Examining the influence of civil servant’s embeddedness in the provision of basic services in Msukaligwa Local Municipality
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Date
2024
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University of Zululand
Abstract
English
This study examined the influence of civil servant’s embeddedness in the provision of basic delivery of services to the communities. The Wesselton community under Msukaligwa Local Municipality in the Gert Sibande District was selected as the case study. The South African Constitution, 1996, Section 10 guarantees everyone the right to human dignity. The standard of living for humans must be respected and safeguarded. Water, better roads, and dwellings under the Rehabilitation Development Programme (RDP) must always be accessible. To safeguard this right, towns offer these services to the citizens. However, not all municipalities are able to distribute basic services successfully and economically. Because of poor distribution of municipal services, the residents live in poor conditions. Moreover, their right to human dignity is exacerbated and violated, which ultimately results in poverty.
The Msukaligwa Local Municipality is perceived as an underperforming municipality in the Mpumalanga Province, particularly the Gert Sibande District Municipality. This is attributed to its poor levels of service delivery due to various reasons. This study was undertaken to describe the types of embeddedness at play between the civil servants and the Wesselton local communities in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality. This study endeavored to establish the influence of connections and the environment in which civil servants’ function to provide basic services at the Msukaligwa Local Municipality. The study proposed interventions to enhance the delivery of basic service provision to the Wesselton community under the Msukaligwa Local Municipality. Furthermore, the study also examined how civil servants conduct themselves when they execute their daily Data was gathered from both municipal officials and community members to determine motives for the poor delivery of resources. Qualitative investigation methodology was adopted which comprised of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to gather data from the participants, namely, community members, and municipal officials. The study provides recommendations on how to resolve the delivery of poor services in Msukaligwa Local Municipality. These could also be considered by municipalities throughout the country although each municipality, due to its demographics, may experience varying challenges functions of distributing facilities to societies as per the instructions of the South African Constitution of 1996 and according to the Batho Pele principles which advocates that people come first when civil servants provide services. The study further examined the relationship of stakeholders involved in the delivery of services. The stakeholders
included civil servants, politicians and the communities whom they are obligated to serve,
e.g., the Wesselton community located in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality. The
reviewed literature revealed that causes of poor distribution and meeting the needs of the
people had frustrated the Wesselton community. Consequently, the community resorted
to violent protest action with the hope that the Msukaligwa Local Municipality would be a
better choice.
Isifingqo Lolu cwaningo luhlole umthelela wokugxila kwezisebenzi zikahulumeni ekuhlinzekweni kokulethwa kwezidingongqangi emiphakathini. Umphakathi waseWesselton ongaphansi kukaMasipala waseMsukaligwa esiFundeni iGert Sibande uqokwe njengesifundo socwaningo. UMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika, 1996, Isigaba 10 siqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu unelungelo. Izinga lokuphila labantu kufanele lihlonishwe futhi livikelwe. Amanzi, imigwaqo engcono, kanye nezindawo zokuhlala ngaphansi koHlelo Lokuthuthukiswa Kokuvuselelwa Kwezimilo (RDP) kumele kufinyeleleke kulo. Ukuze kuvikelwe leli lungelo, amadolobhana ahlinzeka lezi zinsizakalo ezakhamuzini. Nokho, akubona bonke omasipala abakwazi ukusabalalisa izinsiza eziyisisekelo ngempumelelo nangokonga. Ngenxa yokungahanjiswa kahle kwezinsiza zikamasipala, izakhamuzi ziphila ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ilungelo nesithunzi somuntu siyakhula bese siphulwa, ekugcineni loku kuholela ebuphofini. Umasipala Wendawo yaseMsukaligwa uthathwa njengomasipala ongasebenzi kahle esiFundazweni saseMpumalanga, ikakhulukazi, uMasipala wesiFunda i-Gert Sibande. Lokhu kudalwa yizinga eliphansi lokulethwa kwezinsiza ngenxa yezizathu ezahlukene. Lolu cwaningo lwenzelwe ukuchaza izinhlobo zokusebenzisana phakathi kwezisebenzi zikahulumeni kanye nemiphakathi yendawo yase-Wesselton kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Lolu cwaningo luzama ukuthola umthelela wokuxhumana kanye nendawo lapho abasebenzi bakahulumeni besebenza khona ukuhlinzeka ngezidingongqangi kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Ucwaningo luphakamise ukungenelela ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuhlinzekwa kwezidingongqangi emphakathini wase-Wesselton ngaphansi kukaMasipala Wendawo yaseMsukaligwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luphinde lwahlola ukuthi abasebenzi bakahulumeni baziphatha kanjani uma benza imisebenzi yabo yansuku zonke yokusabalalisa izinsiza emiphakathini njengokwemiyalelo yoMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika wezi-1996 kanye nangokwemigomo ye-Batho Pele ekhuthaza ukuthi abantu baza kuqala uma abasebenzi bakahulumeni behlinzeka ngemisebenzi. Ucwaningo luphinde lwahlola ubudlelwano bababambe iqhaza ekulethweni kwezinsiza. Ababambiqhaza bahlanganisa izisebenzi zikahulumeni, osopolitiki kanye nemiphakathi abanesibopho sokuyisebenzela, isib., umphakathi waseWesselton otholakala kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Izincwadi ezibuyekeziwe zembula ukuthi izimbangela zokungasakazwa kahle nokuhlangabezana nezidingo zabantu ziye zawukhungathekisa umphakathi waseWesselton. Ngenxa yalokho, umphakathi waphendukela ekubhikisheni okunodlame ngethemba lokuthi uMasipala waseMsukaligwa ungaba nesinqumo esingcono. Ulwazi lwaqoqwa kuzo zombili izikhulu zikamasipala kanye namalungu omphakathi ukuze kutholwe izisusa zokungalethwa kahle kwezinsiza. Indlela yophenyo esezingeni eliphezulu yamukelwa ehlanganisa izingxoxo ezingahleliwe kanye nohlu lwemibuzo ukuze kuqoqwe ulwazi nemininingwane kubabambiqhaza, okungukuthi, amalungu omphakathi, kanye nezikhulu zikamasipala. Lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngezincomo zokuthi kungaxazululwa kanjani ukulethwa kwezidingongqangi kuMasipala Wendawo uMsukaligwa. Lokhu kungabuye kubhekwe omasipala ezweni lonkana nakuba umasipala ngamunye, ngenxa yezibalo zabantu ungase uhlangabezane nezinselele ezihlukahlukene futhi ezingafani.
