Rapid organisational transformation in South African municipalities has meant fundamental changes in the character of these organisations. What has remained as a constant factor amid these changes is the requirement for municipalities to render services to and promote development within local communities. Furthermore, strides have been made in terms of establishing a framework within which municipalities should exist and operate in order to fulfill their constitutional mandate. Continuous questions about service rendering in South African local government exist. There are persisting views that municipalities are not producing desired results amidst the progressive framework established for South Africa's new local government system. Various reasons for this state of affairs are speculated upon, including a lack of resources, political and managerial inability / incapacity to manage local issues and the nature and context of local