Training and skills development for senior municipal officials in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

M.A. (Public Management and Governance)Local government in South Africa faces many challenges. It is argued that these challenges could be addressed through training and skills development among senior municipal officials. This study set out to investigate the training and skills development challenges for senior municipal officials in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. The study further argued that training and skills development have the potential to direct thinking, activity and resources for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to achieve its strategic outcomes, especially the pressing issue of service delivery. This study found that despite a large financial budget being allocated to training and skills development in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, the budget is not adequately spent. The reason behind this, amongst others, rests on insufficient information regarding training opportunities, the relevant units not completing their training application requirements on time and the lack of capacity to inculcate a culture of lifelong learning. It has been found that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality lacks the relevant planning and skills development initiatives for training and developing its senior managers. Investing in training and skills development would result in a cadre of senior managers who possess the relevant competencies to turn the Municipality into a world class African space. Finally, this study would prove beneficial to both policy-makers and the Department of Human Resource Development in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in that it could improve the skills development deficit