Academic literature on the topic 'Prisons – South Africa – Officials and employees'

With the revelations by Bosasa officials at the State Capture Enquiry, held in early 2019, laying bare the corrupt links between prisons, detention centres and border control, and high ranking political and government officials, the time is ripe to excavate the capitalist interests that fuel incarceration in this country. How did the prison industrial complex overtake the lofty principles that ushered in the South African democratic era? Judge Jody Kollapen is well-placed to speak to about the evolution of the South African prison from a colonial institute that served to criminalise and dominate 'natives', to its utility as instrument of state repression under apartheid, to its present manifestation in the democratic era. He has laboured at the coalface of apartheid crime and punishment through his work as an attorney in the Delmas Treason Trial, and for the Sharpeville Six, and also worked as a member of Lawyers for Human Rights, where he coordinated the 'Release Political Prisoners' programme, Importantly, Justice Kollapen had a ringside seat at the theatre of our transition from apartheid to democracy as he was part of the selection panel that chose the commissioners for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Many questions can be asked of the South African TRC including whether it was the best mechanism to deal with the past and whether it achieved reconciliation. What concerns us here is its impact on crime and punishment in the democratic era. If our transition was premised on restorative justice, then shouldn’t that be the guiding principle for the emerging democratic state? In line with this special edition’s focus on the impact of incarceration on the marginalized and vulnerable, Judge Kollapen shares some insights on how the prison has fared in democratic South Africa, and how imprisonment affects communities across the country. As an Acting Judge in the Constitutional Court, a practitioner with a long history of civic engagement, and someone who has thought and written about criminalization, human rights and prisons, Judge Kollapen helps us to think about what decolonization entails for prisons in South Africa.

Local government community participation units or departments ineffectively and inefficiently operate based on the directive from their political organisations instead of achieving the objectives of the municipality as per the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). This has resulted in the marginalisation of the local communities on their participation in municipal governance which also has been exacerbated by the employment of employees based on political competencies rather than the unit’s core business requirements. On the backdrop of the above, this study aims to reveal municipal operational hindrances that prevent local communities to participate effectively in the eThekwini Municipality governance as permitted by South African local government legislation. This stated background has necessitated the study to adopt a qualitative approach whereby non-standardized interviews were conducted by the researcher to the sample size of 23. The findings of the study were analysed using NVivo software (version 10). The study revealed an extreme percentage (39%) of activities performed by Community Participation and Action Support Unit (CP&AS) which were based on coordinating unclear activities. Whereas, 22% were on capacity development of local communities, 12% on communication with internal and external stakeholders, 8% on monitoring and evaluation, 5% on policies, and 3% on partnership with other departments and spheres of government and elected officials and research respectively. The unbalanced and unclear activities performed by the respondents will assist the municipal decision-makers to understand the core causes of poor service delivery as it lies on the failure of the municipal officials to concentrate on their core business. This study contributes to the decision-makers’ understanding of the implications of using the municipal resources to advance political activities, consequently disadvantaging the alleged indigent local communities. The clearly demarcated roles and responsibilities of municipal employees guided by the core business of the units with clear performance standards and expected output set could eliminate the politics-administration dichotomy.

Local authorities are established to give the citizens of the town or city the opportunity to provide those services which are fundamental to community living. They provide essential services and it is therefore imperative that members of the legislative, governing and administrative components be effectively trained. The councilors are members of the political institution, namely the council.1 The councilors have to undertake legislative and governmental functions in addition to their supervision of the appointed officials who constitute the executive and administrative component. The council is the corporate body and is therefore the employer and the appointed officials are its employees. The Local Government Training Act is the first overall human resources strategy in South Africa that lays down the policy for the creation, development and maintenance of administrative structures and institutions to enable suitably trained people to undertake all the diverse functions of local government. In this paper the administrative structures and institutions for the implementation of the Act is described. This is followed by discussion of the problems' experienced in the implementation of the Act and finally an evaluation of the Act as an overall policy document for local government training in a democratic South Africa.

