MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE IN DISTRESS IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF UMHLATHUZE AND MTUBATUBA LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES

Abstract This paper examines the state’s capacity to meet social needs amidst various models of service delivery. In South Africa, there is considerable frustration at poor service delivery and the many unmet needs of the citizens. Some scholars argue that local government is the key site of contradictory and seemingly impossible official efforts to manage poverty and deprivation, while others contend that the local level remains a space of hope for alternative futures to better the material conditions of the citizens. This debate is informed by very little research on how local government practitioners and other stakeholders interpret their roles, considering growing demands for service delivery. Our research is a case study that solicited the views of key stakeholders from two local municipalities in the province of KwaZulu Natal selected in view of their very different governance and service delivery outcomes. Fourteen government officials as well as other stakeholders were interviewed about how they interpret their role in governance, the causes of government ineffectiveness, and the lessons for effective governance. The research paper concludes by suggesting a governance functionality matrix that categorises municipalities on the dimensions of governance stability and service delivery outputs.