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267
N.J. Modisha & O. Mtapuri
Journal of Public Administration Journal of Public Administration
A CRISIS OF EXPECTATIONS VERSUS LEGISLATIVE
MANDATE: THE CASE OF MOLEMOLE AND BLOUBERG
MUNICIPALITIES IN LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA
N.J. Modisha & O. Mtapuri
University of Limpopo
ABSTRACT
This article measures the expectations of citizens against local government’s
legislative mandate to deliver services to citizens within the context of the
Molemole and Blouberg Municipalities in Limpopo. In doing so, it aims to
contribute the discourse on governance from the perspective of the governed.
The qualitative study utilized purposive sampling and collected data using
unstructured questionnaires; individual and focus group interviews, observation
and participatory tools. The key ndings are that citizens in the study area are in
dire need of the following services: water, electricity, sanitation and sewerage,
road maintenance services, housing, refuse removal and health services in that
order; and that citizens were unclear about the functions of national, provincial
and local government in relation to housing, health and other services. They felt
that a local municipality has the responsibility to tar and maintain roads within
its jurisdiction, including district roads and even to provide housing and health
services. They also felt that, while local government is touted as the sphere that
brings government closer to the people, it has not been accorded the necessary
powers and functions to provide basic services to communities at a satisfactory
level. As a result, since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, communities
have lost faith in the ability of local municipalities to improve their welfare.
INTRODUCTION
This article examines the expectations of citizens in light of local government’s
legislative mandate to deliver services within the context of the Molemole and
Blouberg Municipalities in Limpopo. The local government system in South Africa
gives effect to Chapter 7 (ss 151–164) of the Constitution of the Republic of South
Africa. The Constitution requires that local government inter alia: ensures sustain-
able provision of services to communities; supports social and economic develop-
ment; promotes a safe and healthy environment; and encourages the participation
of communities and sector-based community organizations in order to promote
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democratic and accountable government. According to Maxine (2009), local gov-
ernment in South Africa is expected to exhibit high levels of participatory, account-
able, transparent and representative engagement with communities. Maserumule
(2008) further asserts that “municipalities are no longer instruments of service
delivery, but are also assigned a role as agents of economic development in their
areas of jurisdictions around the country”. Arguably, therefore, local government is
primarily responsible for implementing policies in a developmental manner.
The Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (no. 32 of 2000) requires municipalities to
undertake development-oriented planning in order to achieve the objectives of
local government set out in Sections 152 and 153 of the Constitution. The Inte-
grated Development Plan (IDP) of a municipality must reect an assessment of the
existing level of development in the municipality and identify communities that
do not have access to basic services. Chapter 4 of Municipal Systems Act requires
that municipalities develop “a culture of municipal governance that complements
formal representative government with a system of participatory governance…”
Mokwena and Fakir (2009) assert that, “…deliberative democracy and participa-
tion at local level can help to democratize formulation and implementation of
development plans”. Therefore communities should own IDP processes, set the
priorities of the IDP and be actively involved in its implementation.
In common with many other countries, South Africa has a modern and sophis-
ticated electorate that seeks more accountability and responsibility on the part of
government. Globalization and pervasive access to information technology have
encouraged citizens to demand more from their governments (Rondinelli, 2007).
Citizens no longer want to be passive participants in matters that affect them. As
voters, they demand an active role in policy formulation and decision-making. The
onus is on government and municipalities to provide constant feedback to commu-
nities on their achievements and proposed actions. Furthermore, citizens expect
public money to be spent wisely to ensure value for money, efciency, efcacy,
and minimal wastage and theft so that the public benets from state resources. This
is the main objective of developmental local government espoused in the White
Paper on Local Government (1998).
Given the foregoing, this study seeks to address the following questions: what
are the expectations of residents of Molemole and Blouberg Local Municipalities
with respect to the quality of service offered by their local authorities? What are
the residents’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of local municipalities?
Kanyane (2011) observes that from the time of the rst democratic local govern-
ment elections in 2000, communities expected local government to respond to
their need for service delivery. He adds that because of their poor nancial status,
municipalities, especially those in the rural areas, are nancially hamstrung and
can crumble if grants from the provincial and national government are withdrwan.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
South Africa’s Constitution accords local government the power to raise its own
revenue and spend it on its constitutionally assigned functions (Nyalunga, 2006).
