Service Delivery Protests Symptomatic of Government’s Failure to Implement Batho Pele Principles: Selected Cases in the South African Public Sector
H.E Zitha · Khutso Delphus Maela · S.T. Matloga
International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy · 2026 · Vol. 8 / Issue 5 · 734-744
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Abstract
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.
Keywords: {'name': 'Service delivery, Batho Pele, Public Sector, Government, Protest'}
Authors & affiliations
H.E Zitha
University of Venda
Khutso Delphus Maela
University of Venda
S.T. Matloga
University of Venda
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