Explore the evidence.
Understand the reach.

The local government in South Africa is important in providing critical services to communities, although local government is tasked with critical service delivery functions, many faces systemic challenges when fulfilling this responsibility. Mkhondo Local Municipality is no exception, challenges such as inefficiency, inadequate resource management, and limited public participation. This study is grounded in consequential theory, which underscores the significance of outcomes in assessing actions. This theoretical framework facilitates the exploration of strategic actions to enhance service delivery in Mkhondo. The aim of this article was to propose effective strategies to enhance service delivery at Mkhondo Local Municipality. This article adopted a qualitative methodology, with purposive sampling to select ten experienced participants from the supply chain management and finance units. Data was collected through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with 10 key municipal staff members. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically using NVivo 12 to identify and organise the emerging themes. The results highlighted several barriers, including ineffectiveness of performance monitoring, inadequate procurement transparency, and minimal community involvement. The article recommends the implementation of performance-based accountability, improved stakeholder participation, and transparency in municipal procedures. It is recommended that municipal strategies are aligned with consequential theory to significantly improve service delivery. These interventions can foster greater transparency, efficiency, and public trust, providing a model for similar municipalities across South Africa.

This study examined the role of local government in eradicating poverty and inequality in Salamanga community located in Matutuine District in Mozambique. Despite the implementation of several development strategies, including the Donor-Liberal Free-Market Rural Development Strategy, Donor-Funded Development Strategy, Strategic Plan for Agricultural Development, Green Revolution Strategy, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and the National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women poverty and inequality remain persistently high in rural areas. This study adopted a mixed-method approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data was collected through open-ended and structured questionnaires which were administered to 60 participants. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Methodological integration was achieved through triangulation. The finding revealed persistence structural constrains, including access to land, water, education healthcare, employment opportunities as well as inadequate infrastucure and institutional barriers that restrict participation in government programmes.There was a significant difference of opinion between the community and local officials, with public servants asserting strong government initiatives to empower residents, while community members reported a lack of empowerment from their local government.  Interpreted through the lens of Restricted Opportunity Theory and Marxian theory of poverty, the findings demonstrated that poverty and inequality in Salamanga is sustained by systemic exclusion and lack of economic opportunities rather than individual failure. The study recommends that local government should strengthen it capacity, decentralized and well – resourced agricultural programmes that support famers, improved service delivery, and inclusive community participation to advance equitable rural development in Mozambique.

This article examines whether merit-based recruitment and affirmative action in the South African public service operate as competing imperatives or as complementary mechanisms for institutional transformation. The article adopts a qualitative approach and relies on secondary sources to analyse academic publications, policies, legislative frameworks, and official government and oversight reports. The findings show that the perceived tension between merit-based recruitment and affirmative action is not inherent but is largely produced by weak implementation, political interference, and ambiguous policy interpretation. The article further finds that when merit and equity are integrated within transparent, competency-based recruitment frameworks, they function as complementary mechanisms that expand the pool of qualified candidates, strengthen institutional legitimacy, and enhance service delivery. The article concludes that sustainable public sector transformation depends not on choosing between merit and affirmative action, but on institutionalising their integration through policy refinement, governance reform, and sustained investment in human capital development.

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.

This paper explores the effectiveness of strategic initiatives used by local government in Mozambique to eradicate poverty and inequality, using Salamanga community as a case study. Employing a qualitative approach with interviews and questionnaires, findings revealed limited effectiveness due to weak implementation, lack of community involvement, and inadequate resources. The study adopted a qualitative approach to collect and analyse data. The study’s findings led to the conclusion that strategic initiatives employed by the Mozambican government to reduce poverty and inequality are ineffective. While the goal was to fight poverty and inequality, Mozambique still struggles with these issues, marked by widespread poverty. people enduring poor living conditions, inadequate education, and a high rate of unemployment. Local authorities, however, noted positive impacts from these strategic initiatives, which differed from what was found in local communities.

