Abstract
Abstrct: Municipalities have been tasked with the mandate of achieving the objectives of local
government which, inter alia, include the provision of effective, efficient and
sustainable services and infrastructures to communities, as well as encouraging and
facilitating social and economic development. In conjunction with fulfilling this directive,
municipalities are compelled to comply with governance requirements, in addition to
concomitantly being obligated to comply with the statutory and regulatory
requirements and to implement and satisfy commitments undertaken within the
communities they serve. There have been increasing protests from the public for
service delivery enhancement, with certain municipalities struggling with effective,
sustainable services delivery due to the poor state of their infrastructures. There have
been consistent claims by the Auditor-General (A-G) and the Minister of the
Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) about the
inadequate and mediocre condition of municipalities’ infrastructure, exacerbated by
several municipalities being unable to credibly or accurately account for their
infrastructural assets or the condition thereof.
Municipalities undergo annual audits based on the management of their infrastructure
and assets; however these are frequently qualified. These documents have been
utilised to provide data for this study. This study is predominantly qualitative in nature,
using mixed methods for data collection and analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative
data will be triangulated to achieve a systematic approach to the research questions
and objectives.
The primary research question that the dissertation aims to address is: What is the
nature of the infrastructural issues and challenges facing Ekurhuleni Metropolitan
Municipality (EMM) and which practical actions can be taken to ensure compliance to
improve infrastructure management in order to implement basic effective, efficient
service and sustainable delivery?
The focus of this study centres on the improvement of infrastructure management in
general, with specific emphasis and consideration of the EMM. The research
considers how this entity could utilise asset management guidelines to contribute to
economic growth and development, concurrently developing, expanding and
improving its governance strategies in order to effect meaningful contributions to the...
M.A. (Public Management and Governance)