Authors :
Dr. Kgoshi Kgashane Lucas Pilusa
Volume/Issue :
Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 8 - August
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/32zxk7es
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/4nvv2wre
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24AUG115
Abstract :
Corruption within local municipalities
remains a significant obstacle to economic development
and public trust, particularly in the context of property
clearances and transfers. This study examines the extent
to which corruption within the Ba-Phalaborwa Local
Municipality undermines revenue enhancement
strategies designed to streamline property clearances
and transfers. By employing a mixed-methods approach,
this research highlights the discrepancies between policy
intentions and actual practices. The findings suggest that
corruption significantly hampers the effectiveness of
these revenue enhancement strategies, leading to
inefficiencies and public dissatisfaction.
The study draws on primary data collected from
municipal employees, property owners, and real estate
professionals. Interviews and surveys reveal a pervasive
culture of bribery and nepotism that undermines formal
procedures. Additionally, an analysis of municipal
records uncovers irregularities in property clearance
and transfer processes, suggesting systemic issues that
require urgent attention.
Addressing corruption in the Ba-Phalaborwa Local
Municipality is crucial for restoring public trust and
enhancing revenue from property transactions. The
study proposes several policy recommendations,
including stricter enforcement of anti-corruption
measures, enhanced transparency, and improved
accountability mechanisms. These strategies are essential
for ensuring that property clearances and transfers are
conducted fairly and efficiently, ultimately benefiting the
local economy and community.
Keywords :
Corruption, Revenue Enhancement, Property Clearance, Property Transfer.
References :
- Aluko, B.T., 2011. Property rights and corruption in land administration in Nigeria. Property Management, 29(4), pp.314-333.
- Avritzer, L., 2002. Democracy and the public space in Latin America. Princeton University Press.
- Bahl, R. and Linn, J., 1992. Urban public finance in developing countries. Oxford University Press.
- Bahl, R. and Bird, R., 2008. Tax policy in developing countries: Looking back—and forward. National Tax Journal, 61(2), pp.279-301.
- Banfield, E.C., 1975. Corruption as a feature of governmental organization. Journal of Law and Economics, 18(3), pp.587-605.
- Bardhan, P., 1997. Corruption and development: A review of issues. Journal of Economic Literature, 35(3), pp.1320-1346.
- Behn, R.D., 2001. Rethinking democratic accountability. Brookings Institution Press.
- Bird, R.M. and Slack, E., 2004. International handbook of land and property taxation. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp.77-101.
- Bowen, G.A., 2009. Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), pp.27-40.
- Cameron, R., 2003. Politics-administration interface: The case of the City of Cape Town. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 69(1), pp.51-66.
- Coleman, J.S., 2005. The foundations of social theory. Harvard University Press.
- Creswell, J.W., 2014. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th ed. Sage Publications.
- Denzin, N.K., 1978. The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill.
- De Speville, B., 2010. Overcoming corruption: The essentials. Crime, Law and Social Change, 53(1), pp.19-29.
- Fjeldstad, O.H., 2004. What’s trust got to do with it? Non-payment of service charges in local authorities in South Africa. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 42(4), pp.539-562.
- Fjeldstad, O.H. and Heggstad, K., 2012. New challenges for local government revenue enhancement. ICTD Working Paper 7, International Centre for Tax and Development.
- Fox, J., 2007. The uncertain relationship between transparency and accountability. Development in Practice, 17(4-5), pp.663-671.
- Franzsen, R. and McCluskey, W., 2017. Property tax in Africa: Status, challenges, and prospects. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
- Glaeser, E.L. and Saks, R.E., 2006. Corruption in America. Journal of Public Economics, 90(6-7), pp.1053-1072.
- Grimsey, D. and Lewis, M.K., 2002. Evaluating the risks of public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, 20(2), pp.107-118.
- Guriev, S. and Melikhov, D., 2009. Georgia: The anti-corruption revolution. In: Uslaner, E.M. (ed.), Corruption, Development, and Institutional Design. Cambridge University Press, pp. 101-122.
- Hodge, G.A. and Greve, C., 2007. Public–private partnerships: An international performance review. Public Administration Review, 67(3), pp.545-558.
- Hope, K.R., 2000. Corruption and development in Africa. In: Hope, K.R. and Chikulo, B.C. (eds), Corruption and development in Africa: Lessons from country case-studies. Palgrave Macmillan, pp.17-39.
- Ibem, E.O., 2011. Public-private partnership (PPP) in housing provision in Lagos Megacity Region, Nigeria. International Journal of Housing Policy, 11(2), pp.133-154.
- Institute of Internal Auditors, 2017. International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. The Institute of Internal Auditors.
- Jargalsaikhan, M., 2016. Combating Corruption in Ulaanbaatar: The role of anti-corruption agencies. Mongolian Journal of Public Administration, 4(1), pp.23-36.
- Johnston, M., 2005. Syndromes of corruption: Wealth, power, and democracy. Cambridge University Press.
- Kanyinga, K., 2009. The politics of land reform in Kenya. In: Harbeson, J.W. and Rothchild, D. (eds), Africa in world politics: Reforming political order. Westview Press, pp.307-325.
- Kattlove, K. and Leppik, L., 2019. The e-Government of Estonia: A case study in digital innovation and governance. International Journal of Digital Governance, 11(2), pp.85-102.
- Kenya Auditor General, 2016. Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements of Nairobi City County. Nairobi: Office of the Auditor General.
- Khan, M.H., 2013. The political settlement and its evolution in Bangladesh. In: Di John, J. and Putzel, J. (eds), Governance, Development and Political Order. Palgrave Macmillan, pp.47-69.
- Klitgaard, R., 1988. Controlling corruption. University of California Press.
