Municipal boundaries demarcations and ward delimitations: impact on service delivery

Abstract

Ward delimitation is a call that demands interrogation. Issues of ward delimitation and their impact on service delivery are critical. While reminiscing the past, good or bad, the study warns the Municipal Demarcation Board, the authority in charge of demarcation and delimitations of municipal boundaries and wards, to delimit wards without inciting conflicts and violence. Employing multicase studies, the study follows empirical analysis drawing examples from local, regional, and international orientations to arrive at scientific conclusions. The Board must not be seen as a springboard for political embattlement but an instrument similar to institutions demanding accountabilities to deepen democracy. This is possible if the Board ceases from delimiting wards in preparations for local government elections.