The paper focuses on experiences of resigning academics in higher education institutions (HEIs) of South Africa. The concern was the huge monetary cost involved, and student delays due to these resignations. The networks of the researchers benefitted this study by being alerted to resignations of academics in HEIs and arranging some of the interviews that were held. In some cases, exit interviews were also used. The study shows that these HEIs are negligent by failing to develop the appropriate policies for the new dispensation, and the bad practices of appointing managers. In addition, the improperly appointed managers lack skill and knowledge in management. As a result they discriminate, victimize and make job unbearable for some employees. Some of these employees who end up rising. Moreover, the decisions taken by the improperly appointed managers are also not monitored. Hence,the poor decisions made are not being over-ruled. The recommendations are that policies should be designed to align with the laws stated, and suitably experienced and qualified officials be appointed to enforce the policies. Also, interventions are needed regarding the powers given to improperly appointed managers

Cities as elusive, invisible, yet to come. ‘[T]he city is no-man's land’ (Grace Khunou, p. 240 in Mbembe and Nuttall). ‘Lagos is no man's land’ (heard in Lagos by the present writer, August 2010). A picture of a strangely empty and disrupted man-made landscape (William Kentridge, pp. 349–350 in Mbembe and Nuttall), balanced by a dense but also personless urban scene (by the same author, pp. 35–6 in the same text). … The slippage between conventional social scientific terms of runaway urbanization, the teeming human vitality of African cities, and the elusiveness of the titles, sayings and images of these three books, opens up the rich vein for research and writing into which these authors work their ways. Johannesburg. Kinshasa. Pikine (Dakar). Winterveld (a South African urban area outside Pretoria). Douala. Jeddah. The books reviewed here are based on detailed field research in six particular cities. They all juxtapose the categories of ‘metropolis’ and ‘modernity’ to the category of ‘Africa’, all positing the anomaly this move may represent in the categorical social scientific mind. The subtitles immediately indicate a different starting point from the analytics of population, geography and governance. With an approach through ‘tales’ (De Boeck and Plissart) and ‘reading the city’ (Mbembe and Nuttall), the authors indicate an alternative intellectual reach. They start from visual imagery, the language arts and the social mediations through which the lives lived in urban ‘modern’ Africa are expressed, communicated, understood, configured and conserved. Their aims evoked in my mind the modern art – rather than the analytics – of other cities. So here we have ‘circulation’ and vehicles as symbols and sounds without too much attention to traffic (the Lagos ‘go slow’; the accidents); ‘bodies’ without much attention to food or toilet needs or aging; ‘authority’ evaded or permeating rather than personified in mayors, town councils and multitudes of other officials and employees. In the ether of the invisible, what circulates are symbols and expressions; what emanates from bodies is sexual tension, aesthetic sensibility and physical vulnerability (‘bodies in danger’, De Boeck and Plissart, p. 117); what bears down oppressively is constraint and neglect of all kinds. In brief, what strikes the perceptive mind is precisely what bursts out of the conventional forms and has not yet taken a newly conventionalized shape. Through this orientation, all three books bring the humanities and artistic sensibilities to the question of the spirits, souls, inspirations, dangers, images and memories that inhabit the crowded spaces between buildings and people, insects and people, people and people.

Ethics, the legislation and upholding of good conduct by public officials is a sine qua non for sustenance of good governance and service delivery. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service 1994 identified the need for a code of conduct in South Africa as an essential element to enhance high standards of ethics and professionalism. In 1996, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa prescribed the values and principles of Public Administration. Subsequently, the Public Service Commission developed a Code of Conduct in 1997. The legitimacy of local government is based on the same principles of ethics and professionalism as that of the national government. It is imperative to implement an ethical framework for social and economic development at the grass-root level. This article examines the theoretical terrain of ethics in public management and posits that, whereas there exist some state-of-the-art legis lation that regulate the conduct of public functionaries at the local government sphere, outcomes of ethics in practice are rather unethical and illusive. There is therefore an advocacy for the need to intensify implementation of ethical guidelines for councillors and municipal employees. The fiduciary, management, operational and accountabil ity framework is further upheld through the implementation of a code of conduct for local officials. Theoretically, the framework should be scientifically accountable and practically feasible in implementation.The article recommends the need to strategise measurable implementation plans, conduct the on-going fraud risk assessments and sensitise the community through education and training regarding good governance and the code of ethics. The approach used is descriptive, though analytical.

