What are the Effects of poor service delivery in south Africa?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the African National Congress made a lot of promises which were totally unrealistic. Expectations were created but there is a lack of capacity and commitment to deliver on promises in the short term.

Though answers to such questions are never that simple, poor service delivery in South Africa is a byproduct of many things:

• Corrupt, incompetent, uncaring leadership [an indictment of the appointment and accountability process]
• A lack of 'servant leadership' and commitment to excellence
• A lack of skill in (or even commitment to) assessment, visionary thinking, effective planning, and implementation [showing the need for effective training]
• Bureaucracy, inefficient structures and lines or relationship, ineffective systems, poor accountability, buck-passing, and general unresponsiveness in government institutions
• An unwillingness to admit the need for outside help [pride].

Cultural factors also contribute to the situation. The African worldview generally is not forward looking. In addition, managers/leaders often do not want to lose face by admitting a lack of knowledge or skill in an area and asking for help. Once knowledge is gained or skill acquired, there is a hesitancy to share it.

Though few want to admit it, the practices of nepotism and politically motivated appointments have greatly contributed to the crisis.