Background: The major challenge of the South African government has been to implement an effective Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) process that can assist in evaluating the government’s performance and identify factors that contribute to service delivery outcomes. Aim: The article aims at giving a review of using the Theory of Change (ToC) as an M&E management tool aimed at achieving sustainable human settlements in the eThekwini Municipality. Setting: The article was guided by the responses from participants’ interviews with officials and provided views on the importance of change in housing delivery and the M&E of sustainable housing development. Methods: The article adopted a qualitative method and hence both secondary and primary sources were used to examine M&E by integrating the ToC as a tool to achieve Integrated and Sustainable Human Settlements. Results: The results of the article indicate that the successful implementation of housing projects depend on how the ToC can be an M&E tool aimed at achieving sustainable human settlements. Conclusion: The article concludes that M&E systems adopted in institutions cannot be regarded as the only approach that can assist in achieving their intended objectives. Managers responsible for the implementation of programmes should be proficient in all key management areas. Contribution: The article seek to indicate the importance of integrating the ToC in the department’s M&E systems relevant to implementing human settlement programmes aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens.

Background: China’s international relations with Africa have recently received much attention from the community of international relations scholars and practitioners. Even though such a scholarly conversation has become a hot topic, little attention has been paid to the Chinese multinational corporations’ (MNCs) adherence to and practice of corporate social responsibilities in African countries like Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Aim: This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of China’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagements in both Angola and DRC.Setting: Based on historical sensibility, this research article uses Zambia’s political and economic fertile grounds to revisit what drives the Chinese engagement in Zambia within a historical context.Methods: Methodologically, this research article has deployed the use of document review to assemble the data used.Results: This article has discovered that China has not been adhering to the international norms and expectations of CSR in both countries.Conclusion: China’s international relations with Africa, Angola and the DRC in context do not at all serve the interests of Africans but those of China.Contribution: This article has contributed in terms of bringing an awareness among Africans about the conduct of China and her multinational corporations in the continent. This will then deepen the current scholarly conversation on an urgent need for policy transformation in Angola and the DRC when it comes to matters of CSR.

Background: Ethics, integrity and accountability in public service departments have weakened. These departments face ethical violations in recruitment, shortlisting, interviewing and appointment processes despite the presence of human resource management prescripts in place.Aim: This study aimed to probe the level of ethical violations in recruitment, shortlisting and interviewing processes, and describe the challenges faced by human resource practitioners and panel members in South Africa’s public service departments.Setting: Both the national and provincial public service departments of South Africa.Methods: The study adopted the qualitative modernistic research approach. A semi-structured electronic questionnaire was used to gather views from 528 participants, including human resource practitioners and line managers serving as panel members.Results: Ethical violations result in human resource practitioners and panel members being compromised, maltreated, victimised and bullied in the workplace. During recruitment, shortlisting, interviewing and appointment stages, abuses of power, undisclosed conflicts of interest and even patronage by political heads and top-and-middle management are acutely rife. Ethical violations inhibit the human resource functionary from building an ethical, professional and capable public service.Conclusion: Ethical violations during recruitment phases are exacerbated by political heads and top management’s observable disregard of prescripts.Contribution: This study will encourage management to consider human resource practitioners’ role in managing ethical dilemmas and galvanise employees towards maintaining ethics and jointly desisting from unethical practices.

Background: Unfavourable macro-economic and socio-economic conditions have placed South Africa’s economy in a difficult fiscal situation, with rapidly growing public debt and large government deficits. This compromises service delivery in all spheres of government. Aim: The study focused on assessing the level of tax compliance in South Africa and what factors explain the level of compliance. Setting: World Values Survey data on South Africa were used to assess the tax side of fiscal policy, how taxpayers’ response to the policy affects compliance and what matters for compliance. Methods: Descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic model were employed on longitudinal data. The study used data from two waves, the first wave between the years 2005 and 2009 and the second wave between the years 2006 and 2016. Results: The study revealed that the perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of South African taxpayers have generally shifted from a society that values tax compliance to a nation that justifies tax evasion. The main factors that shape perception and behaviour towards tax compliance were found to be demographic factors, the level of confidence in the government and patriotism. Conclusion: The study recommends that cognitive and behavioural factors that shape taxpayers’ choice to either comply with or evade tax need to be considered when designing and/or communicating the policy. In doing so, the framework will be well fitted into South Africa’s unique socio-economic landscape, helping finance public service delivery. In summary, public service delivery needs to incorporate behavioural insights. Contribution: The significance of understanding human behaviour in public management planning, which is given less attention, has been found to be central.

