Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation最新文献

{"title":"Coalition effects on financial and service delivery performance in metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng","authors":"A. Zweni, Samuel Koma, Z. Ndevu","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.183","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The South African electoral system does not favour a winner-takes-all situation. It is designed for a possible political coalition government on the basis of an electoral outcome below the 50+1 at the national, provincial and local government levels. Thus, the 2021 Local Government elections delivered nine hung municipal councils in Gauteng province. This implies that the sphere of local government has now entered an electoral epoch shaped by a multi-party system without an outright majority for a majority-led municipal council in at least 70 municipal councils throughout the country.Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the financial and service delivery performance of the metropolitan municipalities of Gauteng province.Methods: The study used a qualitative research approach in the form of secondary data analysis, in which documentary and literature reviews were conducted to answer the research question using financial ratio analysis to examine the financial performance of metropolitan municipalities governed by political coalitions.Results: The study found that the revenue of these metropolitan areas under political coalitions is not sustainable. Additionally, the expenditure is not credible, and the budgets do not respond to the needs of the poor. Furthermore, budgets are not passed in time, which compromises and deteriorates service delivery.Conclusion: Political parties that are involved in political coalitions in these metropolitan municipalities do not adhere to the political coalition agreements, and this leads to failing governance in these municipalities. The study makes a valuable contribution by suggesting an integrated approach to financial and service delivery performance.Contribution: This study makes several salient contributions by suggesting an integrated approach of financial performance and service delivery in metropolitan municipalities arising from the advent of coalitions in these municipalities.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141826815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Management and leadership considerations for managing effective monitoring and evaluation systems in South African municipalities","authors":"Babalo Yekani, Sibongisen B. Ngcamu, Sareesha Pillay","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.154","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141361981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of the sustained poor audit outcomes in Mopani District Municipality","authors":"Tshepo E. Rangwato, Arthur Shopola, J. Molepo","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.185","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Financial management and accuracy and consistency in reporting remain critical cogs of good governance in South Africa and beyond. The Auditor-General (AG) South Africa, being one of the constitutional instruments responsible for monitoring the consistent application of municipal finance frameworks, has revealed that despite sustained poor audit outcomes in municipal governments, there has been constant disregard for its positive proposals and recommendations for improvement.Aim: This study aimed to analyse factors contributing to sustained poor audit outcomes in Mopani District Municipality (MDM) based in Limpopo province.Methods: This study conducted a qualitative inquiry whereby data were collected from senior officials and documentary analysis of the Auditor-General’s statements was conducted to establish contributing factors to sustained poor audits in MDM.Results: The results revealed numerous factors, chief of which are ineffective political leadership, weak internal audit systems and silo mentalities in municipalities in the district, which affect the financial performance of the district municipality.Conclusion: Mopani District Municipality has not received a clean or improved audit opinion since 2016, and this has led to less commitment in taking collective action to address the Auditor-General’s concerns.Contribution: The study ends by recommending practical steps to improve audit outcomes and financial governance, which are to build a strong internal audit system and design a district calendar for financial reporting to help the district municipality make timeous submissions of credible financial information during an audit.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141100167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges of public participation in improving basic service delivery in Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa","authors":"Sanah T. Matloga, Ephraim Mahole, M. Nekhavhambe","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.160","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Public participation is considered an essential element of good governance and an effective tool for the public to voice their opinion on local government issues. One of the purposes of local governance is to involve the community and community organisations in local government matters. This is laid out in Section 152 of South Africa’s Constitution of 1996.Aim: This study explores the challenges of public participation in improving basic service delivery in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM).Methods: A mixed-method research approach was used to determine the challenges of public participation in improving basic service delivery in VDM. The sample consisted of 15 participants, of which 10 were given a questionnaire and five were interviewed. The International Business Machinery: Statistical Product and Service Solution’s latest version was used to analyse data collected through a questionnaire, and thematic analysis was used to analyse and interpret data collected through interviews.Results: The study established that public members are reluctant to attend service delivery meetings because of the government’s repeated failed service delivery promises. There was also a lack of consultation, hiring of unqualified personnel in strategic positions and failure to implement the municipality’s integrated development plan.Conclusion: The local government should actively support municipalities to address and overcome service delivery issues, such as resource constraints, corruption, instability and a lack of community engagement. Spheres of government should collaborate to find solutions by involving all parties through effective public involvement. Community-based organisations, traditional leaders and municipal councillors must be supported and empowered through workshops to acquire public participation skills and enhance basic service delivery.Contribution: This article contributes to understanding how public participation can improve service delivery within municipalities. Public participation should become a core of good governance, stipulating that every public member must be involved in decision-making.