Background: The outsourcing phenomenon is one of the extensive areas of business in the world. It is a practice among both private and public organisations and an important element in business strategy. Consequently, the execution of maintenance and repairs of equipment are core business deliverables of the power plant maintenance (PPM) department of the selected state-owned enterprise (SOE). Whilst internal employees normally perform such functions, the PPM department outsources them to external service providers. Objective: This study explored the contributing factors influencing outsourcing of core business deliverables. Method: The study was conducted in the PPM department of the selected SOE. Of the 152 individuals located across eight of the provinces in South Africa, identified for participation in the study, 135 participated. It was cross-sectional in nature and included participants from the management of the PPM department as well as its technical officials. Descriptive, correlation and regression analysis were used to test the three objectives, namely to assess the contributing factors influencing outsourcing of core business deliverables, to establish the effect of outsourcing core business deliverables on business performance and to examine the risks of outsourcing core business deliverables. Results: Outsourcing core business deliverables provide flexibility to the PPM department by enabling it to meet unexpected demands. However, it results in the leaking of confidential information to external service providers. Conclusion: Organisations that decide to outsource, must consider the benefits and risks carefully and take measures to mitigate the related risks.

The much-debated diagnostic report, the National Development Plan 2030 (NDP), paints a worrying picture about the state of the health system in South Africa. The NDP simply states that, “At institutional level, healthcare management is in crisis” (Republic of South Africa 2012, National Development Plan of 2030: 52). One of the remedial measures proposed by the NDP is the introduction of the National Health Insurance in South Africa (Republic of South Africa 2012, National Development Plan of 2030: 52). It is hoped that the National Health Insurance “will ensure that everyone has access to appropriate, efficient and quality health services” (Republic of South Africa 2012, National Development Plan of 2030: 4).The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 sets the benchmark and the ideals towards which public servants must strive as they deliver the much-needed services to the general populace (s 195(1)(a)−(i)). Among others, public servants must promote and maintain a high standard of professional ethics (s 195(1)(a)). Further, the Batho Pele Principles require it of government institutions to, inter alia communicate the level and quality of service, which the public must expect from them (Batho Pele Principles Principle 2). It is therefore not misguided to say that generally, people are aware of the standard of service they should expect from state institutions. As a matter of fact, people have gone to the courts of law to hold state institutions accountable. In this regard the medical fraternity has in the recent past witnessed an upsurge of court cases of negligence against the health department. This rise in litigation has led to a crisis of another kind. According to the Minister of Health, healthcare in South Africa is facing a crisis because some medical practitioners, particularly gynaecologists and obstetricians, have opted not to perform operations for fear of lawsuits.The concerns of the Minister notwithstanding, the daily experiences of people point to the fact that despite the lofty ideals in the Constitution and the Batho Pele Principles, the general public continues to receive sub-standard service from public institutions, especially from public hospitals. The case of Lushaba v MEC for Health, Gauteng (The original case) provides a good illustration of a nation, which is in a state of paralysis ethically. The case paints a picture of “state employees who could not be bothered to do their work” (The rule nisi case par 87). What is even more ominous is the observation by Robinson JA that shaming such public officials no longer has any effect (The rule nisi case par 90).The Lushaba case has all the hallmarks of the cost of indifference on the ethical values of a nation. Axiomatically, such a cost cannot only be measured in Rands and cents. Later in the discussion, we hope to make it clear that indifference impacts on the valuable time of the court and the plaintiff, the reputation of the various institutions involved, quality of life of the child born with cerebral palsy as a result of indifference, the dignity of both the mother and her son and, of course, the taxpayers’ money. These factors combined provide a good basis for reflection on the cost of indifference in this case. To provide some background, the facts of the Lushaba case are discussed briefly, after which the indifference of every role player in the events leading up to the two court cases are highlighted. In the process, our discussion also makes mention of the trajectory that the case followed from the court a quo all the way to the Constitutional Court (MEC for Health, Gauteng v Lushaba [2015] ZACC 16). In the Constitutional Court’s judgment, even the High Court judge came under scrutiny.

