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“Nothing about us, without us” : an assessment of public participation in the delivery of RDP houses in the Elias Motswaledi Local Municipality

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The pivotal role played by public participation in a social context is often undermined by change agents or administrators of government projects. The role of public participation is documented in Chapter 10 of the Constitution (South Africa, 1996). It states that “… people`s needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy making”.
Besides the Constitution (South Africa, 1996) there are also other legislative frameworks that enshrine the right to public participation. Some of these provisions are included in the White Paper on Local Government (South Africa, 1998c), the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (South Africa, 1997b), the Integrated Development Plans, and others. It has to be acknowledged that public participation is the fundamental element for the success of development projects geared towards the social upliftment of poor communities.
Poor communities, by omission or commission, are often excluded from direct participation in social projects. This study was prompted by the lack of effective public participation in the RDP housing project in the Elias Motswaledi Local Municipality, where the project was used as a case study. Qualitative research methods, well-founded theories and a literature study were used to inform the study. Forty-nine (49) respondents were interviewed.
By collecting and interpreting relevant data, the study was able to assess the extent of public participation that had taken place. The study then proceeded to make recommendations as to how the situation could have been handled and to formulate public participation model that would be context relevant to the area. Unfortunately, the Elias Motswaledi Local Municipality housing project is now a thing of the past and cannot be revisited. Fortunately, however, similar projects will be able to learn valuable lessons from this study in the future. Ultimately, the research illustrated that a strategy of comprehensive public participation that includes all project beneficiaries has to be well planned and well managed to promote and ensure the successful implementation of the project. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol wat deur publieke deelname gespeel moet word in die administrasie van regeringsprojekte word uit eengesit in Hoofstuk 10 van die Grondwet (Suid Afrika, 1996). Dit stipuleer da tdaar op mense se behoeftes gereageer moet word en dat die publiek aangemoedig moet word om deel te neem aan beleidsformulering.
Behalwe die Grondwet (Suid Afrika, 1996) is daar ook ander wetgewende raamwerke wat die reg op publieke deelname bevestig. Sommige van hierdie bepalings is ingesluit in die Witskrif op Plaaslike Regering (Suid Afrika, 1998c), die Witskrif op Transformasie van Openbare Dienslewering (Suid Afrika, 1997b), die Geїntegreerde Ontwikkelings planne, ensovoorts. Dit moet ook erken word dat publieke deelname die basis vorm vir die sukses van ontwikkelings projekte wat gerig is op die sosiale bemagtiging van ons gemeenskappe.
Openbare amptenare neem doelbewus nie altyd die belangrikheid van direkte deelname aan sosiale projekte in ag nie. Hierdie studie is juis aangespoor deur die afwesigheid van effektiewe publieke deelname in die HOP behuisings projekte in die Elias Motswaledi Munisipaliteit waar die Monsterlus HOP projek as `n gevalle studie gebruik is. Die studie maak gebruik van ‘n kwalitatiewe metode, gegronde teorie so wel as `n literatuur studie. Onderhoude is onderneem en nege-en-veertig (49) onderhoude is gevoer.
Nadat die data versamel en geїnterpreteer is, het die studie die omvang van publieke deelname wat plaasgevind het geassesseer. Aanbevelings is gemaak oor hoe die oewerhede die situasie beter kon hanteer het, en ‘n publieke deelname model is geformuleer wat relevant tot die area is.
Die nadeel is dat die Elias Motswaledi behuisings projek afgehandel is en uiteraard nie teruggedraai kan word nie. Die voordeel is egter dat toekomstige projekte deur die studie bevoordeel kan word. Die navorsing wys daarop dat publieke deelname strategieё wat alle rolspelers insluit, deeglik beplan en bestuur moet word, voor die aanvang van die projek sowel as gedurende die projek se implementering.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80115
Date03 1900
CreatorsMphahlele, Elias
ContributorsLange, Junay, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatxii, 74 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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