively, various capacities, including legal frameworks, policy directives, powers and functions, operational support, and financial, human, and other resources, are available. However, although these capacities are available, they have not produced a functional local government that citizens can rely on for service delivery and socio-economic development in local areas and communities. This study assesses capacity-building interventions in selected municipalities in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) by its provincial government. The study was conducted in seven Municipalities in KZN. Six are local municipalities: Umzumbe, Msunduzi, Inkosi Langalibalele, Emadlangeni, Edumbe, Mtubatuba, and the seventh is a district municipality, Umkhanyakude. All councillors, senior administrators, and skills development officials from these municipalities – who could be reached – were requested to be part of the study. Those who accepted the invitation were interviewed. All the municipalities are in rural areas of the province except for Msunduzi, an urban region in which Pietermaritzburg, the second-largest city in KZN, is situated. They are all challenged in meeting their service delivery mandate and other performance goals and targets. The theoretical framework is the model for capacity developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO’s) International Institute for Capacity-building in Africa (IICBA). It identifies three levels of capacity: environmental, organisational (institutional) and individual levels and pictures them as three levels of capacity in a system. Organisational capacity provides the context within which individual capacity is applied, and environmental capacity provides the context for organisational capacity. Understanding the background against which capacity-building interventions can be evaluated, this study has explored the three levels of capacity available to local government. This study has five aims. They are to determine the following: issues that hamper provincial departments in developing the skills and knowledge of councillors and administration officials; appropriate processes for conducting skills audits; appropriate individual capacity-building programmes for councillors and administration officials; appropriate processes for conducting institutional capacity assessments; and appropriate processes for building institutional capacity. Two data-gathering exercises were conducted to gather data in respect of the objectives. First, semi-structured interview schedules recorded opinions and comments from municipal councillors, senior administrators, and skills development officials. These schedules were then analysed numerically to identify trends and highlight challenges and concerns. Second, a survey of provincial departments engaged in support and capacity-building of municipalities was used to collect opinions and comments about their challenges and achievements in working with municipalities. The number of participants from each municipality was as follows: in Edumbe Local Municipality, 20 participants; Emadlangeni Local Municipality, 32 participants; Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality, 27 participants; Msunduzi Local Municipality, 80 participants; Mtubatuba Local Municipality, 34 participants; Umkhanyakude District Municipality, 25 participants; and in Umzumbe Local Municipality the number of participants was 28. The study found that although there are challenges in the quality of some of the capacities and capacity-building interventions made available to municipalities, the most significant challenges exist within the municipalities, which reduces the effectiveness of institutional and individual capacity-building interventions by provincial government departments. The key challenge in institutional capacity-building is the occurrence of various forms of political interference in recruitment. This phenomenon leads to the appointment of under-skilled and under-qualified senior managers in municipal administrations. The consequences are weak leadership, weak institutions, poor management of financial resources, weak governance, weak accountability to communities and the lack of a learning culture. An under-skilled leadership also results in poor human resource management and an ineffective Human Resource Development (HRD) function, which renders affected municipalities unable to attract, develop