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Amongst the sample were nominated members of the Executive Committee of the
municipality, nominated Councillors, traditional leaders in charge of the surrounding rural
area, ward committee chairperson as well as one member ofthe ward committee; managers of
departments and nominated officials from various sector departments. In addition, samples
nominated were representatives from recognised stakeholder groups like NGOs, organised
business, Tourism Committee Association (CTA) of Ulundi, SMMEs, agriculture and
implementing agents (parastatals and NGOs); representatives from other groups (identified
from broad public participation); nominated community representatives, resource persons and
other interested and affected parties identified from the broad public participation process.
These sampling categories played a vital role in the gathering of data relating to the
understanding on the local socio-economic and physical attributes of the landscape, land use
and cultural phenomena occurring in the study area.
4.2.2 Instrumentation and Background
This section explains the questionnaire used as an instrument to gather data in the course of
the survey. The first section of the questionnaire gathered information about the general
background ofhousehold heads and their understanding of landscape and cultural attributes in
Ulundi. Issues of local socio-economic imporlance were deliberated and among them were
food security, women empowerment and rural development. The questionnaire further
interrogated the state of environmental management strategies and their productivity and
sustainability in the local economic development projects.
Finally, the research instrument assessed the strength and effectiveness of the municipal
institutional structures. Twenty five respondents comprising the Ulundi municipal
management and municipal workers were asked to indicate their perceptions of how the
performance management system operates in the municipal offices. The study evaluated the
efficiency of the municipal human resource, financial and infrastrucrurai staff capabilities.
Questions on performance management systems in the local municipality were also
administered to the purposively sampled twenty five municipal workers and managers. These
respondents were asked to reveal the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance
management system in the study area
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