Political Science & Public Administration

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Browsing Political Science & Public Administration by Author "Asuelime, L."

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    Institutional arrangement to support the functionality of ward committees in uMhlathuze Local Municipality and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Kwa-Zulu-Natal Province
    (University of Zululand, 2017) Sibiya, Leo Muntu; Asuelime, L.; Phago, K.
    The study focuses on the assessment of the institutional arrangement to support the functionality of ward committees in eThekwini metropolitan municipality and uMhlathuze local municipality. A focus on these two municipalities provides an opportunity to juxtapose the functionality of ward committee within both Metropolitan environment and poor local municipal environment. The finding of the study provides opportunity to help understand how ward committees can be made functional in different South African environment. This was done with the view to inform ward committees policy amendments which aim at improving local governance. The research methodology used for the study is qualitative approach in nature since qualitative approach researchers often rely on interpretive or critical social science, and emphasise conducting detailed examinations of cases that arise from the natural flow of life. Furthermore qualitative approach always seeks to understand peoples’ insights, beliefs and attitudes - as such this study sought to understand people’s insights, believes and attitude about the institutional arrangement to support the functionality of ward committees. The data instrument that was used to collect the information useful to answer the research question of the study was interviews in a form of open ended questionnaires and focus group discussions. The following are the Key findings: The institutional arrangement to support ward committees in both the metropolitan environment and local municipal environment in municipalities that were chosen for the survey proved to be ineffective in addressing the issues arising from public participation. The study revealed that ward committees are not doing well in serving the interest of local communities but are good in serving the interest of the councillor and the council. Furthermore, this posed a negative impact on the ward committee structures. The study, therefore “calls for an institutional re-arrangement which in turn must flow from on-going dialogue, monitoring and evaluation, and learning by doing. The study revealed that this is an unfolding process, not a completed or cemented edifice and model that has been developed over the last few years should be revised as required in order to meet up with the present needs of the people” (Marais, Everatt & Dube 2007). The responsibility then reverts back to the municipality to develop intact institutional arrangements which shall address all these expectations.
University of Zululand