LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE EKURHULENI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Effective leadership competencies in major organizations are a growing concern when business and public enterprises are confronted with ever increasing pressures of economic, social and political transformation. In particular, local governments are faced with enormous challenges of fulfilling their constitutional mandates of improving the lives of the citizens in various community settings through quality social service delivery. Currently, the general concerns of service beneficiaries are expressed in many forms, some by the increasing public protests that local governments have experienced recently. The research investigated the state of leadership and management competencies (including requisite technical skills) within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, the contributing factors to the current dearth of leadership skills and the relationship that exists between the lack of skills and the resultant poor service delivery. The research also confirmed that there are indeed serious skills gaps and also attempted to unearth underlying reasons for this situation. This investigation was conducted through questionnaires and structured interviews with political heads of departments, Customer Care managers and the Corporate Human Resources and Development department of the municipality. Finally, recommendations have been made to try and improve the situations in terms of appropriate organizational development interventions that are directed at building institutional capacity for better quality service delivery outcomes.