Political interference in administrative institutions at local government: The Case of Phokwane Local Municipality

Abstract

This study examines political interference in administrative institutions at local government within the Phokwane Local Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa. This research explores how politics influence the administrative structure in service delivery, governance and human resource practices. The study examines how political dynamics undermine the integrity and efficiency of the administrative structure. The study adopted a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with municipal councillors and officials from the political and administrative structures to gather insights into the perceptions and experiences. The findings reveal that political interference greatly affects the administrative structure's autonomy, the decision-making process, accountability and the recruitment and selection processes. It was revealed that the recruitment process is dominated by politics through bypassing formal appointment processes of the human resources department, leading to institutional and governance issues, low staff morale, lack of capacity and a challenge to service delivery. It was noted that the blurred boundaries between politics and administration are created by actors in the political structure, resulting in administrative instability. The study concludes that Phokwane Local Municipality should reinforce the relationship between the political and administrative structure, the administrative autonomy, and promote the merit-based system to enhance governance and service delivery in the municipality.