The implementation of a performance management system in municipalities : the case of Thabazimbi local municipality

Abstract

Legislation for local government as prescribed by the White Paper on Local Government (1998) brought dynamics to local government which drastically changed local government since December 2000. The changes in local government, however, did not take place in isolation against the total transformation process which was implemented nationally in South Africa. In the preamble of the White Paper on Reconstruction and Development (1994) the former President, Nelson Mandela, said that transformation will be applied to all levels of government and that all levels of society will reform. On 27 April 1994 the process of democratization of the three levels of government in South Africa started. The transformation process of local government already started with the promulgation of the Local Government Transitional Act on 2 February 1993. In this study the focus was placed on the implementation of a Performance Management System at the Thabazimbi Municipality according to the prescriptions of the municipal systems act and guidelines issued by the Department of Local Government on implementing a performance management system at municipalities. Reference was made to the meaning of performance, performance management and performance management systems in order to evaluate what happened in practice at the Thabazimbi Municipality. Upon analysing the empirical findings it was evident that the respondents were not equipped or trained to implement a performance management system at the Thabazimbi municipality according to prescription of the relevant legislation due to various circumstances as explained in this study. Upon conclusion it was agreed that a performance management system was not successfully implemented at the Thabazimbi Municipality and all role players namely councillors, section 57 Managers and employees should be exposed to certain training and workshops to be equipped to implement a performance management system at the Thabazimbi Municipality.