Violent Service Delivery Protests In The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM): A Case Study Of Walmer Township (2012-2019)

Abstract

This is an empirical study based on research that was conducted in Walmer Township covering a period from 2012 to 2019. The article examines violence during service delivery protests at local government level and also seeks to understand why inhabitants of Walmer Township become violent when demanding basic services such as houses, electricity, sanitation and properly built roads among other things. In order to understand the phenomenon of violence at local government level, the authors have selected various theories which informed the structuring of the research and analysis; namely: frustration-aggression, relative deprivation, resource mobilization, human needs theory, conflict theory, and identity theory. The methodological and research methods are inclined towards a qualitative approach, but with a degree of quantitative analyses. The sample size of this article comprises of one hundred and seventy participants who reside in Walmer Township. The main findings of this research show that, firstly, masculinity and gender influenced by culture played significant roles in determining who should participate in service delivery protests. This article makes a significant contribution in the body of knowledge within the discipline of Public Administration, Political Studies, and Conflict Management.

Keyword: local government, service delivery protests, violence, Walmer Township