An examination of the frigidity of the district municipalities towards the needs of society

Abstract

Recently, development has taken center stage as it encapsulates an intrinsic aspect of human life. Development is a fundamental requirement for improving the material conditions of communities that contend with abject poverty across all spheres of their lives. It is conversely justifiable that understanding development within the context of service delivery is indispensable and could be considered the backbone towards socioeconomic and political upliftment of the masses. This social science research study examines the frigidity of the district municipalities towards improving the needs of society. This study seeks to closely unpack the challenges that negatively impact ordinary citizens' livelihoods to access the services as their fundamental and constitutional rights. The frigidity of district municipalities to render services violates the citizens' fundamental human rights and undermines constitutional supremacy. The primary focus of this study is on disentangling the issues which have a negative bearing on development initiatives to be undertaken by the district municipalities. This study further navigates the social ills through a lens that would, in turn, reveal and expose the key stumbling blocks which deter infrastructure and socio-economic development by district municipalities. This qualitative study embraces a phenomenological approach to fulfill the descriptive observation of the phenomenon under investigation. Data was collected through phenomenological observations and focus groups among the respondents. This study postulates the essential recommendations that would inform policy shift and policy reform as fundamental approaches to development that respond squarely to service delivery.