This third publication of JOVACET follows the Special Issue which emanated from our 2018 conference on adult learning and education. While the Special Issue was focused on papers presented on the theme of the conference, the conference call for papers also yielded additional submissions outside the scope of the Special Issue, which contributed to this subsequent volume. Articles in this issue are situated in the vocational education and workplace training domains and constitute research at the level of practice as well as at the macro-policy level. Our first article herein, authored by Barabasch, Caldart and Keller, concerns competence development in apprenticeship training, and how innovation in the labour market in Switzerland is impacting on VET (vocational education and training) learning cultures as well as on approaches to learning at, and through, work. The Swiss dual-learning model, in which the major part of apprentice learning takes place in the workplace, is widely admired, and Switzerland is seen as an innovation leader among its peers in Europe. Even so, the constant drive for innovation, new technologies and work processes can be seen to be impacting on workforce development. Vocational learners are requiring new skill sets, for instance less product-specific knowledge and more ‘agile’ approaches such as ‘creativity’, ‘reflectivity’, and ‘taking the initiative’. Through a case study of the Swiss telecommunication industry, the authors examine how a new, innovative learning culture is being shaped in order to adapt to new work demands. Next, Gaffoor and Van der Bijl report on an investigation into factors that influence retention and attrition at a sample technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college in South Africa. The reasons for student dropout at public colleges have not been well documented and only a handful of studies have been conducted to date. The social and economic cost of young people leaving schools and colleges with incomplete qualifications is potentially crippling, and it is imperative that institutions understand the ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors that are at play. Using the early constructs of Tinto, and later Bean, the authors attempt to provide a more holistic explanation of why students fail to complete their college programmes. From explanations of early college exit, Groener and Andrews examine the access pathways into higher education offered by TVET colleges through their vocational qualifications in early childhood educator training. Public colleges have for many years offered early childhood development (ECD) programmes for aspirant teachers, and a persistent source of frustration has been the lack of articulation in this field between TVET college and university qualifications. Universities offer initial teacher education in ECD but only very recently has there been an attempt to build pathways into these university qualifications by perusing the nature and content of the programmes offered at colleges. Nonetheless, it is not the lack of articulation which is the main focus of this article, but rather the aspirations of students who enter TVET colleges in order to create a basis for recognition of prior learning (RPL) for access into university by an alternative route. Evidence from Groener and Andrews’ case study shows that students in the sample who had the goal of access to university after completing their vocational college programme, demonstrated considerable agency and determination in overcoming structural and institutional barriers in pursuit of their goals. Moving from learner-centred studies to broader social and policy constructs in TVET, Kraak’s article considers the concept of ‘intermediation’ in the brokering of training compacts, especially in the light of the role that sector education and training authorities (SETAs) are required to play in South Africa. SETAs have a range of mandated functions with regard to employers in their scope of authority, but, with regard to training and development, they have an essential role in, inter alia, fostering links among employers, unions, and training providers. South Africa still has some way to go in developing the kind of relationships between employers and training providers that have seen established vocational systems become successful, and in enabling young graduates in these systems to become sought-after, highly skilled employees. Notwithstanding the slow progress towards the goal of a coherent system in which supply and demand can coexist, the author points to at least two successful examples of intermediation which could serve as a basis for future initiatives. An interesting dimension of the article is the inclusion of key stakeholder perspectives of four senior officials in the skills system, perspectives which suggest that, in the current dispensation, the expectation of intermediation may be a step too far for most SETAs. In this regard, Kraak acknowledges the input he received from the late Adrienne Bird, Director of the Special Projects Unit in the Department of Higher Education and Training, where she was leading the Centres of Specialisation initiative to revitalise the apprenticeship model. Adrienne Bird was a passionate advocate of vocational education and training and had a distinguished career in the South African post-apartheid skills development system. Her untimely passing in 2019, after a long battle with ill health, leaves a void in our still fragile and emergent national training architecture, where her dedication, experience and keen insight will no doubt be missed. Needham continues on the policy theme in his article as he interrogates the inability of the public TVET sector to meet human-capital development goals of reduced unemployment and improved economic returns on education investment. He argues that, while privatisation of education is a global phenomenon, in South Africa it is the result of the state’s adoption of neo-liberal reforms and a shift in emphasis on education as a public good in favour of narrower interests. The dominant discourses of performance management, efficiency, accountability, and the like have come to characterise education, to the detriment of developmental goals. He critiques privatisation policy approaches, for instance the ‘outsourcing’ of public education to private providers and the disincentivisation of public colleges to offer occupational programmes which, he argues, led to the creation of multiple private providers to offer this training. When colleges were subsequently encouraged to offer SETA-led occupational programmes, many colleges found themselves ill-equipped to take on this task, he contends. In essence, the article concludes that neither public nor private providers have been well served by the confusing privatisation policy messages, and the two systems of provision have as a result been pitted against each other rather than working collaboratively for more effective skills development delivery. Finally, in this issue of JOVACET, there is a book review by Martin Mulcahy, a former educator, policy analyst, and education adviser with vast experience of post-school education and training. He reviews the latest Springer handbook edited by McGrath, Mulder, Papier and Suart (2019), which is a mammoth two-volume edition covering nine broad themes and containing a host of scholarly articles within each theme. Mulcahy provides an informative overview of the handbook and its various sections, which will no doubt be a welcome and essential introduction to both volumes for vocational researchers, policymakers, teachers and students. We are indeed pleased that this timeous review could be included in this edition of JOVACET. The authors of papers in this issue of JOVACET demonstrated patience and diligence throughout the rigorous peer-review process, and undertook with good grace the amendments that needed to be made to their articles. We trust that readers will appreciate their effort.