Background: Municipalities have come under fire for providing inferior services, which has sparked protests across the nation. Fraud, corruption, misappropriation of public funds and general incompetence on the part of municipal managers and their staff have been the problems that have crippled most municipalities.Aim: To investigate the association between the municipal credit management policy, responsiveness and service delivery, within a Sedibeng district municipality.Methods: This study applied quantitative analysis. The primary data were collected from residents through a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (Version 28) was applied to perform the descriptive analysis and correlational analysis.Results: Key findings of this study revealed a significant positive correlation between credit management and service provision. The relationship between the credit management policy, responsiveness to credit management and service delivery is substantial. Therefore, the quality of service delivery increases with improved credit management.Conclusion: The study showed that there is a significant connection between credit management, credit management responsiveness and service delivery.Contribution: Based on the findings, it was advised that the municipality should implement rebates and discounts for paying customers, constantly review crucial credit policies and ensure the provision of high-quality services. The study concluded that there is an association between credit management, responsiveness and service delivery.

Background: Reliable and adequate healthcare funding is crucial in public healthcare service delivery. However, district hospitals in Malawi, face funding challenges as evidenced by poor service delivery. Aim: This study aimed at investigating funding challenges experienced by public district hospitals of Malawi in the provision of healthcare services and proposing strategies for improved funding. Setting: The research presented in this article evaluates funding challenges in the public healthcare sector in Malawi, a developing country. Method: An exploratory sequential mixed method design was used. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected individuals and were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires from 328 respondents. Quantitative data underwent factor and univariate analysis. Results: The study revealed that government funding is received late and is inadequate; donor funding was declining and earmarked for specific health activities; while income generation capacity of hospitals and Councils is weak. The study suggests that hospitals should introduce fees for service, government should be lobbied for increased funding allocations, and revenue–generating capacity of hospitals and Councils should be enhanced. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is an urgent need for government to prioritise the healthcare delivery sector and increase its funding. Hospitals and Councils should be innovative in order to generate additional funding for operations and the revenue generation capacity of hospitals and Councils should thus, be enhanced. Contribution: The study adds to the healthcare funding debate in developing countries by providing a context–specific analysis of healthcare funding challenges and suggesting improvement strategies.

Background: State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are pivotal to the socio-economic development of any country. However, in most developing countries, these entities are failing to execute their mandate effectively. State-owned enterprises have failed to be responsive to citizens’ needs and deliver public value efficiently because of low investment in intrapreneurial activities by leadership in these entities. Aim: This study set out to examine the effect of intrapreneurial capabilities (ICs) on organisational performance of SOEs. Setting: The population under study was SOEs in Zimbabwe, located in the Southern African Development Community, in Africa. Methods: The study used a qualitative research design. Interviews were the main data collection technique. Data collected from interviews were analysed using thematic network analysis. Document analysis was also used to establish the performance of the SOEs. Results: The study established that ICs have a significant influence on the organisational performance of SOEs. Organisations with stronger ICs developed greater strategic agility and delivered greater public value, in terms of service delivery, customer satisfaction, financial performance and social impact. Conclusion: The study provided evidence of the influence of ICs on intrapreneurial activities and consequently on organisational performance. The study will assist leadership in SOEs to invest in an intrapreneurial architecture in order to assist SOEs to deliver both economic and public value. Contribution: The study has important implications for both practitioners and researchers in that it highlights the importance of investing in superior IC as a means of addressing service and performance challenges faced by SOEs.

