The impact of accountability mechanisms in enhancing municipal water service delivery :a case study of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province

Abstract

The issue of accountability and the supply of water services has been a major concern for more than two decades in the Bushbuckridge local municipality. Poor water service delivery provokes unfavorable community reactions, which are typically the root of communities’ conflict. Despite the fact that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) provided the majority of South Africans optimism for a better life for everyone, however the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has been receiving orders from communities’ members demanding adequate water service delivery. The continual demonstrations protests by the members of the communities’ shows that the municipality is failing to meet citizen’s demands. To this end, the study uses qualitative method to collect data for better understanding the historical and current concerns about water scarcity in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. Data collection was gathered through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and semi-structured interviews questions. Data was effected, implied and classified into themes. The finding exposed that, the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality lack mechanisms in enhancing water service delivery to the citizens. The problems that were revealed involves: the lack of municipal budget, lack of public participation, unskilled and unqualified appointed municipal officials (cadre deployment), political interference, nepotism, racism, lack of Municipal officials training to have knowledge and skills in terms of water provision. The study recommended that the Municipality to introduce proper performance management system (PMS), strengthening Integrated development planning (IDP), to introduce strategies and mechanisms that will deal with corruption acts and public official’s unethical behavior, to monitor and evaluate the performance of each individual employee, to organise and initiate workshops that will teach Municipal officials about the essence of accountability on service delivery broadly.