This report is the result of a literature study and questionnaire which gave insight on the role of officials in the rehabilitation process. Correctional Services has adopted a new approach, where offenders need to change their negative behaviour and be rehabilitated. Corrections have a societal responsibility towards the community to guide the offender on his rehabilitation path. This study was conducted to give a better understanding of rehabilitation to offenders The purpose of this research is to determine if the Department of Correctional Services delivers on its legal and social responsibility towards the rehabilitation of offenders. In this study the researcher gathered information on the department policies, training of officials, the programmes currently available in Correctional Services, and also the involvement of the community in this process. Corrections cannot work alone, and needs the help of the community and leaders in the community to assist it in this process. Correctional Services faces many challenges in order to succeed in the rehabilitation of offenders. Currently there is a shortage of officials in the Department of Correctional Services, and the Department cannot, therefore, fully succeed in its rehabilitative role. Another aspect is that rehabilitation programmes are voluntary, and offenders can decide if they want to become involved or not.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: While the current trend among a number of organisations is to integrate performance appraisal with performance management systems or even 'replace' it with performance management systems, it is still an extremely highly utilised process. The probable reason for this, is that the major use of performance appraisal is as a management tool whereby the quality of personnel decisions can be enhanced when an effective system is in place. Ideally the use of a formal process, focused on objective, job orientated criteria, will empower management to make meaningful decisions which will not only be to the benefit of individual workers but will contribute to the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation. Apart from the fact that it is used as a management tool, other major objectives of performance appraisal are to determine the administrative and developmental needs of individuals in the interests of their own progress and development as well as that of the organisation. There are therefore, two fundamental parties involved in appraisal, being the appraisee and the appraiser and it is inevitable that the approach to, or the perception of the subject should be different in some, or many ways. Aspects such as utility, fairness, ethics, motivation, accuracy, validity, rating errors, effectiveness and feedback, should therefore be examined in more detail in order to determine where specific problem areas may lie. Serious perceptual differences concerning the process will surely create obstacles and eventually lead to an inefficient system. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which differing perceptions playa role in the acceptance or rejection of the appraisal system in general terms and specifically in terms of the aspects mentioned above, from the point of view of subordinates and supervisors. The diagnostic instrument used in this study was adapted from those of Mount (1983) (named the Leadership Analysis Questionnaire) and Ie Roux (1989) to include aspects which are more in line with features of the performance appraisal system unique to the participating organisation. Two different forms of questionnaires were used in this study. One was designed for completion by subordinates and the other by supervisors. These two groups were further subdivided into two groups referred to as achievers and nonachievers. The overall response to the questionnaires was very satisfactory in that 431 of the 600 questionnaires were returned (almost 72%) of which 44 were not usable. Of the 186 supervisors' responses which could be used for statistical analysis, 80 were categorised as achievers and of the 201 