E-government in enhancing good governance in local government: The case of City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
Maleka, Mogotsi Caiphus
Maleka, Mogotsi Caiphus
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Abstract
Local government could be regarded as the sphere closest to the people. Essentially this sphere has been given a Constitutional mandate to ensure the provision of services, promote democracy and accountability and encourage community participation in matters of local governance, among others.
In this regard, the advent of information and communications technologies (ICT) fundamentally changed the manner in which government conducts its business. As a result, the researcher asserts that ICT could be perceived as an enabler or a tool to ensure the effective fulfilment of the developmental mandate of local government, hence e-government, e-governance and e-democracy.
This research takes place within the context of local government with a particular interest in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) in South Africa. The objectives of the study are mainly to assess the state of e-governance, effectiveness of e-services, the effectiveness of e-participation and to assess if e-governance enhances good governance in the CTMM. These objectives are driven by the notion that local governance is changing from the role of providing traditional services to addressing past inequalities, promoting sustainable development and deepening democracy through public participation, thus it has a developmental mandate. As a result, local government has to change the way it has always done things (Gamedze, 2001:5).
This study employed a mixed method research approach as a method of systematic inquiry. In this regard, qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection and analysis were employed. The primary data collection of this study is informed by a survey that was conducted focusing on the residents of the City of Tshwane. The sample population of the study reflects three regions of the City of Tshwane. The variables such as the peri-urban, low and high-density population were taken into cognisance in the data collection process. The secondary data comprised of an extensive literature review and sources are acknowledged accordingly. Importantly, the quantitative data was analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS), while the qualitative data was analysed through a contents analysis method.
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In accordance with the research findings, the researcher deduced that although an e-governance strategy in the City of Tshwane was adopted in 2013, its adoption and implementation by the residents is arguably of a low level. The evidence indicates that the majority of the research participants are oblivious of e-governance and its intended objectives.
The study makes a fundamental contribution to the body of knowledge by proposing a model that the CTMM may consider to ensure that e-governance indeed enhances good governance. This contribution to the body of knowledge is essential to aid the municipality to improve on its e-governance strategy. Through the proposed model, a culture of digital technology could indoctrinate a culture of digital governance. As a result, the benefits of the e-governance strategy and principles of good governance in the City of Tshwane could be realised optimally.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Public Affairs in the Department of Public Management Faculty of Humanities at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2020-07-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
E-government, Local government, ICT, E-democracy, City of Tshwane