Rural-based municipalities depend, to a large extent, on national transfers and
equitable shares to deliver on their mandates and have little capacity to raise their
own revenue, as most citizens reside in traditional houses for which they do not
pay rates and other service fees. Even more challenging is the fact that reticula-
tion of sanitation can be expensive given the skewed settlement patterns in such
communities. The majority of rural citizens rely on social security grants and on
free basic services (including water, electricity and sanitation) from municipali-
ties. According to Carrim (2010), a number of local municipalities have indicated
they are 100% grant dependent. Municipalities are further expected to nance the
provision of free basic electricity and water to indigents. Mears and Biyase (2010)
maintain that the indigent policy is a huge drain on the nancial resources of
municipalities, which is exacerbated by high levels of unemployment. This puts a
strain on the operational budget, especially if an increase in the number of indigent
beneciaries is not accompanied by a concomitant increase in equitable transfers.
Despite such challenges, communities still expect local municipalities to provide
them with decent services.
Nyalunga (2006) observes that, it is widely acknowledged that local government
suffers severe deciencies in terms of its capacity and structure to meet demands
for service delivery. According to the Local Government Bulletin (2010), “it has
become worrying that violent protests, widespread corruption, unaccountable
leadership and political inghting seem to dene the reality of local government”.
The Local Government Bulletin (2010) adds that government should moderate its
more unrealistic policy expectations as the “one size ts all” approach does not
take into account the different levels of capacity of municipalities and is a recipe
for unrealistic and unmet promises that will further undermine public condence
in all levels of government. It is clear that rural-based municipalities are hamstrung
in terms of their revenue-generating capacity and struggle to provide much-needed
infrastructure in their communities.
In an opinion survey conducted by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa
(IDASA) (2010), 58 percent of the participants were of the view that municipal ser-
vices have stayed the same since 2000, with more than 30% being of the opinion
that they had deteriorated. Fifty-six percent of the participants in Molemole identi-
ed water provision as the most persistent problem (IDASA, 2010). An interesting
nding of the IDASA (2010) survey is that citizens have varied understandings of
the responsibilities of local government, with 68% of the participants stating that
the local municipality is responsible for housing provision, 60% citing education
and 36% being of the opinion that the registration of births and deaths falls under
local government. Such confusion resulted in citizens forwarding complaints to
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municipalities even where municipalities are not constitutionally mandated to pro-
vide the required services. This suggests that municipalities need to step up efforts
to inform citizens about their responsibilities and competencies.
Cloete (1997) observes that local government operations can be severely lim-
ited if this sphere of government is not supported through specialized expertise,
nancial backing and administrative infrastructure. Many of the municipalities that
were created after the new democratic dispensation face enormous challenges due
to the following factors:
a) Newly demarcated municipalities now have larger populations. This places
strain on already-strained infrastructure and resource backlogs, which they
are expected to eliminate.
b) Many of the political ofce-bearers and administrative ofcials do not have
the requisite skills and knowledge to run local municipalities.
c) The disparities between urban and rural areas and the paucity of economic
opportunities in rural areas are placing strain on urban infrastructure as
people migrate to ‘greener pastures’ in these areas.
d) Most settlements in rural areas are far away from one another due to
patterns of traditional ownership. This makes rolling out basic services
infrastructure costly and unviable for rural municipalities. Many of these
areas have no sanitation facilities and untarred roads which are impassable
because the settlements are not systematically structured (Cloete, 1997).
IDASA (2010) maintains that citizens’ protests are not only an expression of dis-
satisfaction with the quality of services, but an expression of their frustration at the
lack of responsiveness, transparency and accountability within local government.