or retain staff in scarce-skill positions, including all levels of technical and financial skills. The study also found that the key challenge in building individual capacity in municipal councils lies in many elected officials’ inadequate educational and work experience. At this point, a set of universal educational requirements for the appointment of elected officials does not exist. Political parties appoint officials according to criteria set by the political party, and then, once they have been elected, skills development opportunities are offered by the provincial government. However, a minimum requirement for an individual to benefit from workplace skills development is that basic skills in numeracy and literacy are necessary. This requirement is higher when the skills required are related to councillors’ high-level oversight functions. Many senior municipal administrators and municipal councillors in KZN are not equipped to carry out their duties or effectively use the support or capacity-building resources and interventions. The research findings led to several recommendations of which the most significant are that: political parties should set criteria for the nomination of municipal representatives to ensure that the appointed officials can benefit from capacitybuilding programmes; municipal councils should set performance standards for councillors that include personal development plans to encourage learning; the institutional capacity of municipalities should be strengthened to enable them to withstand political interference, competence-based appointments are made, people with scarce skills are attracted, and the South African skills development system is understood and implemented. Iqoqa: Ucwaningo luhlola imithelela yokukhulisa amandla okusebenza komasipala abakhethiwe KwaZulu-Natali nguhulumeni wesifundazwe. Izinhloso zocwaningo kwakungukuveza izimo ezelekelela iminyango yesifundazwe ukuthuthukisa amakhono kanye nolwazi lwamakhansela kanye neziphathimandla; izindlela ezilungile ukubheka ucwaningomabhuku lwamakhono, izinhlelo eziqondene zokukhulisa amandla okusebenza zamakhansela kanye neziphathimandla; izinqubo ezilungile ukwakha amandla okusebenza aqondene nesikhungo. Imisebenzi emibili yokuqoqa imininingo yenziwa. Okokuqala, izinhlaka zezingxoxo ezisakuhleleka zasetshenziswa ukuqopha imibono kanye nokuphawula kwamakhansela kamasipala, iziphathimandla eziphezulu kanye neziphathimandla ezibhekelele ukuthuthukiswa kwamakhono. Umsebenzi wokuqoqwa kwemininingo wesibili kwakuyisaveyi yeminyango yesifundazwe ebandakanyeka ukweseka kanye nokukhulisa amandla okusebenza ukuqoqa imibono kanye nokuphawula mayelana nezingqinamba kanye nokuphumelela. Ucwaningo lwathola ukuthi kunezingqinamba ezinkulu ezikhona phakathi komasipala futhi zehlisa ukusebenza kahle kwemisebenzi yokukhulisa ukusebenza ngamandla kwezikhungo zeminyango kahulumeni wesifundazwe. Izinhlobo ezahlukene zokungenelela kwezepolitiki ekuqashweni, kuholela ekuqashweni kwezimenenja ezisezikhundleni eziphezulu ezingazilungele lezo zikhundla ekuphathweni komasipala. Umphumela kube sekuba ubuholi obuntekenteke kanye nezikhungo, ukwengamela okusezingeni eliphansi kwezidingo zabantu kanye nezezimali, ukuphatha okuntekenteke kanye nokuzinikela okungaphelele emiphakathini kanye nokungabi bikho kwesiko lokufunda. Imiphumela yocwaningo yaveza futhi ukuthi ingqinamba enkulu ukukhulisa amandla okusebenza kwamakhansela kamasipalala, kuncike emfundweni engaphelelanga kumakhansela kanye nesikhathi sokusebenza esandulela esokuqala umsebenzi lowo ngokwephesenti elikhulu. Izincomo eziningi zaphakanyiswa, okungukuthi amaqembu ezepolitiki kumele abeke uhlaka oluchaziwe lokuqashwa/ ukubekwa ezikhundleni kwamakhansela kamasipala, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bayakwazi ukuzuza ezinhlelweni zokukhulisa amandla okusebenza, ukuthi ukukhulisa amandla okusebenza kwezikhungo zomasipala kumele zithuthukiswe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bayakwazi ukumelana nokungenelela kwezepolitiki kunoma iluphi uhlangothil futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, benze ukuqasheka okusezingeni elikulungele, bese okokugcina kuhehe abantu abanamakhono adingakalayo nangandile.
Exploring the effects of collaborative global health partnerships in the Ministry of Health and Child Care's monitoring and evaluation systems in Zimbabwe.
(2022) Grand, Zacharia.; Mutereko, Sybert.
