Wits School of Governance (ETDs)

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Browsing Wits School of Governance (ETDs) by Keyword "Adversarial Model"

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    Assessing whether political-administrative relationships affect stability in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mjekula, Nosipho; Lynge, Halfdan
    The assessment of the political-administrative relationships between executive authorities (Ministers) and Directors-General (DGs) and whether there is a perceptible correlation with stability in three national government departments in South Africa, namely Human Settlements, Traditional Affairs, and the Office of the Public Service Commission was seized using a mixed methods approach (qualitative and basic elements of quantitative methods). Due to the editorial nature of this research piece, the academic knowledge gap, the lack of empirical evidence about the typology of these relationships in South Africa, and the deep interest of the researcher in the study, an analysis was necessary. This study focuses on the relationship between politicians who are Executive Authorities (EAs) and only administrators at the level of Directors- General (DGs) and who are regarded as the independent variable (IV). The EA and DG have an individual role to play in the policy formulation and implementation and enacting laws, and regulations (intervene variable). Another variable that intervenes and contributes to the relationship between politicians and administrators is the political landscape at a particular time which normally expresses certain relationships between the EAs and DGs. Ample evidence shows that poor relations between the elected and the appointed cause a high turnover rate at the administrative level and creates unstable institutions that are weak and characterised by corruption (SA Institute of Race Relations, August 2017). The high turnover refers to the number of DGs who leave the Public Service. However, most of the studies do not necessarily clarify whether the turnover rate within government was caused by the kind of relationships EAs and HoDs may experience, therefore remains unclear. Internal strife at the level of political and administrative executives is often heard through newspaper articles. This turned out to be a normality where tensions, poor working relationships and interactions, how major decisions are taken, individual and organisational instabilities, and political over administration power are mostly cited. The instability of relations between politicians and officials, created by high levels of public service politicisation, is the most solemn variable of instability and inconsistency in any democratic dispensation. The findings and recommendations of the study will shape improved relations, and help the government categorize the kind of relationships that exist through a developed model named Political Administrative Leadership (PAL) that the researcher established to map the relationship that is deemed functional even when tensions exist. The political executives, administrative heads, the Directors-General (DGs) or heads of department (HoDs), and public service practitioners will be able to sketch healthier relations that would shape and enhance the future of the political-administration dichotomy that existed and was questioned by some scholars e.g. Mafunisa, Maphunye, and others policy and framework development that permits pragmatic analysis of the relationships at the political-administrative interface. The study uses a sample size of thirty-four participants selected using a purposive and snowball sampling technique in the three national departments. Fifteen of the participants were from the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC), twelve from the Department of Traditional Affairs (DTA), and seven from the Department of Human Settlements (DHS). The study focuses on the unit analysis which is the relationship between a Minister and Director-General in each of the selected departments. The sample was selected using the offices and units that understand the political-administrative relationships and whether they caused or not necessarily instigated the stability or instability thereof. The study of two out of the three national departments showed stable relationships and stability between the EAs and DGs, however, the respondents were of the view that the poorer the relations the higher the instability in government departments, components, entities, and institutions