The effects of the restructuring of the Johannesburg City Council on emergency services

Abstract

English: Municipal employees as well as the Unions see the restructuring of Local Government in South Africa as the main cause of unemployment while it is a process of making municipalities more efficient and effective. Restructuring is perhaps the first step towards improving service delivery, though it is not the only way to solve inefficiency and ineffectiveness within local government structures. This dissertation identifies the need to employ additional emergency personnel, describes the current situation and proposes further steps that the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services should take to resolve matters affecting effective delivery of services. The sample targeted for the assessment was 120 participants which was large enough to draw conclusions and make generalisations. The assessment was carried out at the following five Fire Stations, viz. Florida Park, Jabulani, Fairview, Sandton and Midrand. Primary use was made of interviews where open- ended questions gave participants enough opportunity to express themselves in an informal environment which proved to be very effective.

Afrikaans: Terwyl die herstrukturering van Plaaslike Regering in Suid Afrika ‘n proses is wat die munisipaliteite meer effektief en bekwaam sal maak, beskou die munisipale werkers en vak-unies dit as ‘n hoofrede vir werkloosheid. Herstrukturering is dalk die eerste stap om dienslewering te verbeter maar dit is nie noodwendig die enigste manier om onbekwaamtheid en oneffektiwieteit te elimineer nie. Hierdie verhandeling identifiseer die behoefte om addisionele nood-personeel aan te stel, omskryf die huidige situasie en stel stappe voor wat die Stadsraad van Johannesburg se Nood Beheer Dienste moet neem om die items wat die effektiewe uitvoer van nood-dienste affekteer, te bekamp. ‘n Monstergroote van 120 deelnemers was geteiken vir hierdie metingsmetode. Hierdie monstergroote was genoeg om omskrywings te genereer en gevolgtrekkings te maak. Die metingsmetode was in vyf brandweerstasies uitgevoer, naamlik: Florida Park, Jabulani, Fairview, Sandton en Mirdand. Dit het hoofsaaklik onderhoude behels waar “oop ” vrae gebruik was om deelnemers ‘n kans te gee om hulself in ‘n informele omgeweing uit te druk. Die gebruik van hierdie metode was baie effektief.