Global Health Partnership support for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) policy and practice has strengthened Zimbabwe's public health system. Recent evidence suggests that hybrid governance systems such as partnerships can play an essential role in co-producing and co financing public health policies and programmes. Most public governance studies have embraced this approach as progressive. However, scholarly arguments on collaborative partnerships have missed an opportunity to fully investigate their effects on local health systems from a critical constructivist and dialogic policy approach to capture local partner reflexivity and resistance to external influence in public health policy planning and implementation. As a result, the current scholarly approaches to the collaborative partnership discourse have failed to account for the limits of agentive reflexivity in a global public health space tilting towards neoliberalism. This study used a qualitative case study approach, drawing from the Collaborative Governance of Partnership and Critical Discourse analytic frameworks to illuminate the effects of dialogic and discursive soft power encounters and its impact on M&E policy and practice in Zimbabwe. Data were collected using a documentary review of M&E policies and key informant interviews with Ministry of Health M&E staff. The findings suggest that collaborative partnerships for health have resulted in (un)intended effects that include digital exclusion of local partners, competition among partners, threats to sovereignty, fear of job losses, brain drain from government among other unanticipated challenges. As a result, the study argues that collaborative partnerships for M&E are contested spaces in which Global Health Partners(GHPs) revive old paternalistic aid tactics through control of governing rationalities that promote the local reproduction of neoliberal, market oriented ideas that influence and shape the ‘co-creation’ of M&E policies in Zimbabwe. The study further observes that the Ministry as a local partner apply various soft power strategies that include victimhood, extravesion,obsfucation and discourse control to counter GHP influence contrary to the key tenets of collaborative partnership for M&E. The study concludes that government counter-discourse and soft power strategies are perverse reflections and performative reproductions of neoliberal rationalities by converted local responsible agents who (un)knowingly contribute to maintaining partnership power imbalances in favour of Global Health Partners.
Faith-based organisational management: strengthening church-led healthcare provision in Malawi and Zambia.
(2018) Nondo, Edward.; Ruffin, Fayth Anese.
Collaboration between government, faith-based organisations (FBOs) and local communities for healthcare management and delivery in southern Africa or continentally, are seldom the focus of empirical study. The core work of churches is pastoral care. Literature searches reflect that pastoral care characterised by congregational governance lacked healthcare management strategies and stakeholder inclusivity in church-led management of local healthcare. With this point of departure, the current cross-national study of four mission hospitals explored challenges and opportunities for church-led hospitals to perform healthcare management functions in collaboration with government and communities. Driven by the transformative worldview, this qualitative study used multi-grounded theory and case study strategies in tandem with a design of meta-conceptual framework in stakeholder-congregational style. Two Malawian mission hospitals in Ekwendeni and Embangweni led by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), and two Zambian mission hospitals in Mbereshi and Mwandi led by the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), provided units of analysis for the intra-country and international study. Combined study participants included 38 interview informants and 144 focus group participants across 13 focus groups comprising a range of diverse stakeholders. Data sets were analysed through a combination of content, thematic and matrix approaches. Findings revealed the need for secular management training to be integrated with pastoral care approaches; that hospital workers perceive themselves minimised from inclusivity in management decision-making, and that members of civil society believe themselves marginalised from participation in operation and management of healthcare delivery. Recommendations for systems strengthening are made such as reformation of formal mission hospital management and administration structures to allow wide stakeholder participation. Further, local people should be empowered with capacity and skills to participate in preventive and curative interventions to make meaning from ‘community-based’ healthcare. The study contributes a conceptual model towards this end. Re-visiting collaborative arrangements between church, mission partners and government with stakeholder inclusivity and community voices in mind would help reconstruct the meaning of faith-based community participatory healthcare in this era of a globally networked society, and for southern Africa countries in particular.
Governance in food security programmes in the OR Tambo District, South Africa.
(2021) Maluleke, Justice.; Mubangizi, Betty Claire.
Using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews, this study investigated the role of organisational culture, coordination, planning, monitoring, and evaluation and how they affect good governance, i.e., effectiveness, efficiency, responsiveness, accountability, and the approach to governance in food security programmes in the OR Tambo District. Literature is often silent on factors impacting food security governance in rural municipalities. Fifty-eight purposively selected individuals participated in the face-to-face interviews. Collected data was analysed using Thematic analysis. The study finds that organisational culture impacts good governance in the implementation of food security programmes. The Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) and the Department of Social Development mainly use the top-down approach, with the local government mainly using a bottom-up approach to the implementation of programmes. Within this context, the lower-level employees of DRDAR feel that they are not involved in decision-making. Further, some state agencies implementing food security programmes are highly centralised while others are decentralised. The centralisation of certain services by the Head Office of the DRDAR to address procurement delays, are only effective when decisions are taken timeously when there were contracts with service providers. It was also established that most challenges faced by food security policy implementation in the District are attributed to planning and coordination while the one-size-fits-all approach used in project implementation is detrimental to efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness. It is recommended that food security implementation finds a solution to the challenges of planning, coordination, and the politics-administration dichotomy. Further, effective consequence management mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation are to be established to enhance programme effectiveness. A favourable work climate and organisational learning will go a long way in improving programme impact. The theoretical contribution of the study is that contrary to the notion that the bureaucratic approach to governance is 'long dead', food security implementation in the Eastern Cape, specifically in the OR Tambo District, still retains many aspects of a bureaucratic approach. Further, contrary to the general belief that the New Public Management has replaced the bureaucratic approach as a model of public policy implementation, this study found very little evidence to support that notion.
