Abstract
This study focuses on probing the challenges of Developmental Local Government in Municipal service delivery within Vhembe District Municipality. The study further argues that despite the vital role in promoting the socio-economic needs of the communities through local community engagement in the municipality, the Developmental Local Government is challenged with, among other problems, maladministration and corruption. Developmental local governance, also known as local governance for development, aims to improve the future of communities by promoting local socio-economic development programs and projects. This study advocates for a qualitative approach to probe the impediments. The study reveals that various encounters contribute to the challenges of Developmental local government in municipal service delivery in the Vhembe district municipality. To deal with the impediments of municipal service delivery in developmental local government, there is a need for the municipality to foster public accountability. It is therefore recommended that, to ensure capacity building for effective service provision, good governance needs to be ensured. From conclusions drawn from key findings, it is argued that the enhancement of community participation, provision of education and training to municipal employees, has to be implemented through municipal policies.
References
AGSA (Auditor-General South Africa). (2023). Consolidated general report on the local government audit outcomes 2021–2022. Pretoria: Auditor-General South Africa.
Babbie, E. R., & Mutton, J. (2021). The SAGE encyclopedia of communication research methods. SAGE Publications.
Brynard, P., & Hanekom, S. X. (1997). Introduction to research in public administration and related academic disciplines. JL van Schaik Academic.
Coetzee, K. (2001). The politics of sustainable development: Theory, policy and practice within the European Union. Taylor & Francis.
CoGTA (Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs). (2022). State of local government report. Pretoria: CoGTA. Retrieved from https://www.cogta.gov.za
Cresswell, J. N. (2018). Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches. Guilford Publications.
Ismail, Z. (1997). Public sector monitoring and evaluation: Selected experiences. Johannesburg: IDASA.
Koma, S. B. (2019). Capacity challenges in local government planning and budgeting. Journal of Public Administration, 54(1), 66–81.
Lekalake, R. (2016). Post-1994 South Africa: Better than apartheid, but few gains in socioeconomic conditions. Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 34.
Madumo, O. S. (2021). The promotion of developmental local government to facilitate a developmental state. Administratio Publica, 20(3), 40–54.
Mpehle, Z., & Mojapelo, M. (2023). Political interference and corruption in South African municipalities. Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation, 4(1), 1–10.
Mutyambizi, C., Mokhele, T., Ndinda, C., & Hongoro, C. (2020). Access to and satisfaction with basic services in informal settlements: Results from a baseline assessment survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124400
National Treasury. (2021). Municipal budgeting and reporting regulations compliance report. Pretoria: National Treasury.
Nkomo, S. (2017). Public service delivery in South Africa: Councillors and citizens critical links in overcoming persistent inequities. Journal of Public Administration, 52(1), 36–49.
Pretorius, M. C. (2017). The influence of political and administrative interaction on municipal service delivery in selected municipalities in the Free State Province (Doctoral dissertation). Central University of Technology, Free State.
Reddy, P. S. (2016). The role of ward committees in enhancing participatory local governance: A case study of KwaMaphumulo Municipality (Doctoral dissertation).
Reddy, P. S., & Sokopo, Z. (2020). Dysfunctional municipalities and public accountability in South Africa. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, 22, 45–59. https://doi.org/10.5130/cjlg.v0i22.7157
Robbins, S. P. (2001). Organizational behavior (9th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Robinson, M. (2015). Public sector management reform in developing countries: Perspectives beyond NPM orthodoxy. Public Administration and Development, 35(4), 222–237.
SALGA (South African Local Government Association). (2021). Repositioning local government to drive developmental outcomes: Strategy brief. Pretoria: SALGA. Retrieved from https://www.salga.org.za
SALGA (South African Local Government Association), Steyn, J., & Ngwenya, N. (2015). Community protest: Local government perceptions. Pretoria: SALGA.
Schneider, H. (2001). Tendering and contracting in the public sector: The challenge of good governance. OECD Publishing.
Schwella, E. (1996). Public administration and policy: A developmental perspective. Oxford University Press.
Sebola, M. P. (2022). Governance and capacity challenges in rural municipalities: A Limpopo Province perspective. Journal of Public Administration, 57(1), 101–115.
Serpa, S., & Ferreira, C. M. (2019). Max Weber: Bureaucracy theory and accounting approach. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 27(4), 675–693.
SIU (Special Investigating Unit). (2022). Annual report 2021–2022. Pretoria: SIU.
South Africa. Ministry for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development. (1998). The White Paper on local government. Pretoria: Government Printer.
South African Local Government Association. (2021). Supply chain management in local government: Overview and recommendations. Pretoria: SALGA.
Staal, F. H. (2019). The impact of privatisation of administrative services at tertiary institutions with special reference to the University of North-West (Doctoral dissertation). North-West University (South Africa).
Subban, M., & Theron, H. (2021). The sustainability of integrated development planning. Administratio Publica, 19(2), 96–114.
Van der Waldt, G. (2021). Consolidating developmental local government: Lessons from the South African experience. Juta and Company Ltd.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahlodi Joyce Sethu, John Mutuwafhethu Mafunisa, Goodman Nghonyama
