| Summary: | Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Legislation encourages local government! municipalitiesl local authorities in
South Africa, to fulfil a development role. One of the main objectives of
municipalities performing a development role is to empower communities,
especially previously disadvantaged communities. This study argues that the
services delivered by municipalities are an essential component of a
development orientation. In view of this fact, the study proposes an operational
framework, whereby community empowerment can be achieved through
municipal service delivery.
The operational framework suggest that for community empowerment to be
achieved through municipal service delivery, requires that the empowerment
enabler (municipalities or departments within municipalities) should assure that:
disadvantaged communities have access to services, services must be
delivered in a non-discriminatory manner, the community should understand the
rationale as to why the service is delivered, opportunity should be given for
community participation in the delivery process, there should be a constant
information channel between the giver (enabler) and receiver of services, and
human resources from the local community should be utilised where possible in
the delivery process.
Lastly, a descriptive evaluation is undertaken of the health department's
approach (at the Stellenbosch Municipality) to the delivery of primary healthcare
services and service infrastructure. The purpose of the evaluation is to ascertain
whether the principles as proposed in the operational framework are present in
the health department's approach to service delivery. The evaluation reveals
that most of the proposed principles of the operational framework features in the
health department's approach to the delivery of primary healthcare services and
services infrastructure. Thereby, concluding that the health department follows
to a certain extent an approach to service delivery that could ultimately lead to
community empowerment. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wetgewing vereis dat plaaslike regering/ plaaslike owerhede/ munisipaliteite in
Suid-Afrika, 'n ontwikkelingsrol moet vervul. Een van die doelstellings van 'n
ontwikkelingsrol vir munisipaliteite, is om gemeenskappe te bemagtig, spesifiek
gemik op agtergeblewe gemeenskappe. Hierdie studie argumenteer dat die
dienste gelewer deur munisipaliteite 'n essensiële komponent vorm van 'n
ontwikkelings-orientasie. Gevolglik, stel hierdie studie 'n operasionele raamwerk
voor, waarvolgens gemeenskapsbemagtiging bewerkstellig kan word deur
middel van munisipale dienslewering.
Die operasionele raamwerk stel voor dat om gemeenskapsbemagting deur
dienslewering te bewerkstellig, vereis dat die bemagtiger (munisipaliteite of
departemente binne munisipaliteite) moet toesien dat: agtergeblewe
gemeenskappe toegang het tot diente, dienste moet gelewer word op 'n niediskriminerende
wyse, die gemeenskap moet verstaan waarom die diens
gelewer word, geleentheid moet geskep word vir gemeenskapsdeelname aan
die diensleweringsproses, 'n kommunikasie kanaal tussen die ontvanger en
leweraar (bemagtiger) van dienste, moet geskep word en laastens moet daar
van plaaslike arbeid (waar moontlik), in die diensleweringsproses gebruik word.
Laastens word 'n beskrywende evaluering onderneem na die
Gesondheidsdepartement (by die Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit) se benadering tot
die lewering van primêre gesondheidssorgdienste asook diens infrastruktuur.
Die doel van die evaluering is om te bepaal of enige van die faktore, soos
beskryf in die operasionele raamwerk, teenwoordig is in die
gesondheidsdepartement se benadering tot dienslewering. Die resultate van die
ondersoek toon aan dat die meeste van die faktore, soos voorgestel in die
operasionele raamwerk, wel teenwoordig is in die gesondheidsdepartement se
benadering tot dienslewering. Gevolglik kan daar afgelei word dat die
gesondheidsdepartement wel tot 'n mate, 'n benadering tot dienslewering volg,
wat kan lei tot gemeenskapsbemagtiging.
|
|---|
