An Analysis of Ethical Dilemmas Encountered by SADC Region in the Provision of Municipal Services: A Scoping Review

Description

Page: 1204-1213

Langanani Mbedzi and Sanah Tebogo Matloga (Department of Public Administration, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa)

This scoping review seeks to explore and analyze the ethical dilemmas that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region faces in the provision of municipal services. Municipalities in the region are tasked with providing essential public services such as water, sanitation, waste management, and electricity. Municipalities often encounter significant ethical challenges that impact their ability to fulfil these obligations effectively and equitably. These dilemmas stem from corruption, resource mismanagement, inequality in-service distribution, political interference, and lack of transparency and accountability. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, reports, and case studies from various SADC countries, this study identifies the main ethical issues municipal governments confront and the consequences of these dilemmas on service delivery. Researchers conducted a scoping review, selecting articles from regional (Sabinet African Journals) and global databases (EBSCOhost, PubMed, & SAGE Journals) using search strategies with Boolean operators, truncations, and MeSH terms. Additionally, the authors conducted both backward and forward searches using Google Scholar. The review included primary studies (mixed methods, qualitative & quantitative) published between 2015 and 2024 that met specified inclusion and exclusion criteria on assessing the quality of the included studies. The findings of this review may also serve as a basis for further research into specific interventions or best practices that could mitigate these ethical dilemmas and enhance the overall quality of life for citizens in SADC countries. The researchers recommended developing or revising policies that incorporate ethical standards for municipal governance, ensuring that services are provided in line with social justice principles.