Isifingqo Lolu cwaningo luhlole umthelela wokugxila kwezisebenzi zikahulumeni ekuhlinzekweni kokulethwa kwezidingongqangi emiphakathini. Umphakathi waseWesselton ongaphansi kukaMasipala waseMsukaligwa esiFundeni iGert Sibande uqokwe njengesifundo socwaningo. UMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika, 1996, Isigaba 10 siqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu unelungelo. Izinga lokuphila labantu kufanele lihlonishwe futhi livikelwe. Amanzi, imigwaqo engcono, kanye nezindawo zokuhlala ngaphansi koHlelo Lokuthuthukiswa Kokuvuselelwa Kwezimilo (RDP) kumele kufinyeleleke kulo. Ukuze kuvikelwe leli lungelo, amadolobhana ahlinzeka lezi zinsizakalo ezakhamuzini. Nokho, akubona bonke omasipala abakwazi ukusabalalisa izinsiza eziyisisekelo ngempumelelo nangokonga. Ngenxa yokungahanjiswa kahle kwezinsiza zikamasipala, izakhamuzi ziphila ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ilungelo nesithunzi somuntu siyakhula bese siphulwa, ekugcineni loku kuholela ebuphofini. Umasipala Wendawo yaseMsukaligwa uthathwa njengomasipala ongasebenzi kahle esiFundazweni saseMpumalanga, ikakhulukazi, uMasipala wesiFunda i-Gert Sibande. Lokhu kudalwa yizinga eliphansi lokulethwa kwezinsiza ngenxa yezizathu ezahlukene. Lolu cwaningo lwenzelwe ukuchaza izinhlobo zokusebenzisana phakathi kwezisebenzi zikahulumeni kanye nemiphakathi yendawo yase-Wesselton kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Lolu cwaningo luzama ukuthola umthelela wokuxhumana kanye nendawo lapho abasebenzi bakahulumeni besebenza khona ukuhlinzeka ngezidingongqangi kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Ucwaningo luphakamise ukungenelela ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuhlinzekwa kwezidingongqangi emphakathini wase-Wesselton ngaphansi kukaMasipala Wendawo yaseMsukaligwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luphinde lwahlola ukuthi abasebenzi bakahulumeni baziphatha kanjani uma benza imisebenzi yabo yansuku zonke yokusabalalisa izinsiza emiphakathini njengokwemiyalelo yoMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika wezi-1996 kanye nangokwemigomo ye-Batho Pele ekhuthaza ukuthi abantu baza kuqala uma abasebenzi bakahulumeni behlinzeka ngemisebenzi. Ucwaningo luphinde lwahlola ubudlelwano bababambe iqhaza ekulethweni kwezinsiza. Ababambiqhaza bahlanganisa izisebenzi zikahulumeni, osopolitiki kanye nemiphakathi abanesibopho sokuyisebenzela, isib., umphakathi waseWesselton otholakala kuMasipala Wendawo waseMsukaligwa. Izincwadi ezibuyekeziwe zembula ukuthi izimbangela zokungasakazwa kahle nokuhlangabezana nezidingo zabantu ziye zawukhungathekisa umphakathi waseWesselton. Ngenxa yalokho, umphakathi waphendukela ekubhikisheni okunodlame ngethemba lokuthi uMasipala waseMsukaligwa ungaba nesinqumo esingcono. Ulwazi lwaqoqwa kuzo zombili izikhulu zikamasipala kanye namalungu omphakathi ukuze kutholwe izisusa zokungalethwa kahle kwezinsiza. Indlela yophenyo esezingeni eliphezulu yamukelwa ehlanganisa izingxoxo ezingahleliwe kanye nohlu lwemibuzo ukuze kuqoqwe ulwazi nemininingwane kubabambiqhaza, okungukuthi, amalungu omphakathi, kanye nezikhulu zikamasipala. Lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngezincomo zokuthi kungaxazululwa kanjani ukulethwa kwezidingongqangi kuMasipala Wendawo uMsukaligwa. Lokhu kungabuye kubhekwe omasipala ezweni lonkana nakuba umasipala ngamunye, ngenxa yezibalo zabantu ungase uhlangabezane nezinselele ezihlukahlukene futhi ezingafani.
Description
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2024].