Governance quality and service delivery performance: evidence from a rural municipality

Abstract

Enforcement of governance quality meticulously cultivates an array of economic and social benefits, and emerges as a major determinant in addressing maldevelopment and contemporary social ills especially in rural areas. However, while different public sector stakeholders are expected to uphold professional excellence and competence, sustaining governance quality is emotionally taxing and intellectually demanding. Despite increasing interest in the quality of public governance, existing studies on its linkage with service delivery performance in South African rural setting remain fragmented and inconclusive. Hence, through the theoretical lenses of public value theory, the study explores the perceived influence of governance quality on service delivery performance in rural setting. Grounded in qualitative research approach and purposive sampling technique, the study utilised semi-structured interviews with 17 local government officials and practitioners in a South African rural municipality. Using thematic analysis, the study identified three key significant governance challenges, namely failures in financial oversight, political interference, and insufficient coordination between municipal departments and traditional authorities. The study proved irrefutable evidence that promotion of governance quality improves service delivery performance. The study extends beyond merely corroborating previous research by demonstrating that the challenges to good governance are woven into the local governance framework and persist across various municipalities. This indicates that they are not isolated occurrences but rather pervasive challenges within South Africa’s municipal governance system. The study concluded that financial oversight mechanisms are insufficient; a commitment to enforcing audit recommendations and an ongoing review process that extends beyond annual evaluations is necessary. The study provides evidence-based, actionable strategies for the municipality to enhance governance quality and subsequently improve service delivery performance.