Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

South African municipalities have been plagued by persistent poor service delivery, financial mismanagement, governance instability, and deteriorating infrastructure (AGSA, 2023) which has led to numerous service delivery protests across the country. These protests are the culmination of frustration from residents due to services not being rendered or neglected in municipalities. The ability of municipalities to render services is primarily influenced by the fast pace of changes stemming from political, economic, social, and technological conditions, natural environmental risks, and health risks (Munzhedzi, 2021:2). Notably these changes impact on the changing nature of work and organisational learning within municipalities. Mehrabi, Alemzadeh, Jadidi, and Mahdevar (2013:134) have noted that organisational culture is strongly associated with organisational learning and service delivery. It is becoming more evident that South African municipal leadership need to move municipalities towards alternative and improved service delivery.

Generally, there has been a lack of, ineffective use of, and inefficient alternative service delivery mechanisms. Competent public servants are required to deliver services accountably and require an Organisational Learning Culture (OLC) that embraces service-orientation and learning-orientation to support and improve service delivery (RSA, 2021). Furthermore, municipalities that foster organisational learning and improvement provide opportunities for alternative service delivery mechanisms.

This paper aims to explore how municipal leadership can prioritise an OLC toward alternative and improved service delivery in South Africa.

Methodology

A literature review will examine international and national literature on the conceptual and theoretical frameworks that underpin leading an OLC that supports alternative and improved service delivery.

Findings

An OLC becomes essential in local government as it promotes organisational learning and shapes the way leaders, managers and public servants conduct themselves and render services. Ultimately, municipalities require competent leaders, managers, and public servants to operate in learning organisations which are service-oriented and accountable to the changing needs of communities. Leaders must move away from their traditional roles of planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling to embrace new functions and qualities that meet municipalities’ challenges. In cultivating an OLC, the personal values, commitment, mindset and competencies of municipal leaders, managers and public servants are vital characteristics for organisational learning.

Proposals

Public servants’ cultural beliefs and values influence: i) standards and work ethic; ii) working in teams, groups, or silos; iii) the presence or absence of a learning culture, and iv) accountable service delivery to communities. Cultural beliefs and values may hinder or promote an organisational commitment to learning and moreso, when public servants are (un)willing to participate in organisational learning (Oh and Han, 2020:1). A novel aspect of this literature review is based on developing a South African integrated OLC framework that can strengthen accountable service delivery in municipalities inclusive of alternative and improved service delivery.

References

Alerasoul, S.A., Afeltra, G., Hakala, H., Minelli, E., and Strouzzi, F. 2021. Organisational Learning, Learning Organisation and Learning Orientation, An integrative Review and Framework. Human Resource Management Review. Available from https://doi.org/10.10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100854.

Oh, S. and Han, H. 2020. Facilitating Organisational Learning Activities: Types of Organisational Culture and their Influence on Organisational Learning and Performance. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 18(1):1-15. DOI:10.1080/14778238.2018.1538668.

Mitsakis, F. 2019. Modify the Redefined: Strategic Human Resource Development Maturity at Crossroads. Human Resource Development Review, 18(4): 470-506.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Corruption is endemic in public sector organisations in South Africa (SA) and internationally. In 2023, the SA Corruption Watch’s (CW) reported the prevalence of corruption emerged as a key trend in SA public sector organisations. Five municipalities in SA were reported with the highest number of corruption incidents, namely the metropolitan municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Cape Town. Collectively these three municipalities accounted for 71% of corruption incidents. These were followed by Dannhauser and Matjhabeng municipalities respectively. Since 2012, SA Corruption Watch has received over 46,900 complaints of alleged corruption. This is an average of 11 reported corruption incidences per day. In 2023, the organisation received 2,110 corruption complaints (Neethling, 2024). The highest number of reported documented cases of wrongdoing and malfeasance in the South African public sector where in the policing sector which accounted for 23% of the complaints received. This was followed by the Department of Basic Education at 12%, and state-owned entities at 11%. Corruption has also severely hampered the successful implementation of public policies in public sector organisations in South Africa. Although much has been published on public service corruption in the media, a dearth of literature exists that addresses the subject matter from an empirical perspective. The aim of this paper is to determine the underlying causes of corruption in public sector organisations in South Africa. The objective of the paper is to provide solutions to address the increasing levels of corruption in public sector organisations in South Africa.