subordinates' responses which could be used for statistical analysis, 38 were categorised as achievers. The research revealed statistically significant differences in perception between different computations of all groups in respect of fairness, ethics, accuracy, rater error and administrative aspects. It is recommended that future research should be directed at the underlying reasons for perceptual differences between supervisors and subordinates, regarding the factors mentioned above, with the aim of improving communication and relationships. Another area would be to investigate the feasibility of organisations incorporating performance appraisal into a more integrated performance management system.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoewel talle organisasies tans daartoe neig om prestasie-beoordeling by prestasiebestuur in te skakel of om dit selfs daardeur te vervang, is dit steeds 'n hoogs aangeskrewe proses. Die waarskynlikste rede hiervoor is dat prestasie-beoordeling hoofsaaklik dien as bestuurshulp ten opsigte van die verbetering van personeelbesluite waar 'n doeltreffende stelsel reeds bestaan. Die ideaal is dat die gebruik van 'n formele proses met objektiewe, werkgeoriënteerde kriteria as uitgangspunt, bestuur bemagtig om sinvolle besluite te neem wat nie net tot voordeel van die werker as individu strek nie, maar ook tot die algehele doeltreffendheid van die organisasie. Benewens prestasie-beoordeling se bestuurshulpfunksie, is 'n ander belangrike mikpunt daarvan om die administratiewe en ontwikkelingsbehoeftes van individue te help bepaal - nie net in die belang van hul eie vordering en ontwikkeling nie, maar ook in die belang van die organisasie s'n. Daarom is daar basies twee partye betrokke by prestasie-beoordeling, naamlik die beoordelaar en diegene wat beoordeel word. Dit is dus onvermydelik dat die benadering tot of waarneming van die onderwerp in 'n paar en dikwels selfs in talle opsigte sal verskil. Dit is dus belangrik dat aspekte soos bruikbaarheid, regverdigheid, etiek, motivering, akkuraatheid, geldigheid, beoordelingsfoute, doeltreffendheid en terugvoering in groter besonderhede ondersoek word om vas te stel waar probleemareas moontlik mag voorkom. Ernstige perseptuele verskille wat die proses betref, kan stuikelblokke veroorsaak en aanleiding gee tot 'n ondoeltreffende stelsel. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel in watter mate verskillende persepsies kan bydra tot die aanvaarding of verwerping van die beoordelingstelseloor die algemeen en in die besonder ten opsigte van bogenoemde aspekte soos beskou vanuit beide die toesighouer en die ondergeskikte se oogpunt. Die diagnostiese meetinstrument wat gebruik is, is 'n aanpassing van Mount (1983) se "Leadership Analysis Questionnaire" en dié van Le Roux (1989) en sluit aspekte in wat in 'n groter mate tred hou met die eienskappe van die beoordelingstelsel eie aan die deelnemende organisasie s'n. Twee verskillende vraelyste is gebruik vir toesighouers en onder-geskiktes. 'n Bykomende verdeling is gemaak tussen presteerders en niepresteerders. Die reaksie op die vraelyste was, op die keper beskou, baie bevredigend, aangesien 431 van die 600 vraelyste terugontvang is - bykans 72%. Hiervan was 44 onbruikbaar. Van die 186 toesighouersvraelyste wat gebruik kon word vir statistiese ontleding, is 80 as dié van presteerdes geklassifiseer, en van die 2010ndergeskiktes se vraelyste 38. Die ondersoek het in sy berekeninge statistiese beduidende verskille uitgewys ten opsigte van die verskillende groepe se persepsies van regverdigheid, etiek, akkuraatheid, beoordelingsfoute en administratiewe aspekte. Daar word aanbeveel dat toekomstige navorsing gerig word op die onderliggende,redes vir die perseptuele verskille tussen toesighouers en ondergeskiktes, met inagneming van bogenoemde faktore en met die mikpunt die verbetering van kommunikasie en verhoudinge. Nog navorsing sou ook gedoen kon word om te bepaal hoe uitvoerbaar dit vir 'n organisasie sou wees om prestasie-beoordeling in te skakel by 'n stelsel wat prestasiebestuurgerig is.

