Masters in Public Administration - MPA / It is often argued that public participation is the cornerstone of constitutional democracy
especially in countries such as South Africa with the history of segregation which was
characterised by the exclusion of the majority of citizens from the decision-making processes
of the state based on race, class and gender. As such, following the introduction of the
various pieces of legislation in 1994, the dominant narrative was that the progressive laws
that were passed would serve as a ‘panacea’ to the challenges of participatory governance in
South Africa. It was inconceivable that 25 years into democracy, South Africa would still be
grappling with the concept of public participation and the extent to which citizens could
influence, direct and own decisions made by and with government especially at a local level.
This study assessed the state of public participation in the Western Cape focusing on Beaufort
Municipality in the Central Karoo District. It argued that public participation is a prerequisite
for democratic governance and that the state could be deemed illegitimate if it does not
prioritize the involvement of communities in its affairs. In this context, a particular focus was
placed on the effectiveness of the ward committee system (as state sponsored mechanisms of
public participation) in enhancing participatory democracy in Beaufort West Municipality. It
refuted assumptions on the institutional arrangements made in the legislative framework
governing public participation and ward committees – identifying and outlining some of the
unanticipated consequences of these pieces of legislation.
The study used qualitative research methods to collect data. Primary and secondary data was
gathered to assess the state of public participation in the Western Cape with specific reference
on the effectiveness of the ward committee system and the role of legislative and regulatory
framework governing public participation, the institutional architecture and the roles of
various stakeholders involved in public participation. The primary data was gathered through
structured interviews and questionnaires while the secondary data was collected the analysis
of the literature on public participation and ward committees including municipal reports,
guidelines on public participation, legislation and policy frameworks.
The research found that it is precisely the state sanctioned ward committee system that has
contributed to the collapse of public participation in South Africa. The ward committee
system was identified as a ‘poisoned chalice’ - so compromised that it has become an
instrument to legitimise predetermined decisions of the politically connected elite, a rubber
v
stamp platform to comply with the policy and legislative framework. To address this
problem, the study recommended a number of measures and interventions that could be
introduced which entails the reconfiguration and overhaul of the legislative framework
governing public participation and ward committees including the review of the role of
politicians in public participation, training and capacity building, allocation of dedicated
budget for public participation etc.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/7807 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Phendu, Sipho |
| Contributors | Davids, Gregory |
| Publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | University of the Western Cape |
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