Background: The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a plan that strives to ensure energy security and directs the goals of South Africa’s energy governance. The IRP recognises G2P as an alternative energy source that has the potential to motivate and promote sustainable energy and clean energy, diversify the energy mix and minimise the amount of carbon footprint left behind.Aim: The focus of this research is to describe current developments in South Africa towards implementing the G2P.Setting: The research presented in this article investigates a national policy programme in the energy sector in South Africa.Methods: This research is based on a secondary qualitative approach. Unobtrusive research techniques are used to analyse secondary data and authoritative literature sources.Results: The findings of this article indicate that there are a few problems that are preventing South Africa from having a successful implementation of the G2P. Among them are the monopoly that exists in the energy industry and the lack of clarity on the path that the present policy direction on G2P would take.Conclusion: The government has made significant headway in the implementation of the G2P by implementing a policy framework, developing institutional structures and delegating roles and duties to various key actors.Contribution: This research seeks to update information on the progress and developments towards the implementation of the gas to power programme in South Africa. This will help stimulate debate and further research on areas that researchers and policymakers still need to consider within this research area.

Background: South Africa has made considerable progress in terms of economic development since the dawn of democracy in 1994. However, the pace and distribution of that progress have not been equitably reflected across all demographics, especially between black and white people. With a decline of manufacturing, the ‘developmental state’ has featured as a strong theme to try and reignite industrialisation in the country. Under this framework, one of the policies driven by the South African government is the Black Industrialist Programme, which aims to increase the manufacturing output while empowering black people.Aim: To investigate the appropriateness of the Black Industrialist Programme as a policy to advance the developmental state framework in South Africa.Setting: Experience in East Asia regarding developmental states led countries like South Africa to believe that they can also implement such policies to enable the country to industrialise.Methods: The study employed qualitative research methods using open-ended interviews for primary data and documents collected from various sources for secondary data. The study’s qualitative description of the findings derives from the themes that emerged from the research and which employed open-ended questions and research techniques in line with such research techniques.Results: Findings show that the Black Industrialist Programme policy will have an impact, as its funding model is a significant shift from past practices by assisting aspiring industrialists through grants and preferential procurement measures. However, the study argues that the shift from focusing on general industrialisation to narrowing it to black industrialisation brings with it new constraints in advancing a developmental state.Conclusions: The research concludes that the programme will contribute to the developmental state concept’s progress but will be limited in praxis because the state does not possess a holistic overarching economic developmental plan.Contribution: The study contributes to the analytical discourse of developmental states by offering context-specific analysis of industrialisation paths for societies addressing racial and economic inequality.

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) presents a number of implications for both the public and private sectors. An important feature of the 4IR is enhancing the sustainability of businesses through innovation. Aim: This article examines the government’s entrepreneurial role in promoting innovation-led entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs). Setting: Through a comparative approach, the research presented in this article investigates the role of government in promoting innovation-led EEs, in a top-performing EE, namely Silicon Valley and South Africa. Methods: A qualitative research design is adopted, and unobtrusive research methods are used for the conceptual, contextual and comparative analysis of authoritative literature and secondary data. A best practice case of Silicon Valley is used to analyse factors influencing innovation-led EE development in South Africa. Results: Challenges currently influencing the growth and sustainability of entrepreneurship in South Africa are identified. These challenges include 4IR readiness, policy implementation and the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings suggest that governments should play an important role in shaping innovation-led EE policy implementation. Conclusion: The article concludes by proposing a conceptual framework to aid managerial and policy guidance for the development of innovation-led EEs. Contribution: The findings of this article will be useful to guide managerial and policy guidance on the role of government in shaping innovation-led EE policy implementation.

