Performance management and the utilisation of municipal resources: The case of eThekwini Municipality
Ever since the commencement of South Africa's democracy in 1994, local government has persistently grappled with challenges that impede the effective provision of basic services to its citizens. Consequently, there are frequent occurrences of violent disruptions known as 'service-delivery' protests, which signify community dissatisfaction with the performance of municipalities. As a measure to contribute to effective service delivery, the aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of performance management (PM) and the utilisation of municipal resources. The Trading Services Cluster of eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province was used as a case study to investigate the intangible factors associated with the issue of service delivery. The study adopted a qualitative research approach through which face-to-face focus group interviews were conducted to collect data from a sample of municipal employees. According to the study's findings, it is necessary to take significant steps to ensure the effectiveness of the ongoing PM process, as omitting certain steps can lead to process failure. There was an emphasis that employee participation in supporting the organization's objectives is essential for the delivery of quality services. Management can change organizational effectiveness and efficiency in eThekwini Municipality if they execute PM correctly.
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