Avatar photo

By Stephen Tau

Journalist


PODCAST: Corruption cited as major impediment to good governance

Governance expert Pranish Desai on why municipalities struggle to provide basic services to communities.


Poor service delivery in South Africa continues to be a big headache for both government and citizens alike.

If it is not uncollected garbage, residents are complaining about lack of adequate clean water, electricity, lack of housing as well as the country’s poor roads, thanks to the emergence of potholes, among many other things.

Community protests have also been the order of the day since the start of 2023.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Residents protest over water in Parys

To express their discontent with poor service delivery, residents in several parts of the country went on the rampage, barricading roads with burning tyres and rocks.

Some of the provinces that have been experiencing protest action of this nature, include Gauteng, Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eastern Cape as well as the North West province.

WATCH: Protests in Komani

Earlier this year, schooling was also disrupted in Lehurutshe, Zeerust in the North West province, when locals embarked on a protest over the lack of service delivery.

The governing African National Congress (ANC) has also in recent weeks been berating its own deployees over the collapse of some of the municipalities.

Party secretary general Fikile Mbalula also said a number of party leaders would be tasked with monitoring performance at various struggling municipalities in the coming months.

ALSO READ: ANC vows to prioritise service delivery in 2023

Senior digital reporter for The Citizen Stephen Tau invited governance expert Pranish Desai from Good Governance Africa (GGA), to share his thoughts on why many of the country’s municipalities struggle to provide quality basic services to communities.

Listen to the podcast here:

The Citizen‘s Talk with Tau podcast is available to listen to on www.citizen.co.za.

Read more on these topics

corruption Government Opinion protest

For more news your way

Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.