Background: In South Africa, it has become essential to have better access to high-quality and relevant skills development to achieve the goal of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. Therefore, employee capacity building has become a strategic priority for the national growth and development of all emerging countries. Aim: This article seeks to investigate a nexus between employee skills development and competence. Setting: The study was carried out in the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Methods: The article employed an inductive research approach and an explanatory research design to achieve its desired objectives. Moreover, structured questionnaires were used as the data collection tool, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Results: The results of the article confirmed that skills training and development ensure that staff is empowered, informed and trained, which results in improved efficiency in the workplace. In this situation, spin-offs will benefit public organisations, since employees’ increased abilities open new opportunities for long-term employment growth and organisational effectiveness. Furthermore, the knowledgeable and well-trained individual would make sound organisational decisions while competently providing a public service. Conclusion: The article revealed that the Department of Education has a wider skill learning system that is informed by the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 and perhaps the most critical problem that has hindered the development of employee skills in the public sector. The Department of Education does not do enough to incorporate the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) learning relationships, and the system becomes highly suboptimal without doing this. Such problems have cascaded down to affect the competence of many public employees. This article on the effect of training and development on employee performance has emerged as a tool for obtaining valuable knowledge on the issue. Contribution: This article contributed to the broader knowledge as a tool for obtaining valuable knowledge on the issues and on the effect of training and development on employee performance which has emerged.

Background: In the years since the first democratic election in 1994, South Africa has experienced mass violent demonstrations in townships, which include the Duncan village massacre in 1985. The phenomenon of violent service delivery protests has become a norm in South Africa. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) protests constitute the key focus of this study. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the key challenges that relate to service delivery protests in Duncan village. Setting: This study was conducted in Duncan village, one of the townships in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), which is located approximately 5 km from East London’s central business district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with community leaders from Duncan village, including the ward councillor, in the data collection process. Results: The findings of the study revealed that housing shortages, an unhygienic living environment, poverty and unemployment were identified as major challenges facing residents in Duncan village. Conclusion : The BCMM should regulate community clean-ups in order to ensure better living conditions. Develop electronic database to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of houses. Also, community meetings should be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis not only during election or protest time. Moreover, the ward councillor should be available and easily accessible to Duncan Village residents. Contribution : The article sought to investigate the challenges that relate to service delivery protests in Duncan Village and concludes that lack of housing, poverty, dirty location, and lack of communication were the main causes of violent service delivery protests.

Background: The transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa inadvertently wrought significant changes particularly on the housing arena. The remnants of the apartheid housing system posed a daunting challenge to the present government’s efforts to deliver affordable housing. Aim: This article sought to analyse the role played by apartheid in the present housing delivery challenges encountered in South Africa. Setting: The study was conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa and the population comprised of a variety of stakeholders throughout the country with a vested interest in housing. Method: The study is exploratory in nature and used the qualitative methodology. In addition, literature review and documentary review – including reviews of policies pertaining to housing, particularly in South Africa – were performed to assist in providing an overview of areas in which the paper is disparate and interdisciplinary. Results: Key findings suggest that the apartheid government played a huge role in the housing challenges being encountered in South Africa – through its laws that segregated black people and regarded them as sojourners who could not own houses in urban areas but only in Bantustans and impoverished rural areas. Conclusion: This article confirms the widely held belief that the apartheid government largely contributed to the housing challenges experienced in South Africa from when it (the present government) assumed power up to the present period and beyond.

Background: The purpose of this article was to explore the role of urban regeneration to improve community development in a metropolitan municipality. This is important in light of the current strenuous socioeconomic situation, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Some of the pandemic’s consequences on communities include socioeconomic challenges, loss of income, business disruption and health concerns. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the different mechanisms government uses to promote community development, and one of these mechanisms is urban regeneration. Aim: The study aims to establish whether urban regeneration can be used as a mechanism to promote community development. Setting: The article is based on South African metropolitan municipalities, mainly the three biggest municipalities in the country. These municipalities include the City of Johannesburg, the City of Cape Town and the eThekwini municipality. Methods: This research is based on unobtrusive qualitative research techniques or methods in order to collect and analyse information. The techniques used include conceptual, content, documentary and comparative analysis. Therefore, the contents and information used were collected from various secondary sources such as journal articles, books and government documents such as White Papers. In addition, political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal analytical framework is also used. Results: Urban regeneration is not a new phenomenon in South Africa; however, the mechanism is not fully embraced by municipalities in the country. The practice of both urban regeneration and community development goes hand in hand. Different metropolitan municipalities in the country have developed plans to incorporate urban regeneration as part of their community development programmes. Community development and urban regeneration are implemented in South Africa under different developmental policies. However, it is the sole mandate of the local government (municipalities) to promote this programme in their communities. The study also found that urban regeneration was also impacted both positively and negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic. The negative impact of COVID-19 is that various projects were postponed in order to redirect resources towards the COVID-19 response. Some of the projects affected municipal infrastructure grants to provide water to households and sanitise public transport facilities in municipalities that do not receive the public transport network grant. South African metropolitan municipalities lack a common shared plan on urban regeneration and community development. Conclusion: The main finding of this research study is that there is no concrete plan put in place to promote urban regeneration in municipalities. Hence, the study recommended that in conjunction with the national government, local levels should develop such a plan. Contribution: This research study will contribute to the decision-making process in local government. The research will also contribute to policy development and design on the topic of urban regeneration and community development.

