Looking at Service Delivery from a Social Justice Perspective: A Case of a Selected Local Municipality in Limpopo Province

Abstract

This study analyses service delivery from a Social Justice standpoint in a local municipality selected from the Limpopo Province. Employing case study qualitative research design, the study gathered data through face-to-face interviews with municipal officials and residents which were then supplemented by document review of the municipal plans, budgets, and reports. The results show that service delivery is not consistent and is affected by governance problems, lack of institutional capacity, shortage of financial resources, and a low level of public involvement. Not only that, but the structural inequalities also caused by the spatial planning of the past deepen the divide to such an extent that the areas that were left out in the past become the ones that do not get basic services for a long time. The research discovers that these systemic deficiencies erode social justice's distributive and procedural elements. The article offers several suggestions for overcoming these problems starting with an agreement that emphasizes distributive justice in the allocation of resources, raising the standards of governance and accountability, making public participation a regular feature of people's lives, and carrying out the spatial interventions designed to eliminate the effects of the spatial inequalities. The study argues for the urgency of municipalities embracing justice-oriented strategies that facilitate not only technical service provision but also the provision of equitable, inclusive, and sustainable services for all residents.