Human resource mangemnet: recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialist in selected hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2018) Mtshali, Bongani Joseph.; Penceliah, Yoganandee.
This study focuses on the recruitment, selection and retention within the context of human resource management (HRM) in the South African Public Service focusing on the Ngwelezane Regional Hospital, the Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Regional Hospital/Queen Nandi Regional Hospital and the Stanger Regional Hospital. The development of HRM post-1994 in South Africa was highlighted by explaining the statutory and regulatory context that support the implementation of human resource (HR) practice. The introduction of the White Paper on HRM in the Public Service (WPHRMPS) (1997) outlined the need for a change in HRM. The need for change contained the transformation agenda which compelled a transition from Personnel Management (PM) to HRM. The main aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialists in the selected hospitals. To realise the aim of this study, a conceptual and theoretical framework that influences this HR activity was adopted. A mixed methods research (qualitative and quantitative) was used to addressing the study’s research questions, expanding and strengthening the study’s conclusions and recommendations, consequently contributing to the body of knowledge. Applying a simple random sampling method enabled the study to secure a sample size of 119 (79.3%) for quantitative research. From this figure, five (5) participants were selected through purposive sampling to complete the qualitative instruments. Quantitative data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics (2015) and one-way analysis of the variance (ANOVA) method was used. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis process to identify the connection between the variables associated with the research aims. Data analysis involved the coding process (themes and concepts). The findings of the study reveal that these hospitals used traditional bureaucratic processes and procedures when conducting recruitment, selection and retention, thereby overlooking an array of legislation governing this HR practice as well as international best practice models. Based on the findings of this study, the development of a model and checklist to assist the hospitals to attract, recruit, select and retain public healthcare specialists, was deemed essential. The study concludes with recommendations for further research into recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialists.
The impact of a performance management system on service Delivery: a case study of Mtubatuba local municipality.
(2018) Dladla, Ningi Hlalakahle Mable.; Reddy, Purshottama Sivanarain.
This research investigated the impact of performance management on service delivery at Mtubatuba Local Municipality. Mtubatuba Local Municipality (MLM) is one of the local municipalities classified as a Category B Municipality and falls under uMkhanyakude District in the far-north of KwaZulu-Natal province. This municipality has experienced a series of instances of public discontent due to sub-standard provision of services; hence the study aims to establish if the proper implementation and cascading of a performance management system (PMS) to all personnel will any way help in improving municipal service delivery and thus assist the institution to regain the public’s trust. Employee performance management is defined as the process of evaluating employees’ performance to reward their performance based on the required standards and the identification of gaps where sub-standard performance is identified. Performance management can be used to measure employee performance as well as to train employees who have failed to achieve the expected results. The success of an organisation centres on the effective advancement as well as proper execution of performance management system (PMS) (Lawler, 2003:9). The emphasis of this research is to review the effect that the performance management system has on service delivery (SD) to ensure officials’ accountability in the case of the Mtubatuba Local Municipality. It also critically reviews the correlation between performance management and provision of services. So as to accomplish this, several research questions and objectives are outlined in Chapter 1. For Mtubatuba Municipality to be able to regain the public trust on service delivery and at the same time have disciplined and accountable personnel, it needs to hold both its administrative and political wings accountable. This can be realized by the effective execution and cascading of the performance management system to all its employees ensuring that they are held accountable for the time they spend at work and for political leadership to play an oversight role over the Administration. The success of performance management system lies in understanding the relationship that exists between employer and the employee. Both these parties entered into an employment contract mainly because the employer needed the services of the employee and the employee is expecting reward for availing his/her services to the employer.

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