- Kolstad, I. and Wiig, A., 2009. Is transparency the key to reducing corruption in resource-rich countries? World Development, 37(3), pp.521-532.
- Kvale, S. and Brinkmann, S., 2009. InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. 2nd ed. Sage Publications.
- Lambsdorff, J.G., 2007. The institutional economics of corruption and reform: Theory, evidence, and policy. Cambridge University Press.
- Mahlangu, V. and Maphunye, K.J., 2016. Local Government Corruption and Service Delivery in South Africa: A Case Study of Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality. African Journal of Public Administration and Management, 27(2), pp.150-168.
- Manion, M., 2004. Corruption by design: Building clean government in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Harvard University Press.
- Melo, M.A. and Costa, M.A., 2012. The Open Government Program of São Paulo: A case study in transparency and participation. Latin American Politics and Society, 54(3), pp.102-123.
- Miller, A.H. and Listhaug, O., 1990. Political performance and institutional trust. Political Behavior, 12(3), pp.241-267.
- Municipal IQ, 2019. The state of local government in South Africa. [online] Available at: http://www.municipaliq.co.za [Accessed 24 July 2024].
- New York City Department of Investigation, 2018. Annual Report. [online] Available at: https://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/doi_annual_report_2018.pdf [Accessed 24 July 2024].
- Ndlovu, S. and Moyo, T., 2019. Challenges in Implementing Revenue Enhancement Strategies in Local Government: The Case of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. Journal of Local Government Studies, 32(1), pp.75-92.
- Nwaneri, O., 2019. Corruption in Lagos Land Bureau: A study of property transactions in Nigeria. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(9), pp.782-791.
- Open Contracting Partnership, 2020. Open Contracting: A New Era for Procurement. [online] Available at: https://www.open-contracting.org [Accessed 24 July 2024].
- Persson, A., Rothstein, B. and Teorell, J., 2013. Why anticorruption reforms fail: Systemic corruption as a collective action problem. Governance, 26(3), pp.449-471.
- Perry, J.L., 2006. The role of municipal anti-corruption initiatives in urban governance. Urban Affairs Review, 42(4), pp.523-547.
- Pieterse, E., 2009. Post-apartheid geographies in South Africa: Why are urban divides so persistent? Paper presented at the Interdisciplinary Debates on Development and Cultures: Cities in Development, Leuven University, Belgium, 15-16 December 2009.
- Quah, J.S.T., 2001. Combating corruption in Singapore: What can be learned? Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 9(1), pp.29-35.
- Quah, J.S.T., 2003. Curbing corruption in Asia: A comparative study of six countries. Eastern University Press.
- Quah, J.S.T., 2009. The role of anti-corruption agencies in improving public sector governance. In: Quah, J.S.T. (ed.), Anti-Corruption Agencies: Progress and Challenges. World Scientific Publishing, pp.1-20.
- Radebe, S. and Mokoena, M., 2020. Anti-Corruption Measures and Their Impact on Local Governance: Evidence from Ba-Phalaborwa. South African Journal of Governance and Management, 35(4), pp.233-250.
- Rose-Ackerman, S., 1999. Corruption and government: Causes, consequences, and reform. Cambridge University Press.
- Rothstein, B. and Uslaner, E.M., 2005. All for all: Equality, corruption, and social trust. World Politics, 58(1), pp.41-72.
- Rothstein, B. and Teorell, J., 2008. What is quality of government? A theory of impartial government institutions. Governance, 21(2), pp.165-190.
- Sacks, A., 2011. Can donors and non-state actors undermine citizens’ legitimating beliefs? World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6158.
- Saldaña, J., 2015. The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. 3rd ed. Sage Publications.
- Stake, R.E., 1995. The Art of Case Study Research. Sage Publications.
- Treisman, D., 2000. The causes of corruption: A cross-national study. Journal of Public Economics, 76(3), pp.399-457.
- Transparency International, 2019. Corruption perceptions index 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018 [Accessed 24 July 2024].
- Transparency International, 2020. Global Corruption Report. [online] Available at: https://www.transparency.org/en/gcr [Accessed 24 July 2024].
- UNDP, 2011. The role of transparency and accountability in good governance. United Nations Development Programme.
- URT (United Republic of Tanzania), 2006. The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) report. Dar es Salaam: PCCB.
- World Bank, 2014. Doing Business 2014: Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises. The World Bank.
- Yin, R.K., 2014. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 5th ed. Sage Publications.
Corruption within local municipalities
remains a significant obstacle to economic development
and public trust, particularly in the context of property
clearances and transfers. This study examines the extent
to which corruption within the Ba-Phalaborwa Local
Municipality undermines revenue enhancement
strategies designed to streamline property clearances
and transfers. By employing a mixed-methods approach,
this research highlights the discrepancies between policy
intentions and actual practices. The findings suggest that
corruption significantly hampers the effectiveness of
these revenue enhancement strategies, leading to
inefficiencies and public dissatisfaction.
The study draws on primary data collected from
municipal employees, property owners, and real estate
professionals. Interviews and surveys reveal a pervasive
culture of bribery and nepotism that undermines formal
procedures. Additionally, an analysis of municipal
records uncovers irregularities in property clearance
and transfer processes, suggesting systemic issues that
require urgent attention.
Addressing corruption in the Ba-Phalaborwa Local
Municipality is crucial for restoring public trust and
enhancing revenue from property transactions. The
study proposes several policy recommendations,
including stricter enforcement of anti-corruption
measures, enhanced transparency, and improved
accountability mechanisms. These strategies are essential
for ensuring that property clearances and transfers are
conducted fairly and efficiently, ultimately benefiting the
local economy and community.
Keywords :
Corruption, Revenue Enhancement, Property Clearance, Property Transfer.