Role of stakeholders regarding policymaking in the localised sphere of government in KwaZulu-Natal. Indima eklanywa abanesabelo mayelana nokwenza inqubomgomo emkhakheni wohulumeni abalawulwa yimikhandlu yasekhaya KwaZulu-Natali

Abstract

Policymaking is a critical but very broad and complex process that every organisation and government requires to undertake. Problems emerge when stakeholders converge to formulate and implement policies that their roles and responsibilities would overlap which would lead to bureaucratic bottlenecks that would hinder service delivery resulting in protests that are characterised by the destruction of property, fatalities leading to the disruption of economic development.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province in South Africa has been identified as the second highest with communities that are likely to embark on service delivery protests. Hence, this study sought to examine the role of stakeholders in policymaking and implementation particularly at the local spheres in four selected municipalities of KZN. A mixed-method approach was adopted in which interviews and questionnaires were utilised to collect data from various key stakeholders. The study was guided by four objectives in which objective one investigated the influence of policy formulation on socio-economic development. The overall findings showed a significant influence of policy formulation on socio-economic development. The second objective in terms of the impact of policy implementation on socio-economic development revealed contradictory results in different municipalities. The third objective on how policy evaluation has influenced socio-economic development the findings did not reflect any significant impact in these municipalities with findings from the Dr Dlamini Zuma Municipality suggesting that political interference is a major hindrance to socio-economic development. Research findings on the fourth objective showed that policymaking activities have significant impact on service delivery in all the selected municipalities. Unfortunately, this study found that policymaking in South Africa is hampered by the limited stakeholder participation. For this reason, the study recommends the need for government policies and regulations to be flexible enough to allow the stakeholders to actively participate in the policymaking process. The study excluded the stakeholders such as the community and civil society or non-profit organisations, future studies should, therefore, include other stakeholders who are part of the policymaking process in localised sphere of government. Iqoqa: Ukwakhiwa kwenqubomgomo kubaluleke kakhulu kodwa kuwuhlelo olubanzi kakhulu nolungelula okumele zonke izinhlangano nohulumeni zikwenze. Izinkinga ziqhamuka uma abanesabelo behlangana ukwakha nokuqalisa ukusebenza izinqubomgomo bese indima abayiklamayo kanye nezibophokugibelane nokungaholela esiminyaminyeni esidalwa wumumozikhundla ongavimbela ukulethwa kwezidingo okuholela ezitelekeni ezivezwa wukucekelwa phansi kwempahla, nokufa okuholela ekuphazamisekeni kokukhula komnotho. Isifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali eNingizimu Afrika sahlonzwa njengesesibili esinemiphakathi ephezulu engaya esitelekeni esimayelana nokulethwa kwezidingo. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lwalufuna ukuhlola indima yabanesabelo ekwakhiweni kwenqubomgomo kanye nasekuqaliseni ukusebenza kwayo ikakhulukazi emkhakheni wasekhaya komasipala abane abakhethiwe base-KZN. Uhlelomumo lwezindlelakwenza zocwaningo ezingxube zasetshenziswa lapho izimposambuzo nezinhlumibuzo kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingo kwabanesabelo abehlukene nabaseqhulwini. Lolu cwaningo lwaluholwa yizinhloso ezine, inhloso yokuqala yaphenya umthelela wokwakhiwa kwenqubomgomo ekuthuthukeni kwenhlaliswano-mnotho.

Okutholakele okusemqoka kwakhombisa umthelela omkhulu wokwakhiwa kwenqubomgomo ekuthuthukisweni kwenhlaliswano-mnotho kwaveza imiphumela ephikisanayo komasipala abehlukene. Inhloso yesithathu iveze ukuthi ukuhlaziya inqubomgomo kunamthelela muni ekuthuthukeni kwenhlaliswano-mnotho. Okutholakele akuvezanga mthelela kulabo masipala. Okutholakele kumasipala i-Dr Dlamini-Zuma Municipality kwaveza ukuthi ukugxambukela kwabezombusazwe kuyisivimbeli esikhulu ekuthuthukeni kwenhlaliswano-mnotho.

Okutholwe wucwaningo enhlosweni yesine kwakhombisa ukuthi imisebenzi yokwakha inqubomgomo inomthelela omkhulu ekulethweni kwezidingo kubo bonke omasipala abakhethiwe. Ucwaningo lwathola ukuthi ukwakhiwa kwenqubomgomo eNingizimu Afrika kunqindwe wukubamba iqhaza kwabanesabelo. Ngalesi sizathu, ucwaningo luphakamisa isidingo sezinqubomgomo zikahulumeni kanye nemitheshwana okumele iguquguquke ngokwanele ukuvumela abanesabelo ukuba babambe iqhaza ohlelweni lokwakha inqubomgomo.