An assessment of the role of public participation in IDP : the Thulamela Municipality
Date
2009-03
Authors
Siphuma, Zwiitani Ralson
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
The concept of public participation has gained wider acceptance in government circles as a tool
to strengthen the pillars of this government’s democratic structures. Globally, governments’
accountability can be gauged by the extent to which they practise public participation in
decision-making in facing up to the challenges of the day.
The concept of public participation arrived in South Africa in the 1980s and was supposedly
applied to the inception of a true democratic dispensation in 1994. In the South African context,
public participation cannot be over-emphasised as it underpins the democracy introduced in
1994.
Because of the great importance of public participation, the South African government has
enacted a number of statutes such as the Constitution (1996) and the Municipal Structures Act
(2000) that give substance to public participation. Even though public participation is applied at
national and provincial government levels in South Africa, it is principally in the Local
Government field where it is widely applied in order to enable good governance and sustainable
service delivery.
This study examines the role of ward committees in public participation in Local Government,
with specific reference to Thulamela Municipality. The study suggests that the transformation
and democratisation of South African Local Government can be achieved through effective
implementation of public participation at grassroots level. Apart from passing legislation, more
needs to be done to stimulate public participation.
The study has furthermore found that even though statutes provide for communities to participate
in a range of government-created regulatory structures such as the IDP Representative Forums
and Ward Committees, municipalities need to develop strategies for public participation. Not
only do municipalities need to develop strategies for public participation, they also need to
develop proper mechanisms to encourage the participation of community stakeholders and
organisations.
The study is primarily based on qualitative data collected from Thulamela Municipality through
personal interviews with councillors, officials and ward committee members. Moreover, the
study also rests on observations at IDP Representative Forums, IDP and Budget consultative
meetings, focus group discussions and a review of local government statutes and literature
providing knowledge on the subject under study.
Description
Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
Keywords
Good governance in the Thulamela Municipality, Local government -- South Africa -- Limpopo -- Citizen participation, Political participation -- South Africa -- Limpopo, Limpopo (South Africa) -- Politics and government