The study findings indicate that the partnerships and relationships established by government and non-government actors during the Games are crucial in accomplishing the Games’ objectives. Because the Games are in many ways a microcosm of the interactions that take place between role players in other social and economic developmental contexts, it can be argued that the KwaNaloga Games do indeed embody and promote IGR – especially in the area of service delivery. This is so because the relevant committees and structures for execution of the Games provide good platforms and fora for networking, which in turn facilitate team-work in other functions of service delivery.
The study concludes that KwaNaloga Games provide and present the spheres of government with a unique opportunity to forge new relationships and partnerships in the internal and external environments that shape local government. These relationships and partnerships further strengthen existing parameters in order for the spheres of government to be more effective, efficient and responsive to the needs of communities.
The specific conclusions that can be drawn regarding each of the study objectives are detailed in the next section.
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5.3.1 THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE KWANALOGA GAMES IN PROMOTING IGR IN SELECTED MUNICIPALITIES
The study concludes that the KwaNaloga Games have played a role in promoting IGR for the following reasons:
• The original aims of the Games were to bring peace to the strife-torn KwaZulu- Natal province; to promote infrastructural development in the province; to forge mutual understanding among the former Regional Councils; and to learn from one another. In mobilising around these shared aims and delivering thirteen successful years of KwaNaloga Games, the various governmental and non-governmental actors have succeeded in working together and sharing expertise and resources – thereby giving substance to the principles of IGR.
• The KwaNaloga Games provide a platform for all spheres of government to work together as a team and perform meaningful roles and responsibilities in the delivery of the Games. This is similar to what is expected of IGR, where spheres of government are expected to respect one another and provide systems for achieving collaborative, integrated plans with the programmes of government departments.
• The KwaNaloga Games are a service provided not only by local government but also by other national and provincial government departments, institutions and organisations. As a result, the development of relationships and planning with other departments and stakeholders in a systematic and co-ordinated way to ensure that sport services are delivered effectively and to the public’s benefit, is crucial.
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During the preparations for the Games, various institutions (local and district municipalities, the Department of Sport and Recreation, fifteen sport federations, the KwaNaloga Association and the DoE) work together to co-ordinate activities and budgets across sectors. There is sharing of information and the exchange of leadership, administration and management ideas, skills and expertise among the participants. This happens through the establishment of consultations and agreed implementation protocols within sport planning committee and structures, as a result of which stakeholders reach consensus on matters pertaining to the Games.
• Because the organisation of the Games starts at ward level and progresses through the district level to the provincial level, formal and informal relations are established, skills and leadership are developed, and information flow is facilitated at all levels and across government and non-government sectors.
• The Games contribute to local government’s roles and responsibilities through leadership development from the ward level, through the district to the provincial level. Leadership development has the potential to provide democratic and accountable government for local municipalities. It is at these same levels of government that community leaders strive to promote social, economic and political leadership, giving priority to the needs of the community.
• The Games provide a model for the attainment of the Local Government Development Objectives by means of joint, cross-function action – in this case, the interaction and co-operation of no fewer than eleven municipalities and a multitude of non-government stakeholders. For example, the Games promote economic
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development at district level since the hosting district, accommodation establishments, service providers and retailers receive an economic boost from them. The financial resources spent in host districts provide an economic injection, with spin-offs for local economic development and sport tourism.
• The Games were found to be a tool that brings people together, unites them and allows them to co-operate and compete as one district team at the provincial level, despite their political differences and affiliations. The partnerships established are crucial and are necessary to accomplish governmental objectives, be they meeting socio-economic challenges or enhanced service delivery. The study also established that employees, officials, politicians and community leaders from these institutions continue networking even after the Games have ended – which suggests the real potential of the IGR interactions fostered during the Games to impact developmental projects beyond the Games themselves.
5.3.2 ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES IN THE KWANALOGA GAMES
The study identified the following administrative challenges experienced by participants in the KwaNaloga Games:
• Responsibilities are not equally shared between municipalities, the DSR and other stakeholders in each district and from one district to another. The involvement of the DoE and DSR and other stakeholders is not yet fully harmonised for the benefit
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of the community at large, resulting in co-ordination challenges being experienced by districts.
• Financial challenges arise from (1) the rising costs of hosting the Games; (2) the lack of parity in financial contributions by major participants and stakeholders, including federations and the KwaNaloga Association; (3) a lack of clarity regarding the budgets of stakeholders or their financial contributions, which makes advance planning difficult; (4) the costs of buying sufficient sport equipment, paying for accommodation costs, transport and playing attire; (5) the non-payment of affiliation fees by a few local municipalities, putting pressure on some districts to foot the bill;
and (6) the perception that incentives (such as cell phones and expensive sport attire) are necessary to attract good players to a municipality.
• Skills present a challenge. For example, there are limited persons with the necessary professional skills to run the training camp.
• Human resources also present challenges. At the provincial level, the KwaNaloga Association is the custodian of the Games, but currently has no full-time officials for the co-ordination of the Games. Instead it relies on internal staff and consultants to assist in the operational plans and administration of the Games. The duties that are performed during the Games are far beyond the human resources available in municipal Community Services Departments. The sport officers, for example, are not only responsible for sport but also have to deal with other functions, such as Youth, Gender, Art and Culture and Tourism.