Perspectives on Responsive and Responsible local governance and administration: Responsive local governance and administration: the case of the Sekhukhune District Municipality.
Ngoepe-Ntsoane, Mokgadi
South African municipalities have moral and legal obligations to involve local communities in
determining, prioritising, and realising their socio-economic development needs. This chapter
explores the importance of local structures’ participation and involvement to improve service
delivery for development enhancement. The focus of this study is centred on the involvement and
participation of non-governmental organisations, traditional leaders, local municipalities, and
business sectors in the Sekhukhune District Municipality. The aim is to explore the importance of
participation and involvement of these structures in improving service delivery at the local level.
Phenomenological and descriptive methods were used embracing purposive non-probability and
non-statistical sampling procedures. An Atlas TI software program was used for data analysis.
This paper postulates that a lack of resources and coordination among the local structures
compromises development while service delivery is collapsing. It is envisaged that more resources
need to be mobilised whilst the local structures are well coordinated and are at the centre of their
own development. This chapter addresses the policy gaps by local government resulting from a
lack of involvement and inclusivity of local structures on development initiatives through
participatory democracy. Conversely, the chapter makes a meaningful contribution to the body of knowledge on the realisation of the importance of participation and involvement of the local structures in development as the cornerstone of local democracy.
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