KwaZulu‐Natal's rural institutional environment: Its impact on local service delivery

Abstract

This article examines the rural institutional framework in KwaZulu‐Natal as it pertains to local service delivery, and claims that the key component of development is getting the institutional environments right. The article assesses relevant literature and introduces a dual framework linking institutionalist and organisational perspectives. The institutional framework of KwaZulu‐Natal is discussed in terms of its historical development, and a critical analysis of its present configuration is carried out. The article highlights the mismatch between rural development needs and the institutional framework of the province and generates a number of policy proposals in an attempt to correct this problem.

Notes

Respectively, Research Fellow, School of Development Studies, Centre for Social andDevelopment Studies, and Director of the School of Development Studies and Acting Director and Professor, Centre for Social and Development Studies, University of Natal,Durban.