Browsing by Author "Ndaba, Nobuhle Elizabeth"

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    A communication perspective of how local government is equipped to interact with its public: a study of the Ulundi Municipality
    (University of Zululand, 2014) Ndaba, Nobuhle Elizabeth; Rugbeer, H.; Naidoo, G.M.
    This study investigates the effectiveness of communication strategies used by local government with the hope of improving service delivery. Municipalities around the country have been continuously facing challenges with regard to service delivery. According to the Centre for Policy Studies (2010) protests are common in municipalities across South Africa. For example in 2010, the Minister of Local Government announced that 38 municipalities were under investigation for fraud and corruption. The 2011 local government elections were marked by service delivery protests which turned violent and led to the destruction of property. According to Department of Provincial and Local Government (2009), angry residents blocked roads and began burning tyres and throwing stones against the lack of services in their communities. This led to clashes with the police. Dissatisfaction with service delivery is the primary cause of civil unrest. Nepotism in conjunction with bribery and corruption are key reasons for the presence of unqualified staff at most public and social service departments. This research provides a comprehensive study of how local government operates in rural areas of South Africa. This study also exposes profound observations about current service delivery initiatives by local municipalities. Further, the study demonstrates how challenges faced by local municipalities through poor, ineffective communication techniques caused it to fail to meets its intended purpose. The findings identified the need to enhance public participation and effective communication in local government.