Mid-term review of municipal performance: Thaba Chweu
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2010
TITLE AUTHOR(S): Z.Tshandu
KEYWORDS: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL SERVICES, THABA CHWEU MUNICIPALITY
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Intranet: HSRC Library: shelf number 6779
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/3839
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/3839
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Due to maladministration, Thaba Chweu municipality was under administration in 2005 and was placed again under administration in 2009. It is a legacy problem that has compromised on the effectiveness and integrity of the municipality, of which the current caretaker administrator is keen to change. The overall aim of the administrator is to restore the confidence and professional integrity of the municipality across its varied stakeholders ranging from service providers/private sector, communities and government. A recurrent theme that emerged in these discussions is the need to 'institutionalize sustainable reforms' that would ensure effective service delivery to the community as part of its renewed vision and purpose. One key problem the municipality faced was its flawed financial governance systems which partly led to loss of income due to inability to collect rates. As a result of the institutional reforms implemented thus far, the municipality has achieved notable outcomes which are slowly changing the perception of its stakeholders with regard to its operational integrity. Stakeholder confidence has increased overtime and this is largely due to the consultative nature of the reforms implemented in the municipality. Stakeholders such as the mining sector have volunteered to assist where needed and this level of support is notable across community formations such as the youth groups. Tangible changes such as the refurbishment of the Hydro Electric Power Unit, improvement in water quality programmes and the establishment of a town planning section were hailed as a huge achievement of the municipality. One key change that was proposed with regard to institutional reforms is the need to deplore both financial resources as well as human resources in instances where municipalities are placed under administration. The reform agenda undertaken by the key personnel tasked with reforming the ailing municipality is achievable if accompanied by financial resources. A municipality that is on the brink of bankruptcy can hardly fund any of its much needed reforms despite having the personnel resources to do so. This was cited as an over arching limitation with regard to the pace of reforms expected in municipalities that are placed under administration.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Review of schedules 4 & 5 of the constitution, Volume 2, 29 March
- District management areas: a case study of Siyanda district municipality, Northern Cape
- eThekwini Municipality: two case studies: Durban CBD with special emphasis on Warwick Junction, and II Inanda: Case studies for the 10 year review
- Municipal administrative restructuring in non-metropolitan areas: final report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Mbhashe municipality report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Msinga municipality report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Cacadu disrtict municipality report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Buffalo City municipality report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: eThekwini metro report
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Limpopo: Thabazimbi municipality
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Mpumalanga: Nkomanzi Municipality
- Mid-term review of municipal performance: Limpopo province: Bela Bela local municipality
- The role of infrastructure in accelerating service delivery: lessons learnt from South Africa and China
- Factors affecting the effectiveness of pro-poor urban water service delivery in post-apartheid South Africa
- Post-apartheid local government reforms: a small town perspective
- Municipal capacity building: a framework
- A passion to govern: Third-generation issues facing local government in South Africa
- Water, concessions and poverty: a South African case study
- Linking Integrated Development Plans (IDP's) to municipal budgets
- Review of schedules 4 and 5 of the constitution: executive summary