Background: South Africa has made considerable progress in terms of economic development since the dawn of democracy in 1994. However, the pace and distribution of that progress have not been equitably reflected across all demographics, especially between black and white people. With a decline of manufacturing, the ‘developmental state’ has featured as a strong theme to try and reignite industrialisation in the country. Under this framework, one of the policies driven by the South African government is the Black Industrialist Programme, which aims to increase the manufacturing output while empowering black people. Aim: To investigate the appropriateness of the Black Industrialist Programme as a policy to advance the developmental state framework in South Africa. Setting: Experience in East Asia regarding developmental states led countries like South Africa to believe that they can also implement such policies to enable the country to industrialise. Methods: The study employed qualitative research methods using open-ended interviews for primary data and documents collected from various sources for secondary data. The study’s qualitative description of the findings derives from the themes that emerged from the research and which employed open-ended questions and research techniques in line with such research techniques. Results: Findings show that the Black Industrialist Programme policy will have an impact, as its funding model is a significant shift from past practices by assisting aspiring industrialists through grants and preferential procurement measures. However, the study argues that the shift from focusing on general industrialisation to narrowing it to black industrialisation brings with it new constraints in advancing a developmental state. Conclusions: The research concludes that the programme will contribute to the developmental state concept’s progress but will be limited in praxis because the state does not possess a holistic overarching economic developmental plan. Contribution: The study contributes to the analytical discourse of developmental states by offering context-specific analysis of industrialisation paths for societies addressing racial and economic inequality.

Background: Electronic-municipality (e-municipality) is a reflection of e-government service in the local sphere of government, described as a way of producing useful information for citizens. Electronic-municipalities play a significant role in delivering effective and efficient services to citizens. Aim: To analyse the role of electronic municipal systems in improving the general welfare of citizens by means of service delivery. This article clarified the concepts of e-municipality by reviewing relevant literatures and further outlined critical factors that are affecting the implementation and adoption e-municipality intensively. Setting: The article focused on both international and South African local government best practices of electronic municipal systems. International best practices from developed countries, outline lessons that the South African local government can learn. Methods: The article used mainly the secondary data analysis, gathered from various sources such as articles, document analysis, government documents, amongst others. The analysis is based on various secondary sources linked to the aim of this article. Results: Key findings of the study showed that most municipalities particularly in developing countries experience challenges in adopting and implementing e-municipality. The concept of e-municipality has been derived from both global and local contexts. Conclusion: It concludes that just like any innovation, there are challenges related to the successful implementation of e-municipality, such as the digital divide issue, trust issues and technical, economical and social issues. Recommendations include that the local government should invest more in Information Communication Technologies infrastructure for e-municipality development. Contribution: The results of this research provides best practices for local government in transitioning to e-municipality, the best practice guidelines provide inputs for decision-making in local government.

Background: The article assesses the significant role Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) countries, which comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, play in economic development, and challenges experienced in realisation of economic goals. It is an area that is least researched in the domains of public administration. Aim: The focus of the article is on the role of BRICS in achieving economic development. Setting: The descriptive nature of the article provided a detailed explanation regarding the role of BRICS in the promotion of economic growth. Methods: The qualitative research method was adopted in this article to compile information. The information was compiled through the review of available secondary data (literature and document reviews) that include scholarly books, Internet sources, articles and official documents. Results: The findings confirmed that BRICS can achieve global governance through intercountry partnerships, which requires work on internal strategies to strengthen intra-BRICS relationships. Conclusion: The article is an effort to discuss the role of BRICS, emphasising their relevance to economic development, especially during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The suggestions can be applicable in country-specific contexts. Contribution: The article intends to advance knowledge of the possibility that the BRICS’ combined economic strength may significantly contribute to the expansion of the world economy and, consequently, to the promotion of global economic governance.

