Papers by Muneyi R Muchanyuka
The paper assessed the performance of m-governance in turning around the fortunes of service deli... more The paper assessed the performance of m-governance in turning around the fortunes of service delivery in Zimbabwean local governments. The paper is based on the case study of the M-DATA project of 2015. This project was implemented by the Mutare City Council in collaboration with various civil society and non-governmental organisations in the City of Mutare. The study sought to ascertain the impact of the M-DATA project on service delivery by the Mutare City Council (MCC). The study also wanted to figure out the familiarity of the citizen of the City of Mutare with the M-DATA project. Furthermore, the study intended to examine the factors which explain the current contribution of M-DATA project towards service delivery in the City of Mutare. Pursuant of these objectives, the study was conducted through in-depth, face to face and semi-structured interviews with key informants in the form of council administrators and the development partners who participated in the project. Furthermore, the study also drew its findings from the distribution of questionnaires to 50 purposively selected households from Mutare's 19 wards. Moreover, the study made a comparative analysis with other African governments which have adopted m-governance as a method of improving service delivery. The findings of the study indicated that the M-DATA project has failed to improve service delivery in Mutare. From the findings it then became apparent that the factors impeding the success of the project were: the incapacity of the council itself, ineffective awareness campaign and citizen apathy among others. The study reached the conclusion that the project was strangled by the fact that technology alone cannot improve service delivery, but rather it needs the support of several underlying factors. Recommendations targeted at the Zimbabwean central and local governments, the NGOs and civil society were also made to improve the M-DATA project and m-governance in Mutare and Zimbabwe at large.
The article assesses the success with which citizen engagement has been implemented in Zimbabwean... more The article assesses the success with which citizen engagement has been implemented in Zimbabwean local governments. The assessment is premised on the case study of the Mutare City Council in Zimbabwe. The research was carried out from June 2015-June 2016 through in-depth interviews of central government officials, the Mutare City Council administrators and councilors as well as Mutare residents and officials from the residents' associations in Mutare. From the situational analysis of citizen engagement in Zimbabwe it emerged that citizen engagement is currently rhetorical across the nation. This prompted a further investigation into the obstacles against the realization of citizen engagement at the Mutare City Council and Zimbabwe at large. From the research findings it emerged that the major obstacles to citizen engagement are: the lack of financial resources, a depressed economy, frosty relations between government and the civil-society, citizen apathy among others. However, the article argues that despite the multiplicity of obstacles towards the attainment of citizen engagement, the efforts by the citizens and administrators of the City of Mutare should still continue. This is largely due to the fact that citizen engagement is one of the key elements to the socioeconomic and political transformation which Mutare and Zimbabwe at large so desires to achieve.
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Papers by Muneyi R Muchanyuka