The advent of democracy in South Africa ushered in a new wave of the provision of accelerated service delivery to communities. At the centre of acceleration, democracy was addressing the historical imbalances in the provision of services that were created by the apartheid regime, which mainly benefited the minority. Despite the government’s commitment to accelerate service delivery, South Africa has witnessed a proliferation of service delivery protests characterised by the destruction of valuable assets like road infrastructure, government fleet, and buildings as well as loss of life in some instances. Service delivery protests happen whilst the government has put in place mechanisms such as the Batho Pele principles to enhance how it interacts with its people. This paper is conceptual in nature and relies profoundly on literature to fortify its argument. It deploys a qualitative research technique to answer its principal question, which seeks to understand the relationship between service delivery protests and the failure of the government to implement Batho Pele principles. Moreover, through this approach, the study will respond to its ancillary question, which seeks to understand how the government can use Batho Pele principles as a strategic tool to interact with its communities, thus reducing service delivery protests in South Africa. The study will contribute to the ongoing discourse on how the government can use its existing mechanisms to address service delivery protests in South Africa. Moreover, the study will shape the policy direction and be a springboard for emerging scholars.

Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025 redefined the 1st priority of the 6th administration, namely the achievement of a capable, ethical and developmental state. This strategic plan envisioned innovation as an enabler and a catalyst for the public sector to execute and deliver on the developmental agenda in South Africa. Similarly, emphasis is placed on the potential of District Development Model (DDM) to tackle the triple challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment to ensure that the needs of communities are met. However, much is yet to be known about their potential to build a capable developmental state in South Africa. Using Inclusive Development approach as its theoretical framework, this paper strived to determine the nexus between public sector innovation and DDM as a critique for a state that is developmental in South Africa. This paper demonstrates how the integration of public sector innovation and DDM in South Africa represents a plausible pathway towards a capable developmental state. The paper argued for an inclusive development approach that is more human-centered. The paper adopted qualitative research methodology to evaluate secondary data and used thematic discourse analysis to analyse the gathered data set.

The study explored the challenges faced by principals in implementing policies with a focus on the Policy on the South African Standard for Principalship. The implementation of policies globally and in South Africa has experienced a high rate of failure. The problem is that in many organisations' implementing policies, policy implementers are not concerned with challenges that employees face when implementing policies. This lack of focus on challenges has often resulted in policy implementation failure. This article focuses on the perceptions of principals regarding challenges they encounter in implementing policies using a qualitative approach. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with fifteen principals from schools in Mopani East district, Limpopo province, and used a qualitative inductive analysis. The study revealed that principals encounter challenges that are both systemic DBE-based (Department of Basic Education) and school-based. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education should focus on mediating the challenges using effective strategies to enhance the chances of policy success. 

Rural public service delivery is difficult due to poor healthcare, education, clean water, and infrastructure. In underdeveloped countries, resource limits and governance issues can impede progress. Old infrastructure, financial mismanagement, and governance challenges in King Sabata Dalindyebo hinder rural residents' access to electricity, water, and sanitation. The study assessed public service delivery, identified difficulties, and suggested sustainable improvements. This study uses service delivery theory to frame rural development in King Sabata Dalindyebo. The study conducted qualitative research to determine how rural local governments might improve public service delivery, concentrating on KSD. Due to case study approach, this study focuses on KSD. This study collected data using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. Data was examined thematically. Electrification and infrastructure have improved, but unequal service distribution, illegal electrical connections, and a lack of long-term investment remain. Sustainable service delivery requires community involvement, but existing efforts to engage the community, especially vulnerable groups like youth, are insufficient. The paper advises increasing electrification funds and using renewable energy to fill service shortages. Stakeholder engagement and digital communication can improve public service delivery. This study adds to the literature by using a rural case from KSD Municipality to demonstrate how local governance flaws, uneven electrification, and narrow community inclusion affect service delivery. It offers grounded qualitative evidence from a rural Eastern Cape municipality and emphasises the necessity of integrating governing arrangements to inhabitants' lived experiences in judging municipal service delivery. 

This article examines whether merit-based recruitment and affirmative action in the South African public service operate as competing imperatives or as complementary mechanisms for institutional transformation. The article adopts a qualitative approach and relies on secondary sources to analyse academic publications, policies, legislative frameworks, and official government and oversight reports. The findings show that the perceived tension between merit-based recruitment and affirmative action is not inherent but is largely produced by weak implementation, political interference, and ambiguous policy interpretation. The article further finds that when merit and equity are integrated within transparent, competency-based recruitment frameworks, they function as complementary mechanisms that expand the pool of qualified candidates, strengthen institutional legitimacy, and enhance service delivery. The article concludes that sustainable public sector transformation depends not on choosing between merit and affirmative action, but on institutionalising their integration through policy refinement, governance reform, and sustained investment in human capital development.