After 1994, the democratic South Africa passed a number of legislations in order to address the imbalances of the previous apartheid regime. The new South African government had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the citizens of the country. In 1995 the government formulated the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service. The aim was to transform the South African public service, which is the indication of the importance of service delivery, as the key machinery of the government to equalize service delivery to all citizens. In 1996 the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa anchored the Bill of Rights as the cornerstone of democracy that enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. In chapter ten of the Constitution stipulates the basic values and principles governing public administration. The White Paper on Transformation of Public Service was followed by White Paper on Transforming Service Delivery in 1997 (Batho Pele White Paper) which provided a policy framework and practical implementation strategy for the more efficient , effective and equitable provision of public service. The Batho Pele White Paper signalled the adoption of a citizen oriented approach on service delivery informed by eight principles: consultation, service standard, access, courtesy, information, openness and transparency, redress and value for money. This study focuses on the investigation on the implementation of Batho Pele Principles in the Department of Labour: Port Elizabeth. The main objectives of the study are: To provide an overview of the Batho-Pele principles in relation to service delivery. To investigate the importance of implementing the Batho-Pele principles in the department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. To identify challenges affecting the implementation of the Batho-Pele principles in the Department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. To investigate the importance of implementing the Batho Pele principles in the Department of Labour: Port Elizabeth and to identify challenges affecting the implementation. In this study a sample of three units was selected to conduct research in the Department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. The units were frontline Services, Beneficiary Services and Enforcement Inspection Services. The reason for choosing these sections is because they are directly involved in serving clients. A sample of 20 officials was drawn from these units. A quantitative method of data collection and analysis was followed. The main findings of the study were firstly, that the Department of Labour officials are aware of the Batho Pele principles. Based on the findings, they are not sure of the compliance of the policies. This means that the implementation of the Batho Pele principles has gaps that need to be addressed. Officials indicate that they need attention because they are the tools of operation. They register a low morale that needs to be addressed by the Department. The dissemination of information needs to be improved and communication with the clients of the Department should be done oin all languages so that clients can clearly understand the services offered by the Department of Labour.