According to Bekkers and Lielde (2002), effective municipalities require the active
participation of citizens at four levels, namely: as voters, as citizens, as consumers
and end-users and as organized partners in business, non-governmental organiza-
tions and community-based institutions. Nyalunga (2006) observes that the multi-
faceted responsibility of local government to deliver services and promote local
economic development is challenged by the divergent roles expected of citizens.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
A research design represents a master plan that species the methods and
procedures for collecting and analyzing the required information (Tustin et al.,
2005:82). This study adopted a qualitative research design that sought to gain
deeper understanding of the impact of service delivery in Molemole and Blouberg
Local Municipalities from the point of view of citizens as voters, consumers, end-
users and organized partners. The aim was therefore not to engage in a technical
and quantitative assessment of municipal service delivery, but to elicit the views
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and opinions of residents and other stakeholders regarding their levels of satisfac-
tion with the quality of the services offered by local authorities and their percep-
tions of the roles and responsibilities of local municipalities in terms of service
delivery. The two local municipalities fall under the Capricorn District Municipality
of Limpopo Province.
Population
Molemole covers about 3 347.25 km2 with a population of 100 408, or 9.48
percent of the district; while Blouberg covers 4 540.84 km2 with a population of
161 322, or 13.97 percent of the district (CDM, 2010). The two municipalities are
overwhelmingly rural and depend, to a large extent, on agriculture as a vehicle for
economic upliftment.
Sampling
Purposive sampling, which falls under the category of non-probability sam-
pling, was used as the study was qualitative in nature. The sample consisted of
ward committee members, councilors (drawn from the service delivery portfolios
- infrastructure and community services), traditional leaders, municipal directors
(technical and community services), members of cooperatives and local citizens
(teachers, administrators and nurses who are opinion leaders in their communities
who are able to inuence the local service delivery agenda among citizens) as well
as community development workers (See Table 1 below).
Table 1: Population and sample
Participants Sample Target population
Molemole Blouberg Total Molemole Blouberg
Municipal Directors 22455
Traditional Authorities 22448
Councilors 2 2 4 25 29
Business Owners /Cooperatives 2 2 4 30 37
Community Development Workers
(CDWs)
3 3 6 10 15
Ward Committee members 4 4 8 140 170
Local Citizens 8 8 16 - -
Total 23 23 46 - -
An additional 15 people from each local municipality were recruited to par-
ticipate in focus group discussions. These comprised of mixed groups of males
and females who played a conrmatory role with respect to the ndings generated
using other data collection instruments. Therefore, the trustworthiness of the data
was achieved by requesting the participants to conrm the results including the
triangulation of methods.
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Data collection
Unstructured questionnaires, one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions,
pocket charts and observation were used to collect data. The literature reviewed
included government documents and municipal bulletins. Face-to-face interviews
were conducted in the local languages. These interviews were personal, intensive
and unstructured. Follow-up interviews were conducted with selected participants
in order to verify the consistency of the responses. Retired as well as current coun-
cilors participated in the study. An unstructured, self-administered questionnaire
was distributed to local citizens who are professionals and could easily cope with
its completion. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
(2002), pocket charts, derived from the participatory methods tradition, are investi-
gative tools used to assess developmental issues using pictures as a stimulus. Using
paper or cardboard, pockets are arranged in rows and columns and captioned
with a drawing in which a ‘voting’ process is used, allowing participants to vote
on issues such as water, sanitation, and so forth. The study used this tool to elicit
responses from community members.
All the participants partook freely in both the individual and group interviews
in accordance with Rubin and Rubin’s (1995:47 in Williams, 2006) suggestion that
qualitative interviewing should be “exible, iterative and continuous”. Traditional
authorities are an important stakeholder in rural municipalities. However, despite
repeated attempts to interview them, they did not make themselves available.
Observation methods were used to observe the long queues of residents in the
villages as they waited for the daily delivery of water by municipal water tankers.
This allowed the researchers to establish the extent of water shortages in villages
and their dependence on tankers. The road projects at Mohodi village and Mog-
wadi suburb were also observed to provide rst-hand experience of the level of
development in these areas. Small-scale farmers and cooperatives were visited on
their farms in order to augment the ndings. The researchers also attended com-
munity meetings organized by traditional local authorities in order to record con-
cerns raised by residents.
The participants were clearly briefed on the aims and implications of the
research study. They were informed that they were free to participate or withdraw
from the study at any time. Written consent was obtained from all participants.
Condentiality and anonymity were guaranteed. The names used in this article are
ctitious in order to protect the identity of participants. A thematic approach was
used to analyze the data. Because this study employed qualitative and participa-
tory techniques, it does not aim to generalize the ndings.
