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1. Abstract   A quest for accountability and fairness in the South African public service has been undermined by persistent gaps in discipline management, particularly in the application of PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2003. This study examines the impact of non-compliance with procedural principles and timeframes on dismissed employees and their families within the North West provincial government. Drawing on literature on procedural justice, consequence management, and labour law, the study assesses disciplinary policy practice, precautionary suspension processes, and the reluctance of departments to implement reinstatement awards.   The study adopted a mixed-methods design. The population comprised employees across nine North West provincial departments. Data were collected through document review of disciplinary case files and arbitration awards, a structured questionnaire administered to 100 respondents, and 30 semi-structured interviews with dismissed employees, employees with delayed reinstatement awards, and family members. Key informant interviews were conducted with labour relations practitioners. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to assess variability and deviation from Resolution 1 of 2003, supplemented by thematic analysis of interview and case law evidence.   The data indicate widespread failure to follow Resolution 1 of 2003, with some reinstatement awards delayed by up to 17 years. In practice, departments often opened disciplinary hearings without adequate preliminary investigation, extended precautionary suspensions well past the 60-day statutory limit, and resisted implementing CCMA and Labour Court orders to reinstate employees. Consequences include prolonged income loss, asset repossession, psychological distress, stigma, and social breakdown for employees and dependents. Institutional resistance, manifested through repeated review applications and unlawful salary deductions, further weakens accountability.   The study concludes that administrative non-compliance generates measurable financial, psychological, and social harm that extends beyond the workplace. Recommendations include enforcing time-bound implementation of awards, establishing a central monitoring system, limiting procedural delay tactics, integrating family impact assessments, and strengthening accountability within labour relations units through progressive and team-based discipline, capacitated accountability mechanisms, and merit-based appointments.

This study focuses on procurement processes as one of the most critical issues facing the South African local government domain today. Our main argument in this paper is that effective and efficient procurement processes are stifled by corruption emanating from political patronage which continues to menace the public sector. The trickle-down effect of this is poor service rendering in local government and the disjuncture between the services rendered and the citizens’ priorities. The principal-agent theory was used as an analytical lens of the study. The study adopted a qualitative literature review to unearth the scourge of tenderpreneurship and explore its effects on service delivery in the Eastern Cape province. Findings revealed that, despite the enactment of relevant statutory instruments and institutional structures to enhance procurement practices within local government, politics-administration dichotomy continues to negatively affect the processes. Corruption in the procurement processes has manifested itself through bribery, fraud and kickbacks and these have proven to be counterproductive in terms of service delivery. Findings have also demonstrated that the rendering of services such as water and sanitation, infrastructure and electricity remain elusive in many local municipalities in the provinces owing to the poor quality of work provided by inexperienced contractors linked to the political elite. In this regard, the study recommends the strengthening of internal financial controls within municipalities and establishing clear work procedures and oversight mechanisms between the politicians and the street bureaucrats.

Financial pressures in South Africa’s public sector have increased efforts to control the wage bill, raising concerns about the long-term effects of stagnant remuneration on employee performance, retention, and service delivery. Although the link between pay and motivation is well known, less attention has been given to how prolonged salary stagnation, within a constrained fiscal environment, affects both employees and service delivery outcomes. This paper addresses this gap by examining the effects of stagnant remuneration in the South African public service. The paper used a qualitative narrative review of secondary data, including academic literature, government reports, and policy documents. Sources were selected based on their relevance to remuneration, employee performance, and service delivery, and were analysed thematically. The findings show that stagnant remuneration is not only a Human Resource issue but also a service delivery issue, as it directly affects employee motivation and institutional capacity. Guided by Equity Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the paper’s conceptual model, the results indicate that perceived unfairness and rising living costs reduce motivation, increase turnover, and weaken organisational capacity, especially in sectors such as health, education, and local government. This creates a tension between fiscal sustainability and workforce effectiveness, which ultimately affects service quality. The paper contributes by linking remuneration challenges to service delivery outcomes and indicates the need for a balanced approach to managing the public sector wage bill.

The global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has positioned digital transformation as a key strategy for improving efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in public service delivery. In South Africa, however, persistent service delivery protests, limited institutional capacity, and resource constraints continue to undermine effective governance, raising critical questions about the readiness and effectiveness of AI and ICT adoption in the public sector. This paper, therefore, examines the impact of AI and ICT on public service transformation in South Africa, with a focus on their potential to improve service delivery and the barriers limiting their effective implementation. Methodologically, the paper adopts a qualitative research approach based on secondary data, drawing on peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and relevant case studies on digital transformation in public administration. Through thematic synthesis, the paper analyses patterns of adoption, impact, and implementation challenges across key public service domains. The findings reveal that AI and ICT have contributed to improved e-government services, enhanced administrative efficiency, and greater transparency in selected areas of public service delivery. However, these benefits remain uneven and fragmented due to persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited financial and human resources, resistance to change, regulatory constraints, low levels of digital literacy, and outdated legacy systems. These barriers collectively slow down system-wide digital transformation and limit the scalability of technological innovations. The paper contributes by providing a consolidated and updated synthesis of fragmented evidence on AI and ICT adoption in South Africa’s public sector, offering a clearer understanding of both progress and persistent structural constraints. It further indicates that digital transformation is not solely a technological issue but also an institutional and governance challenge. The paper recommends prioritised investment in modern ICT infrastructure, strengthened digital skills development for public servants, and the establishment of a coherent national digital transformation strategy. It further recommends simplifying procurement processes, fostering an innovation-oriented public sector culture, and strengthening regulatory and ethical governance frameworks to ensure accountability, inclusivity, and sustainable digital transformation in public service delivery.

