Human Resource Management System as Enabling Tool for Good Governance in South Africa’s Local Government Sector

Description

Page: 514-520

Thabo F. Saul¹, Moraka A. Shopola², and Victor H. Mlambo³ (Department of Public Affairs, Faculty of Humanities, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa¹, Department of Public Administration, North West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa², and School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, College of Business & Economics
University of Johannesburg, South Africa³)

The implementation of human resource management systems in the realm of local government, specifically with reference to the municipalities in South Africa, is a panacea for good governance with a diverse, competent, and well-managed workforce, capable of and committed to providing high-quality services to the country’s citizens. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate how human resource management systems might help municipalities in South Africa create a flexible environment for good governance. The study was a desktop review and relied on secondary data for analysis. Findings revealed that during the Municipal Audit for the 2020-2021 period, by June 2021, 23 municipalities were under administration or provincial intervention, and by February 2022, that number had risen to 33 municipalities. Dysfunctionality is thus no longer an abstraction but a reality. The study concludes that the recent amendment to the Municipal Systems Act is crucial but equally, it is important to implement human resource management systems in municipalities without any political manipulation to create a flexible environment that takes into account both the operational needs of the organisation and enhances the performance of the municipalities.