Methodology

A qualitative inductive exploratory research approach was used for this study to determine what are the underlying causes of corruption in the South African public sector and to generate new insights on corruption from the data. A descriptive research design was deemed necessary for this purpose. The data for this study was collected from multiple sources manly books, academic journals, documents, annual reports, commissioned reports, media reports, audio- visual material, newspapers and other records. An extensive literature review had been undertaken on corruption in the South African public sector to provide a detailed overview of the causes of corruption in the South African public sector. The study therefore involved a literature review, documentary and an audio and visual analysis of the data. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse the qualitative data. The study used techniques such as coding: and thematic analysis to identify patterns, themes, and meanings in the data. The data were extracted, explored and aggregated to identify relationships among emerging themes.To enhance the validity and reliability of the research findings, the data were triangulated. The data was presented based on the researcher's interpretation of the findings of the study. Ethical clearance was obtained to undertake the research.

Findings

The current literature suggests that there are ever increasing levels of corruption in public sector organisations in South Africa. Also, public sector organisations in South Africa encounter higher levels of corruption owing to various challenges such as the lack of internal control measures, a lack of adherence to public procurement policy, poor public procurement implementation practices, unethical practices, lack of whistle-blower’s protection, political interference in the procurement processes for personal gain, and a lack of good governance such as transparency and a lack of accountability.

Proposals

Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are made to address the significantly increased levels of corruption in public sector organisations in South Africa. An ethical leadership and good governance approach is recommended as a multi-pronged anti-corruption strategy, which entails amongst others, strengthening of internal control measures, the strengthening of anti-corruption policies and legislation, and the strengthening of good governance and the promotion of ethical practices. These recommendations could apply to other public sector organisations in South Africa and abroad.

References

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Problem Statement and Purpose

The system of cooperative governance in the democratic South African dispensation was constitutionally mandated and institutionalised to improve intergovernmental relations that can streamline effective performance, implementation and monitoring of government programmes to improve service delivery for citizens. This therefore means that cooperative governance model of the South African governance system should be modelled along good governance practices to enhance accountability. This also implies that good governance modelling through cooperative governance in South Africa should be amplified by effective oversight mechanisms across all cooperative governance spheres from national, provincial and local whereby there is accountability, public participation, responsiveness, trust, good faith and efficacy when performing functions towards delivery of basic services in local government structures. However, based on the plethora of audit reports from the Auditor-General of South Africa, few local municipalities in the Western Cape Province and the Midvaal in the Gauteng Province governed by the national opposition party demonstrate some green shoots of effective performance improvement when compared to those under the governing African National Congress

Methodology

An analytical literature and document analysis methodology is adopted to Analyse causes and effects of poor governance during cooperative governance systems. Policy and legislative frameworks, strategic and operational plans, and other oversight reports like the Auditor-General Municipal Performance Audits reports are reviewed to identify why poor governance has become the norm as opposed to good governance in the governing party’s local municipalities. Thematic analysis is employed to identify strategies that can streamline good governance through application of effective cooperative governance model in South Africa.

Findings

This therefore means that cooperative governance model of the South African governance system should be modelled along good governance practices to enhance accountability. This also implies that good governance modelling through cooperative governance in South Africa should be amplified by effective oversight mechanisms across all cooperative governance spheres from national, provincial and local whereby there is accountability, public participation, responsiveness, trust, good faith and efficacy when performing functions towards delivery of basic services in local government structures.

Proposals

However, based on the plethora of audit reports from the Auditor-General of South Africa, few local municipalities in the Western Cape Province and the Midvaal in the Gauteng Province governed by the national opposition party demonstrate some green shoots of effective performance improvement when compared to those under the governing African National Congress. Inversely, most of the municipalities such as Emfuleni Local Municipality and those in the Eastern Cape Province where there is the governing African National Congress hegemony, there is continuous and dismal poor performance.

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