Background: This article examines intrapreneurship principles that can contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of service delivery in the O.R. Tambo District Municipality.Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate whether municipalities practise intrapreneurship and how intrapreneurship drivers may be incorporated into the municipal environment to improve service delivery to surrounding communities.Setting: This study is based in the O.R. Tambo District Municipality, and the target population is middle- and top-level managers from all the municipalities in the district.Methods: The research is situated within the interpretivist paradigm and employed the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews, which were purposively conducted with 12 middle- and top-level managers. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Municipal documents were also used for triangulation purposes.Results: The empirical findings revealed that policies, laws and regulatory aspects are a hindrance to the development of intrapreneurial practices. The bureaucratic environment that exists is not flexible enough to encourage intrapreneurial conduct among employees. The blurred lines between the administrative and political wings in the municipalities lead to a constricting environment that hinders intrapreneurial practices in the municipalities.Conclusion: A framework for the integration of intrapreneurship drivers to improve service delivery was developed. The article recommends that employees and the community should play a larger role in the planning process so that they can assist to identify best practices and alternate approaches to certain identified issues. The implementation of projects should be left to the administrative managers and staff, and contingency platforms should be introduced to manage transition periods with new replacements.

Background: The performance management system (PMS) allows employees and employers to clearly state the objectives and ways through which those objectives must be accomplished in an organisation. Against this background, this study investigated the challenges facing PMS at Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM).Aim: This study examined performance management and organisational success in local government administration in South Africa.Setting: The study was conducted in the BCMM, located in the central business district of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa.Method: In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 participants from BCMM. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The target population of the study was the employees of BCMM.Results: Based on the analysis of data, the study found that the municipality did not have an electronic system; they were using a manual system in their performance management. Furthermore, the participants also highlighted that there was no approved PMS policy framework that had been endorsed by the council of the municipality.Conclusion: This study recommended that the municipality must have an approved PMS policy framework, and it should be implemented at all levels of employment within the organisation.

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has brought with it opportunities to improve government services. Amongst the services that have benefited from the 4IR is policy-making and organisational design. However, recent studies have indicated that the 4IR and big data can improve public resources, especially human resources (HR) for instance in managing employee performance, promotions, retention and talent management by using data analytical tools to improve service delivery.Aim: To analyse how big data can be used to optimise public service human resource management (HRM).Setting: The South African Public Service.Methods: This study is based on a theoretical and conceptual analysis in order to explore the complex nature of HR data analytics for the South Africa Public Service. This will be supported through a literature review in order to draw rich information to support the underlining assumptions and implications of the concepts under this study.Results: The literature indicates that big data usage within the South African Public Service is limited. Moreover, this article found that it is important for HR specialists to use forecasting and data applications to anticipate where the supply and demand for skills would be needed in order to capacitate and improve service delivery.Conclusion: It was concluded that big data is primarily used in the private sector with the public sector latching onto its utility in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The opportunity is ripe for the South African Public Service to investigate the use of big data to improve public services.

Background: Enterprise risk management (ERM) entails the processes and procedures applied to mitigate uncertainties that could impact the achievement of objectives. New public management introduced business practices such as ERM to the public sector, which was adopted by the South African government across all three spheres of government including municipalities. Local government is obliged to implement ERM because of legislative requirements, National Treasury prescripts and the adoption of the King IV Code of Corporate Governance.Aim: To discuss ERM within the public sector and provides the contextualisation of ERM. It sets out the ERM structure, roles and responsibilities required by legislation and good corporate governance. Recommendations to improve ERM are provided.Setting: Within the South African local government.Methods: This study adopted a qualitative research approach and applied a research method based on desktop analysis of literature and secondary data sources using unobtrusive research techniques.Results: Reference is only made to risk in relation to financial management in municipal legislation. National Treasury has guided ERM through the Public Sector Risk Management Framework. The King IV Code provides guidance to local government councils regarding risk governance.Conclusion: The current legislative framework does not provide adequate guidance for effective ERM. Focus is placed on controls and compliance, which undermines ERM’s potential contribution to value creation. ERM within local government has little predictive value and has limited contribution in ensuring objectives are achieved.

