Dr Makoma Makhurupetje’s supervisor, Professor Nkosinathi Khwela (left), reads her citation as she is conferred with a PhD in Administration.
By Malatji Monyelegwete – malatji.monyelegwete@ul.ac.za
Dr Makoma Makhurupetje, the Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, has achieved a significant academic milestone by graduating with a Doctor of Administration degree from the University of Limpopo (UL) during the April 2025 graduation ceremonies
Having registered for the PhD with UL in 2021, Dr Makhurupetje believes her PhD will contribute meaningfully to addressing ongoing service delivery challenges within government. Her PhD research is motivated by real-world observations, particularly community dissatisfaction with poor service provision and a lack of governmental accountability.
Her doctoral thesis, titled ‘Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) as a contributing factor towards sustainable service delivery: A case of Waterberg District Municipality, South Africa’, involves an extensive literature review and examines mechanisms for enhancing service provision, as well as an analysis of the existing legislative framework.
Grounded in Theory-Based Evaluations and Participatory Orientation Theory, her research takes a comparative approach, analysing M&E practices in both South African and international governance contexts. “Data for my study is drawn from a diverse sample across all three spheres of government, including councillors and community members,” she explains, Supervised by Professor Nkosinathi Khwela from the School of Economics and Management at UL, her work offers new insights to the expanding field of monitoring and evaluation.
“My study suggests retaining the current Government-wide M&E System while enhancing it through a combination of results-based and participatory approaches. These recommendations were well-received during my presentation at an international conference hosted by UL in 2024,” she explains.
Dr Makhurupetje highlights that, even after 30 years of democracy, communities in Limpopo continue to protest against the government, councillors, and municipalities. “What role can monitoring and evaluation play in addressing these challenges?” she asks, emphasising the need for greater community engagement, participatory governance, and service delivery that is regularly monitored and transparently reported back to citizens.
Reflecting on her academic journey, she challenges the belief that leaders lack time to study, underscoring the importance of discipline and planning. “Time is something you create. You must plan, commit, and not let others inconvenience you,” she advises.
Dr Makhurupetje commends UL for its academic programmes, particularly those that provide practical solutions to the service delivery challenges facing various sectors. Her academic journey is deeply linked to UL, where she previously earned a Bachelor of Administration in the School of Economics and Management and a Master of Development from the Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership (TGSL).