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140695566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Participation in local economic development: Insights from Benoni, South Africa","authors":"Nompumelelo P. Mokoena, J. Molepo","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.162","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Community participation in democratic societies cannot be overstated, as it is a fundamental pillar that allows community members to have a voice in economic, social, and political discourse.Aim: This article investigated the significance of community participation in LED, identifying the barriers and drivers of community involvement to provide recommendations to enhance and promote greater community engagement in Benoni, South Africa.Methods: The study adopted a mixed methods research approach. It conducted (n = 280) surveys from residents and (n = 5) in-depth interviews with municipal officials regarding the role of community participation in LED.Results: The findings reveal five challenges to community participation: limited avenues for participation, a lack of confidence in leadership, lack of action on residents’ suggestions, limited understanding of the value and importance of participation, and lack of trust in local leadership. However, the study also established that community participation is crucial to LED and contributes to providing legitimacy to local government projects, ensuring leadership accountability and better trust in leadership, and to ascertain that residents affect changes they want to see in their communities.Conclusion: The study concludes that community participation is vital for successful LED in Benoni. Addressing the challenges identified can lead to more effective and sustainable development initiatives.Contribution: This research makes several contributions to the field of LED and community development. It emphasises enabling and encouraging community participation in shaping LED. The study’s insights into the barriers and drivers of community involvement provide a foundation for designing targeted interventions to enhance participation.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140720414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An assessment of customer perception of water service quality at uMgungundlovu municipality","authors":"Xolani Muthwa, N. Matsiliza","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.139","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140366122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The administrative effects of political killings of officials in South African Municipalities","authors":"Hulisani Takalani, P. N. Lavhelani","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.161","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Politically motivated killings have been an increasing concern in South Africa since the dawn of democracy in 1994. Over the years, various municipalities have seen a rise in the killing of local government officials. While there are records of the number of incidences of killings in provinces such as Kwazulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo, it remains unclear how these occurrences affect local government administration.Aim: This study seeks to explore the administrative effects of politically motivated killings of officials in South African municipalities.Methods: Using the adversarial and politicised bureaucratic models, the study relied on secondary sources of data from accredited journal articles, books, conference proceedings, official reports and academic theses. A desktop qualitative review of data was used.Results: The research found that politically motivated killings of municipal officials have detrimental effects on good governance and service delivery such as staff rotations, destabilisation of the councils, skills erosion and continued political tensions.Conclusion: This study finds that the killings are part of the deeper crisis of politics and administration dynamics in the public service with detrimental effects on the governance of municipalities in South Africa. The study recommends that local governments introduce stringent minimum requirements for appointing officials to minimise the contestation between politicians and government administrators.Contribution: This study seeks to stimulate further research interest in the anatomy of political killings, specifically the diagnosis and specific measures to help curb this phenomenon for better governance within local government.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140421822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A sustainable differentiated funding model for South African district municipalities","authors":"Lindokuhle B.G. Manuel, Lourens J. Erasmus","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.163","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139796826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A sustainable differentiated funding model for South African district municipalities","authors":"Lindokuhle B.G. Manuel, Lourens J. Erasmus","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v5i0.163","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139856632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"South African local economic development policy approaches and challenges: Finding a sustainable approach in social innovation","authors":"Pontso P. Chomane, M. Biljohn","doi":"10.4102/jolgri.v4i0.147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/jolgri.v4i0.147","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Increased economic competition globally, makes local economic development (LED) more critical given its contribution to national economies. Local governments (LGs) are central to steering the direction and growth of local economies through their policy approaches. In the last decade, social innovation (SI) has been on the global policy and research agenda as an approach to address economic development challenges. In South Africa’s LG context, SI’s application as a sustainable approach to LED is however nascent.Aim: To explore SI as a sustainable approach to implementing LED policy approaches adopted in the LED strategies of South African municipalities.Setting: Social innovation’s application is congruent with LED’s embeddedness in partnerships between a municipality and local or other stakeholders. This however appears to be latent in South Africa’s LG context and highlights a research gap.Methods: Using an interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative research approach is applied. A literature review with a predetermined approach was applied to search for relevant research concerning SI and LED to address the research aim.Results: Local government should play a leadership role in initiating SI’s application across different sectors, adopting policies harnessing its application, and cultivating a promotive and enabling institutional culture.Conclusion: Social innovation’s application as a sustainable approach to LED requires an enabling policy framework to yield its benefits.Contribution: Social innovation’s application as a sustainable LED policy approach, is presented as integral to an institutional culture that drives LED across different departments contributing to key deliverables of a municipality’s LED strategy.","PeriodicalId":34771,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139155206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}