Background: There has been a growing emphasis on airport development strategies as these strategies contribute towards economic growth and development. An aerotropolis as one of the initiatives is a strategy that facilitates the realignment of airports into economic hubs by increasing their scope of activities.Aim: To describe the Durban Aerotropolis strategy and contextualise its socio-economic impacts to the city and region of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The socio-economic factors utilised are limited to the environment, people (community) and the economy.Methods: A qualitative research approach was adopted and used sequentially, concurrently and iteratively. The findings and recommendations are based on 12 in-depth interviews and five focus group sessions with participants from the target population.Results: The Durban Aerotropolis development is in its initial stages of adoption, and there is evidence of early positive socio-economic impacts including employment creation, growth in imports and exports and the creation of a competitive environment.Conclusion: The success of the strategy has been attributed to the adoption of novel strategies and concepts that enable improved logistics and mobility planning, connectivity and responsiveness, amongst other critical success factors. This has seen several strategies being considered, including roadway expansions, network designs, mobility platforms and many other infrastructural developments. This will enable purposeful planning to ensure that the region and South Africa are economically viable and competitive.

Background: Rural cattle farmers in Mzongwana, Matatiele, Eastern Cape, face a scarcity of resources preventing them from commercial farming and contributing to local economic development (LED) and eradicating unemployment.Aim: This study compares resource constraints associated with livestock farming contained in the Matatiele Local Municipality’s LED strategy with those identified by the cattle farmers in Mzongwana villages, linked to the agricultural economic theory of scarcity of resources.Setting: The Matatiele area has an estimated unemployment rate of 39%. This article focuses on LED interventions to commercialise livestock farming practices in Mzongwana villages located in the Matatiele Local Municipality, in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.Methods: A quantitative survey was conducted using a researcher-completed structured questionnaire with 34 of the 65 cattle farmers from Mzongwana.Results: The results revealed that major constraints affecting Mzongwana livestock farmers include stock theft, a dearth of bulls for breeding, inadequate water infrastructure and limited equipment to perform various cattle functions, such as scaling, loading, separating, clamping and sorting of cattle.Conclusion: The LED strategy of the local municipality should be revised to provide training and skills capacity building related to cattle breeding and to address these major constraints affecting the commercialisation of livestock farming in Mzongwana. It is recommended that the Matatiele Local Municipality assist in the combating of stock theft, provide training in artificial insemination, ensure water availability by building dams and drilling boreholes, and arrange for financial support for cattle farmers to purchase cattle equipment.

Background: Indigent policy within the eThekwini Metropolitan municipality like every well-meaning government policy seeks to address three major challenges of poverty, lack of employment and gross disparities that pose a major threat to growth in the city. Overcoming these threefold challenges forms a core objective of consolidating and advancing developmental local governance, which aims to support poor households with the intention of uplifting their everyday living conditions. There is no desire to change the current status quo of the eThekwini municipality indigent policy, and the gap still exists in the lack of internal control systems, a consolidated approach to execution and a dedicated office to deal with the roll-out of the support.Aim: This research investigated factors undermining the effective implementation of this indigent policy and proposed a strategic policy framework that ensures a long-term solution to the ineffective implementation of indigent policy.Setting: The study was conducted in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, and respondents were employees in the following units: Electricity, Customer Services and Revenue Protection, Water Services, Finance Services, and Strategy Office.Methods: The study adopted a qualitative data approach where a semi-structured interview was used to collect data from 11 purposively selected employees from five departments of eThekwini municipality.Results: The findings reveal that the indigent policy in eThekwini municipality is ineffective because of poor implementation, poor maintenance of the indigent register, budget deficit and corruption.Conclusion: The study concludes that some measures such as maintenance of indigent registers and adequate budget allocation to improve the inefficiency in the implementation of the indigent policy.