This study examines the long-run relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and institutional quality within the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), focusing on Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia over the period 2002–2019. Drawing on institutional theories of FDI, the analysis employs governance indicators such as political stability, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and rule of law to assess their influence on investment dynamics. Using panel unit root and cointegration tests, the study confirms the existence of a stable long-term equilibrium among the variables. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) estimator is applied to quantify these relationships. Empirical results indicate that control of corruption, political stability, and regulatory quality exert significant positive effects on FDI inflows, even after accounting for macroeconomic controls. Conversely, government effectiveness and rule of law show no statistically significant impact in the presence of the macroeconomic control variables. These findings underscore the critical role of institutional quality in shaping the investment climate of AMU economies. Policy implications suggest that targeted reforms such as strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, enhancing political stability, and improving regulatory governance can bolster institutional credibility, mitigate investment risk, and attract sustainable FDI to the region.  

This study explored whether centralising human resource management (HRM) for SMS appointments can improve recruitment efficiency, enhance transparency, and curtail patronage, while examining the broader implications for public sector governance and service provision. A qualitative, secondary data-driven systematic review was conducted following an adapted PRISMA protocol, with 16 peer-reviewed and governmental documents (2014 – 2024) retained. Thematic analysis proceeded through open, axial and thematic coding, generating four overarching themes: (1) Control vs autonomy, (2) Equity vs effectiveness, (3) Political legitimacy vs technocratic efficiency, and (4) Hybrid governance potential. The findings revealed that three interrelated challenges dominate the current centralised model: (i) Bureaucratic delays and capacity constraints; (ii) Loss of departmental autonomy; (iii) Contextual insensitivity. Conversely, centralisation delivers standardisation, fairness, and merit-based safeguards, providing a transparent platform for oversight and reducing overt patronage. The study proposes a calibrated hybrid architecture. Implementing the hybrid model aligns with constitutional mandates for merit, equity and accountability, while preserving departmental flexibility essential for effective service delivery. It offers a pragmatic pathway to break the "politicised hiring" cycle, improve vacancy-to-fill rates, and restore public trust in senior appointments across the health, education, water, and fiscal management sectors. By synthesising institutional theoretical perspectives with empirical evidence from South Africa and comparative BRICS cases, this research advances understanding of how centralised HRM can be re-engineered to balance technocratic efficiency with contextual responsiveness. The proposed governance framework provides a replicable blueprint for public-sector reform in resource-constrained, highly politicised environments.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is recognised as a fundamental human right in South Africa.  The study explores the underlying reasons and motivations for service hesitancy among youth in Mutale Village, even when they are aware that those services are available.  This study analyses the knowledge, perceptions and experiences of young people in Mutale Village, Thulamela Municipality. Utilising a mixed-method approach, the study employed both snowball and purposive sampling to gather data from 126 participants via semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis while quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statics via SPSS version 19.0. key findings reveal young people encounter numerous challenges accessing SRH services due to minimal awareness of available options. Service use is significantly hampered by prevailing social norms, religious beliefs that view SRG as improper for youth, and misconceptions regarding contraceptives side effects (e.g. fear of infertility). Furthermore, the negative attitude of local healthcare workers was found to discourage young people from using the facilities. The concludes that social barriers and healthcare worker attitudes are major impediments to the utilisation of essential SRH services. The study recommends that clinics in rural areas should expand youth-friendly corners with trained staff who respect confidentiality and provide non-judgmental services. Regular refresher training for healthcare providers on adolescent SRH needs is essential

The article seeks to explore the factors which restrict doctoral graduate throughput rates at a selected University of Technology faculty located in the Western Cape, South Africa. In a developing economy like South Africa higher education qualifications are important as it is universally accepted that doctoral studies, in particular advance knowledge and innovation is important in any society. Furthermore, doctoral graduates play a significant role in the knowledge economy, promote innovation organisations, boost credibility of organisations and connect ideas between academia and industry. A positive nexus exists between a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the number of doctoral candidates produced. To achieve the aim of this article a qualitative interpretive design was adopted to identify the factors which restrict throughput rates and the extent or significance thereof. The locus for this study was a selected faculty in a University of Technology (UoT) located in the Western Cape, South Africa with the target research population delineated as employees who hold a master’s degree within the same faculty. Using qualitative interpretive design and thematic analysis of survey responses from 40 master’s-qualified employees, the study identifies key barriers and proposes targeted interventions. The forty participants were purposively selected to participate in the questionnaire survey. The paper will propose interventions to facilitate the improvement of the doctoral throughput rate premised on the analysis of the results arising from the questionnaire survey. The paper proposes targeted and contextualized interventions to address the systemic challenges restricting doctoral enrolment and completion by the faculty employees.