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RESULTS
ESSENTIAL SERVICES: PARTICIPANTS’ PERSPECTIVES
Using pocket charts – voting - participants were asked to state the six main
services that should be provided by their municipality. The results indicate that the
main services expected are: water, electricity, sanitation, road tarring and main-
tenance (especially gravel roads), housing, refuse removal and health services.
According to the ndings, water is the residents’ rst priority, followed by electric-
ity, sanitation and sewerage, road maintenance, housing, refuse removal and health
services. An interesting nding is that crime was last on their list. This suggests that
although acts of crime do take place, they are the least of residents’ worries. Of
signicance is the fact that the services prioritized by participants coincide with
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which the South African government
is committed to. Local municipalities are expected to play a key role in achieving
these goals. It is further noted that the poor quality of such services has been the
source of numerous community protests.
REFUSE COLLECTION
Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution list all the functions that are assigned
to local government; these include water and sanitation services (limited to pota-
ble water supply systems), refuse removal, electricity, local tourism, local sports
facilities, and so forth. Molemole Municipality only collects refuse in the subur-
ban areas of Mogwadi (former Dendron) and Morebeng (formerly Soekmekaar).
Blouberg Municipality is providing this service in Senwabarwana suburb (for-
merly Bochum) and has also extended the service to selected villages (Dilaeneng,
Witten, Machaba, Marobyane, Indermark, Ga-Makgato, De Vrede, Mamadi,
Modimonthuse and Grootpan), on a weekly basis (Blouberg Municipality, 2008).
The IDASA (2010) study found that 93 percent of the population does not have
refuse collection services in this area. A face-to-face interview with a councilor
revealed that residents in rural villages expect the municipality to collect refuse
from their areas as well. However, the suburban areas pay service fees. In order
to collect refuse in villages, municipalities would require additional resources
(human and physical, such as landll sites), as these communities are unable to
pay such fees due to high levels of unemployment and poverty and their depen-
dence on social grants. Under such circumstances, cost-recovery (let alone prot
and viability) would seem unviable.
Personal observations by the researchers in both municipalities revealed that
there is no designated dumping site in most villages; this may pose serious health
hazards to human beings and animals. Providing such services would make a
dent in a municipality’s operational budget if there is no support from the national
scus. This is exacerbated by the historically skewed settlement patterns in rural
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villages, where some roads are not passable. A proper refuse collection strategy
could have long-lasting social benets for the communities in these municipalities.
For instance, refuse would not spill over into rivers and wells; this could help pre-
vent disease outbreaks such as cholera and diarrhea that could cost municipalities
and government dearly.
WATER SERVICES
The provision of bulk water infrastructure falls within the competency of the
district municipality, while local municipalities are delegated responsibility for the
maintenance and operation of the infrastructure. District and local municipalities
enter into a service level agreement (SLA) to provide water services. The district
is a Water Service Authority (WSA), while a local municipality is a Water Service
Provider (WSP). Both have distinct constitutional mandates. In a face-to-face inter-
view, a Molemole resident commented that prior to 1994, villagers used to get suf-
cient water from street and yard taps, but things became worse when the system
of local municipalities was introduced. Tebogo, a male resident in his mid 30s from
Blouberg argued that:
If it is the district that is responsible for water infrastructure then it means the
introduction of local municipalities is but a waste of government resources since
the latter is much closer to the communities and is ideally well placed to provide
the service than the district.
In focus group interviews, Molemole residents complained that the municipal-
ity did not maintain the water pipes and boreholes and that the pump operators
did not attend to the machines on a regular basis. The researchers observed that
many boreholes in Molemole Local Municipality were dry. Water tankers are used
to supply water to areas with dire shortages, but residents felt that the municipality
should deliver water twice a day (mornings and afternoons). The district municipal-
ity has seconded staff to the local municipalities to deal with the operation and
maintenance of water infrastructure in local villages. However, an interview with
one the directors revealed that there was no clear reporting structure in place;
seconded staff did not know who to account to and therefore lacked appropri-
ate supervision. It became clear in the focus group discussions with Molemole
residents that this is one of the causes of friction between residents and the local
municipality because residents are not privy to such arrangements. According to
the Blouberg Municipality (2008) some areas do not have access to clean water,
while in other areas the water is salty and not suitable for human consumption.
