KZN local govt under microscope

KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu.

Published Feb 7, 2016

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Nearly half of KwaZulu-Natal’s people are unhappy with the performance they are getting from their municipalities, according to new research, with just months to go to local government elections.

This is according to a citizen satisfaction survey released by Statistics SA in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.

The study found that 49 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the performance of municipalities, 27 percent somewhat satisfied, and 25 percent satisfied.

It also found that Africans were the most dissatisfied of the province’s people, a finding which was attributed to inequality.

Commissioned by the provincial administration, the survey took Stats SA three months to cover 20 819 households.

It assessed the levels of satisfaction among citizens with services provided by the provincial and local governments in the province.

Only 33 percent of residents were outright satisfied with the performance of the provincial government.

A further 31 percent were somewhat satisfied, with 36 percent outright dissatisfied.

Presenting the report to the special sitting of the executive council, statistician-general Pali Lehohla said it was found that access to water, electricity and sanitation had improved in the province between 2002 and 2014.

“All are heading north positively,” he told the top government officials, MEC and mayors.

Access to piped water improved from 76 to 87 percent, while electricity moved from 69 to 82 percent. Sanitation stood at 76 percent, up from 51 percent in the same period.

Lehohla also said poverty had been reduced, especially in Msinga and Mhlabuyalingana, where it was reduced from 60 to 40 percent and halved respectively.

“In terms of poverty levels, things have changed for the better,” he said.

Lehohla said unemployment and a lack of education were drivers of poverty.

However, he said more than a third, 36 percent of KwaZulu residents who were interviewed, were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the provincial government against 33 percent who were very satisfied.

“When you look at local government, you see lower levels of satisfaction compared with provincial government,” he said.

Independent political analyst Thabani Khumalo said the survey found a mismatch between government and community priorities, which pointed to poor communication between the government and the people.

“The government is failing to deliver exactly on what the people want on the ground. They give what they can afford to provide rather than what the people want,” he said.

Khumalo said the survey would give savvy politicians ammunition to target their campaign strategies on areas of dissatisfaction in the province.

“For any party to run a successful campaign, it has to deliver a campaign on local needs,” he said.

“The survey is supposed to be a springboard to develop effective campaign strategies,” he said.

The survey found the proportion of people who were strongly dissatisfied with the provincial government was highest among Africans (38 percent), with whites at 32 percent; Indians 20 percent; and coloureds 10 percent.

“Dissatisfaction among blacks is not misplaced because of the instance of inequality,” Lehohla said.

The report said dissatisfaction was highest in four of the 11 districts: Umkhanyakude, Zululand, uThukela and Umzinyathi.

It also said satisfaction levels were lowest among people with no education and highest among those with high-school education and above.

“The data shows that satisfaction with the level of services rendered by the provincial government is low among people from low-income households and high among persons from high-income households.”

He said the survey found that job creation and housing provision were ranked most and second-most important by the residents.

“Citizens rank housing as a priority. This is an interesting priority,” he said.

“If employment is a priority, education, it is assumed, would be close,” he said.

Premier Senzo Mchunu said his administration put a high premium on the information collected by Stats SA.

“It directs us in terms of what to do going forward - what it is people are concerned with as opposed to what we think is a priority,” he said.

Mchunu said if 33 percent of people were outright satisfied and another 31 percent somewhat satisfied, it meant the provincial government was doing something of value.

“We can’t sit down and clap hands and say everything is done. We will continue to work hard for the citizens of KZN,” he said.

“We will make sure all their concerns are addressed and ensure we drive satisfaction levels higher, and, of course, partnering with local government, we will do our work to the best of our ability,” Mchunu said.

Lehohla said the province had held up a mirror to itself and could confidently say how it looked.

“It has provided a platform from which you can address the challenges and aspirations of the people of KZN.

“It is the only province that has this mirror.”

He said the survey provided a platform for a conversation on the dissatisfaction levels.

Sunday Independent

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