The North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), will host a public lecture on 14 March 142024 from 17:00 to 21:00 at the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus.

Themed "Evaluating the functionality of the District Development Model (DDM) in enhancing service delivery: reflective insights and perspectives", the lecture is open to staff and students, all district and local municipalities, as well as provincial and national departments. According to Prof Costa Hofisi, research director of the research focus area Afrocentric Governance of Public Affairs and the event's organiser, the lecture will focus on the District Development Model, which aims to foster collaboration between officials from different portfolios and jurisdictions, integrating policies and programmes to ensure efficient service delivery. "Despite year-on-year improvements, the audit outcomes of municipalities in the North West province have remained largely stagnant over the last five years, and none of the 22 municipalities in the province received a clean audit in the Auditor General's latest outcomes. The pursuit of a clean audit remains a priority, but the real-time expected services for many communities remain elusive.

“To address this challenge, we have partnered with SALGA to discuss and evaluate the journey of the District Development Model in the fifth year of its implementation, and to explore critical innovations to broaden its horizons for improved service delivery within communities," explains Prof Hofisi. For any inquiries or more information, please contact chantele.bloem@nwu.ac.za.