Many villages rely on water from rivers and wells, posing the threat of water-borne
diseases.
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HOUSING
The preamble to the Housing Act (Act 107 of 1997) states that “housing is vital
to socio-economic well-being of the nation”. Housing, as a function, does not
feature in either Schedule 4B or 5B of the Constitution and is therefore not a core
function of local government. Schedule 4 of the Constitution states that housing is
a functional area of concurrent national and provincial government. No munici-
pality has been accredited to operate housing programmes (Qomfo, 2005). A face-
to-face interview with an ofcial working on housing-related matters in Blouberg it
was revealed that the municipality’s Community Services Department undertakes
administrative tasks such as registering new applicants for low-cost housing; this is
a peripheral function that carries no accountability.
This ofcial had not received training or up to date information on how to assist
citizens with housing-related queries, let alone developments in the provincial
housing department in particular, and national housing in general. The researchers
are of the view that the municipality should set up a help desk to assist residents
with issues relating to Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses
(these are low cost houses built by government for the poor). Many residents from
both municipalities who were interviewed believe that the local municipality is the
appropriate sphere of government to address housing issues in their communities.
This demonstrates that residents have not been informed about where to apply for
housing. This begs the question: Are local municipalities better placed to perform
the housing service function within their area of jurisdiction? If this is the case, the
housing function will need to be moved from Schedule 4A of the Constitution to
Schedule 5B, which, one could argue, supports the objective of developmental
local government. Alternatively, the constitutional schedules and the Housing Act
of 1997 could be reconciled.
ELECTRICITY
Many of the focus group interview participants from both municipalities believe
that electricity provision is within the competency of their local municipality,
despite the fact that most rural villages draw their electricity from Eskom. Those
who draw their electricity from the municipality (the suburban areas of Mogwadi,
Morebeng and Senwabarwana) noted concerns regarding the quality of service
in terms of accessibility and cost. For instance, pre-paid electricity can only be
bought during ofce hours (08H00-16H00) from Monday to Friday and not over
weekends. If a resident is unable to get to the ofce in time, he/she has to wait
until the next day to buy a token. Another concern raised by participants was that
when there is a problem with issuing tokens, the municipality should extend the
ofce hours or open during weekends, as the majority of residents buy R20 tokens.
Alternatively, the municipalities should consider using other distribution methods
like local 24-hour garages, ATMs or local shops. However, a municipal ofcial
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noted that using other distribution channels would reduce municipal revenue. This
concern should be taken seriously, given that some residents are calling for Eskom
to take over the electricity function from the municipalities. Eskom electricity costs
less in villages because it is regulated by the National Energy Regulator (Nersa) and
prices are determined on the basis of the levels of income, while municipalities
have to earn a ‘prot’ per unit sold. Electricity sales are one of the main revenue
sources of local municipalities.
ROADS
Rural municipalities have inherited a serious backlog of road infrastructure due
to the priority given to suburban towns in the past. Many of the roads in rural vil-
lages in both municipalities are in a very bad state; from the researchers’ observa-
tions, it is clearly a challenge to drive on gravel roads during the rainy season. The
majority of the participants raised road maintenance as a primary concern. Local
municipalities are responsible for re-gravelling and tarring local roads, while the
district and provincial department of transport is responsible for district and pro-
vincial roads. One of the councilors, from the Molemole Local Municiaplity, who
works in the infrastructure section noted that a municipality has to wait a long time
for funds to be received from the district or provincial department to implement the
road projects which are included in their IDP.
However, Blouberg residents who were interviewed felt that it is the respon-
sibility of the local municipality to tar and maintain any road within its area of
jurisdiction, including district roads. This further attests to the lack of information
about the competencies of district, provincial and local municipalities. Molemole
Municipality is currently tarring two district roads at a cost of more than R30 mil-
lion (Molemole Municipality, 2010). This illustrates that, in some instances, citi-
zens evaluate a municipality’s performance on functions for which it does not have
legislative powers; such confusion may result in protest action against the munici-
pality.