The impetus that informs the drive for developmental state that promotes growth and development centres on the local capacity of the local sphere of the government to effectively discharge its responsibilities. The essence of this study is to evaluate the training of officials in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and assess the extent to which service delivery has impacted on the lives of the community within this area.

The main objective of the study is to explore the accountability of the ward councillors through the application of the Batho Pele principles in Lukhanji Municipality. Accountability is regarded as the key aspect for any government in which it should be monitored and maintained. The main problem to be addressed by this study is the ways in which the ward councillors can improve accountability applying the Batho Pele principles. To address the research problem and to achieve the aims of this study, an empirical research was done by distributing self-administered questionnaires to the participants in Lukhanji Municipality. The research findings revealed that in Lukhanji Municipality poor accountability of the ward councillors in which it needs improvement. Another finding is that poor accountability is caused by the lack of understanding of the Batho Pele principles, lack of understanding of the accountability mechanisms and poor relations between the community and ward councillors. The research findings of the study pointed to the necessity to make a set of recommendations on improving accountability through the application of Batho Pele principles in Lukhanji Municipality.

This study investigated the education and training needs for municipal employees in order to inform an education and training strategy that would address environmental management challenges in Makana local municipality in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape province. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of questionnaires, document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews as instruments for data generation. Samples of respondents were selected from Makana Municipality employees in top and middle management positions, professionals/technicians and workers, including elected councillors. The study was contextualised through establishing environmental management issues in Makana municipality; establishing organisational needs; development of a learner profile; and through a review of policies and recent trends in adult education. The study established that the Makana Municipality employees are most concerned with the following issues: sanitation; solid waste management; livestock management and fire management. These issues require primary environmental competences among all council employees (top and middle management, professionals and technicians, workers and councillors who work on part-time basis). The educational implications needed to respond to these issues also require an understanding of legislation. The study also established that technical education and training which includes planning, project management, and financial and budgeting competences are necessary amongst the management and professionals. These competences may enable them to develop capacity in environmental management. This study further established the need for social education which includes competences such as communication and social justice. These competences should be developed amongst members of the same group as they need to involve the community in management of the environment. This should enable the municipality to create job opportunities and help change negative attitudes.

Perceptions of performance management in the South African Public Sector was characterised by high levels of unfairness owing to a bias in favour of those individuals that can write essays well. The essays would provide the evaluation team with an indication of the achievement of the individual as its relates to job performance, knowledge, insight, interpersonal relations and leadership qualities. Although the Performance Management system has changed from what was called the Performance Appraisal System to the Personnel Performance Management System that involves both supervisor and employee inputs, fairness perceptions remain unchanged. This study aimed to ascertain perceptions of fairness toward performance appraisals amongst public service raters and ratees on Level 1 to 12 who are subject to use the Personnel Performance Management System in the office of a public service organisation: National Department of Land Affairs Chief Directorate : Surveys and Mapping.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, instructs the Public Service Commission (PSC) to propose measures to ensure effective and efficient performance in the public service, which includes National and Provincial Departments (1996:108).Various view points on this issue have been expressed why even some hard working staff members of the Western Cape Provincial Treasury (WCPT) are found to be surprised and disappointed over the performance management process especially, when their hard work throughout the year goes unnoticed or are under-rated by their superiors.The bias scoring by certain performance evaluators also causes plenty of animosity, hostility and resentment among colleagues because "friendly" staff is prejudiced ahead of other staff.The Public Service Act 103 of 1994 states that an executive authority has powers and duties regarding the performance management of officers and employees of that office or department (1994:14). "... a head of department shall be responsible for the efficient management and administration of his or her department, including the effective utilisation and training of staff..." .

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Technikon, 1999.
Although retirement planning is well known in most South African organizations it is an aspect that enjoys a low priority in the majority of organisations resulting in weak and insufficient retirement planning. The aforementioned together with a lack of sufficient retirement planning preparation within local authorities often leads to the formation of an incorrect perception when individuals retire. Aspects affecting retirement planning include the continued high inflation rate, affirmative action, political and economic uncertainty, the population explosion, unemployment and rationalization. It is therefore imperative that officials receive the necessary training and leadership for the expected success of retirement. An important shortcoming exists in this unique field to school and prepare officials and the importance of establishing an independent future after an active career becomes essential. The focus point for this investigation was to determine to what degree retirement planning is operational in local authorities. Secondly, the degree to which available information in connection with retirement planning is used to prepare officials effectively for the process was determined. Subsequently problems experienced with the application and implementation of a retirement plan for officials as well as obstacles that could hinder the process of successful timeous retirement planning was also looked at.