Abstract
The post-apartheid government in South Africa adopted the democratic model of cooperative governance enabled by the Constitution of 1996 in birthing intergovernmental relations (IGRs). The concept of cooperative governance accepts that all government spheres can collaboratively function together to render quality and efficient services to the citizens. Against this background, this study adopted an interpretive paradigm that draws from an explorative qualitative research approach. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) was identified as a case study, where existing government documents, peer-reviewed articles, and other expansive literature sources were analysed to demonstrate how IGR can be adequately implemented to accelerate local government planning and community service delivery. The analysis of documents unearthed numerous challenges affecting BCMM in implementing IGR to enhance its operational efficiency and public service delivery. The challenges include poor project management and support in integrated development planning. The findings further reflected the absence of hard and soft skills, which triggered poor coordination and implementation of intergovernmental relations in BCMM. The conclusions derived from this study revealed that the leadership of BCMM needs to promote coordination and cooperation among various municipal departments, which is crucial in strengthening intergovernmental relations within the local government planning processes. The study's contribution lies in highlighting the potential of IGR in improving service delivery in South African municipalities and emphasizing the need for improved coordination and project management skills, which are central to advancing local government planning and public service delivery.