SANITATION
Sewage disposal is a core responsibility of a local municipality as per sched-
ule 4B of the Constitution. However, the responsibilities and functions of a dis-
trict vis-à-vis a local municipality are not clear, especially as they relate to rolling
out sanitation infrastructure. In reality, the district is the implementing agency
for sanitation projects in Blouberg Municipality (Blouberg Municipality, 2008).
Using pocket charts, Molemole residents voted for sanitation as an important ser-
vice which should be provided by their municipality. This was a major concern in
rural villages, where proper sanitation systems are absent. Observation revealed
that some villages (as well as RDP houses in suburban areas) in Molemole are still
using pit latrines and that only a small section of the residents in bonded houses are
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using ush toilets. The municipality is currently using sewerage trucks to dispose
of sewerage. In face-to-face interviews, participants in Mogwadi complained that
they have been waiting too long for a proper ush system to be installed. One ward
committee member stated bluntly that:
Water and sanitation are a luxury to the people. I have been staying in
Mogwadi (the former Dendron) for twelve years, with a septic tank con-
nected to the house (RDP) without water. This is a disaster.
While residents wait for the local municipality to install ush toilets, munici-
pal ofcials claim that they are waiting for the district to roll out the infrastruc-
ture. Another challenge that exacerbates the sanitation problem is that there is a
shortage of water in both Municipalities to ensure a well-functioning ush toilet
system. Although this is a function of the district municipality, the local residents
still believe that their local municipality should ensure that the service is provided.
This is probably due to the fact that they interact with and perhaps trust local coun-
cilors more than they trust what one resident called “the distant” district municipal-
ity. Mears and Biyase (2010) maintain that inadequate infrastructure, poor services
and structural constraints to economic development such as high unemployment
deepen poverty in rural areas.
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (LED)
According to the White Paper on Local Government (1998), local government
can play an important role in promoting job creation and boosting the local econ-
omy. Section 153 of the Constitution stipulates that “a municipality must structure
and manage its administration, budgeting and planning processes to give priority
to the basic needs of the community, and to promote the social and ‘economic
development’ of the community”. In the focus group discussions with Molemole
residents, it became clear that many participants were not aware of the existence
of a Local Economic Development (LED) strategy. They did not think the munici-
pality was on the right track in promoting local economic development and noted
that the municipality does not have dedicated ofcials to deal with LED issues.
For instance, market stalls in Mogwadi town are not well managed and as a result
they have been taken over by unscrupulous individuals who are renting them out
for their own benet. Municipalities are currently assisting local cooperatives with
tractors, fuel and seedlings. They have invited ofcials from the Limpopo Busi-
ness Support Agency (LIBSA) to conduct workshops on sound business practices.
The face-to-face interviews with members of cooperatives from both municipali-
ties revealed that the cooperatives are not generating prots to sustain themselves;
hence they rely heavily on assistance from the municipality.
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GOVERNANCE
According to the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service (1998)
all public institutions must promote “Batho Pele” principles when providing ser-
vices to citizens. This means that public institutions should restructure themselves
to become citizen-centric, responding expeditiously to the needs and interests of
society. This is an important development for local municipalities because of their
close proximity to communities. Participants were asked if they believe that munic-
ipal ofcials understand and practice the principles of Batho Pele. Many partici-
pants in the focus group discussions held in each Municipality did not believe that
this is the case. Although ofcials have attended workshops on these principles,
their attitude was cited as a reection of their failure to practice them. This suggests
that ofcials need to receive further training and to be encouraged to change their
mindset.
In Molemole, participants were also asked to suggest mechanisms to encourage
residents to report complaints and suggestions. While participants were aware that
there is a Suggestion Book in the reception areas of municipal ofces in which they
can record their complaints and suggestions, they felt that nothing is being done to
address them and hence were not motivated to use this book. They suggested that
the Suggestion Book is there merely to comply with regulations. The level of disil-
lusionment was conrmed by Lebo, a 40-year old female, who resides in an RDP
house. She commented as follows:
People don’t complain anymore. Think of a person who stayed in this
house for twelve years with a septic tank connected to the house that
most of the time is leaking. We have lost both interest and dignity – so
complaining does not help.
NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL INTERVENTIONS
Participants were also asked to suggest interventions that could be made by
provincial and national government to address service delivery backlogs. In the
focus group discussions, participants stated that there is a need to increase the
funds allocated to municipalities, increase investment in infrastructure, provide
leadership, monitor service provision, build capacity and dispatch experts like
engineers to assist with projects where necessary. They also noted that most rural
municipalities are struggling to raise sufcient revenue due to high unemploy-
ment rates and the culture of non-payment. Residents asserted that if the com-
munity does not trust the manner in which their funds are deployed, they will
withhold payment for services. Kanyane (2011:944) maintains that as long as
rural municipalities cannot viably raise their own revenues, “service delivery …
will always remain questionable”.
Lastly, participants were asked if they believe their municipalities are on the
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right track to improve the lives of communities and whether they are satised
with the overall quality of the services provided. Focus group participants in
Blouberg said they were not happy with the services they receive from their
municipality. It was also noted that rural municipalities mainly focus on improv-
ing services in urban areas; this leads to outward migration as people search for
economic opportunities elsewhere, especially in the urban areas. However, some
participants in Molemole believed that the municipality can turn the corner.
They noted that they receive water daily from water tankers and that roads are
being tarred. They suggested the need for patience, as rural municipalities inher-
ited a very dilapidated infrastructure. They further claimed that maintenance is
compromised by a lack of funds. One interesting hindrance to improving the
socio-economic situation noted by participants in the focus group discussions
was political interference in the administration of municipalities. One Blouberg
resident expressed this as follows:
As long as politicians want to take full control of the municipalities, we
will never be on the right track to improve the lives of ordinary citizens
(Male, 38).
However, a councilor stated in a one-on-one interview that he believed that
politicians were the custodians of the interests of citizens since they were given a
mandate through the ballot box.
CONCLUSION
Using a participatory method of pocket charts, that is, voting, water was iden-
tied as the most important service required by the residents of Molemole and
Blouberg Municipalities in Limpopo, followed by electricity, sanitation and sewer-
age, road maintenance, housing, refuse removal and health services in that order.
These needs are of crucial importance as they are part of the Millennium Develop-
ment Goals (MDGs) to which South Africa is a signatory. Personal observations by
the researchers revealed that some villages do not have proper refuse dump sites
and that many boreholes around the municipalities were dry, resulting in residents
drawing water from rivers and wells. This poses the serious threat of water-borne
diseases.
The participants were uncertain about the functions of national, provincial
and local government in relation to housing provision. Residents who were inter-
viewed felt that it is the responsibility of the local municipality to tar and maintain
any road within its area of jurisdiction, including district roads and even provide
housing. Many participants did not believe that municipal ofcials understand and
practice Batho Pele principles. They suggested that, for municipalities to turn the
corner there is a need to increase the funds allocated to municipalities, increase
investment in infrastructure, provide leadership, monitor projects and build capac-
280 Volume 48 number 2 | June 2013
Journal of Public Administration Journal of Public Administration
ity. While some participants said that they were not happy with the services they
receive from their municipality, others appealed for patience, given the enormity
of the problems.
In conclusion, there is a clash between the expectations of citizens and the
mandate given to government institutions. The study participants felt there is dis-
cordance between the three spheres of government. According to participants,
although local government is touted as the sphere of government closest to citi-
zens, it has not been accorded the necessary powers and functions to satisfactorily
provide basic services. To this end, intergovernmental relations between the three
spheres of government should be fortied to avoid an overlap of functions. If the
aim of establishing local government was to bring government closer to the people,
then local municipalities should be given powers to provide housing and bulk
infrastructure for water and sanitation and electricity without having to negotiate
these with districts and government departments. This suggests that districts might
become superuous. The study participants noted that such issues are at the core
of most service delivery protests. Communities do not march to district ofces to
demand water (although district municipalities are responsible for bulk water infra-
structure and free basic water), but to their local municipality.
It is apt to end this article with the sobering words of a shopkeeper who partici-
pated in the study:
In 2000 we expected miracles, in 2006 we expected something, and in
2011 we expect nothing.
This participant was referring to the local government elections. These words of
disillusionment characterize the feelings about local government in the study area.
It is up to the elected councilors and administrative staff in these local municipali-
ties to prove the shopkeeper wrong in the years to come.
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