Browsing by Author "Dlamini, Zandile Virtue."

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Aligning information and communication technology strategies with Ethekwini municipality’s strategic objectives for service delivery.
(2023) Dlamini, Zandile Virtue.; Majola, Priscilla Xoliswa.
In the realm of municipal governance, the rapid integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has introduced new opportunities and challenges. A critical challenge is the misalignment between strategic objectives and ICT strategies within municipalities, as exemplified by eThekwini municipality in South Africa. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the pivotal role of strategic alignment in shaping ICT implementation for effective service delivery within eThekwini municipality. The aim was to provide insights and solutions to bridge the gaps between ICT and municipal strategy alignment. A mixed methods approach was employed in this study, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques in a convergent parallel design. The questionnaires used in the study were meticulously aligned with the research's specific objectives. A census approach was adopted to collect quantitative and qualitative data gathered through purposive sampling. The research identified a key issue as limited executive involvement in developing the municipality's ICT strategy, resulting in a misalignment between the strategy and the overarching municipal goals. This misalignment risks suboptimal decision-making based solely on operational inputs. This finding underscores the critical need for strategic alignment between municipal objectives and ICT strategies in eThekwini municipality. The municipality should thus prioritise the development of a comprehensive ICT strategy that aligns seamlessly with its overarching objectives. This strategy should be crafted with active involvement from key stakeholders, outlining clear goals and action plans aimed at harnessing technology for efficient service delivery. To ensure effective alignment, robust ICT governance structures and decision-making processes must be established. These changes will not only enhance service delivery to the community, but also promote a transparent, efficient, and technology-enabled governance approach.
An investigation into the effectiveness of the auditcommittees in local government with reference to eThekwini Municipality.
(2016) Dlamini, Zandile Virtue.; Mutambara, Emmanuel.
The Audit Committee is a vital component of accountability and governance for those charged with responsibility of governance. Audit Committees have progressively been perceived as an integral part of modern control structures and governance practices in both the public service and private sector. The fundamental purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Audit Committees in the local government with reference to eThekwini Municipality. The researcher explored the effectiveness of the support from the Audit Committee to the internal audit function capacity and furthermore, to the Office of the Auditor General in the accomplishment of the best practice auditing in a municipality. The objectives that were developed for this study were to establish the effectiveness of Audit Committees, identify the perceived characteristics of the effective Audit Committee and also to investigate the perceived relationship between the Audit Committee and a good control environment. The researcher endeavours to answer the question of how effective local government Audit Committees are, in helping the municipality to discharge their service delivery mandates. It is clear that the Audit Committee cannot work all alone in the event that it wishes to be effective. Management, External Auditors (Auditor General of South Africa) and Internal Auditors all play a critical part in the effectiveness of the Audit Committee. A mixed methodology was used in this study since a structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data as well as reviewing audit documents, such as, the Audit Committee Charter, minutes of meetings, etc. in order to gain more insight into auditing process and procedures. The research instrument that was used consisted of structured and unstructured questions, as well as open ended questions. The target population comprised of the standing committee members as well as all the Audit Committee members totalling 20. Therefore, this study takes a census approach where all 20 members responded to the structured and unstructured questionnaire. The study concluded that the Audit Committee at eThekwini, which was selected for the study, complies with legal requirements and best practice regarding the suggested functions of committees. The Audit Committee can, however, still improve its effectiveness in its performance of certain key functions in the areas of oversight of risk management, reporting, and internal control environment as per recommendations.