Stakeholder perceptions of participatory process in community development projects in Mdantsane
- Authors: Tyekela, Pumla
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20670 , vital:29370
- Description: Understanding stakeholders’ perception on the participation process is imperative so that strategies that foster people’s participation in community projects are implemented. This will facilitate that community members take part and contribute in their own development projects. In most projects perceptions can influence and impede participation. Most often the challenges experienced include acts of inequalities, lack of financial resources and informal and formal barriers that limit decision making and the capacity of people to participate effectively. As a consequence, authentic participation in community development projects intended to enhance and encourage more people to participate is not possible. The focus of the study was to explore and analyse perceptions of community stakeholders towards participation in community development activities in Mdantsane, a township situated between East London and King William’s Town. The research asked the following question: What are the perceptions of community stakeholders regarding the participation process in community development projects. This study was conducted using the qualitative approach to explore and gain an understanding of the underlying reasons, opinions and motivation for data gathered. The sample groups were the project staff and the government officials that had a better knowledge of the projects. Data was collected through the use of in-depth structured and semi structured interviews. The data showed that a large number of participants believed that participation involvement in project activities was motivated by regular meetings and material and financial incentives. The data further revealed that poor planning, lack of resources, constrained decision-making processes, selective reporting on the project progress were among the limitations of participation. Restraining these participation impediments will enhance and expand participation in community development projects. It is the author’s hope that recommendations made by this study, if implemented will improve participation in community projects in Mdantsane development projects to understand the concept and significance of community participation.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An assessment of the effectiveness of public consultation: the case study of selected ward committees in the Northern Bay Municipality
- Authors: Arends, Darrin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Political planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8187 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1535 , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Political planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Since 1994, the South African local government has been obligated to consult with its citizenry in respect of the processes of relating to service delivery. The South African Government has developed a wide range of legislation that ensures that communities are consulted on a continuous basis with regard to how services need to be rendered. Communities have a right to be consulted and to give input into issues affecting them. Public consultation as envisaged in the South African legislation has, however, not yielded the desired results which is evident in the spate of service delivery protests over poor or non service delivery. Therefore, this study seeks to analyse the effectiveness and efficiency of pubic consultation in the Northern Areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The researcher used qualitative research methods since it would provide the reader with more insight into how public consultation is implemented in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The communities, senior municipal officials, and councillors have been interviewed in a structured manner and a content analysis has been made of the minutes of the ward committees in the Northern Areas, the annual reports of the Municipality’s Oversight Committee and a range of other reading material. A number of findings has been made during this research project with the most pertinent being the non-compliance to certain sections of legislation by the Municipality. The communities in the Northern Areas generally felt that efficient and effective public consultation would reduce the number of service delivery protests in that part of the Municipality. A number of interventions need to be made by the political leadership with regard to public consultation and more resources need to be committed towards those processes.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Public participation in local governance : a case study of two local municipalities
- Authors: Ngamlana, Nontando Christine Zintle
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Political participation -- South Africa -- Easten Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9063 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1375 , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Political participation -- South Africa -- Easten Cape
- Description: In South Africa there is an extensive legislative framework supporting public participation in local government; however, participation which is genuinely empowering, and not token consultation or manipulation, is still lacking in most local municipalities. This study seeks to explore and explain public participation approaches adopted by local municipalities in South Africa by looking at a comparative study of two local municipalities. The study will further evaluate international effective practices in public participation and drawing on those, make recommendations on how to strengthen public participation in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Enhancing public participation in the integrated development planning process: a case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Yekani, Babalo
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Public administration -- Planning , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8989 , vital:26453
- Description: The aim of the study is to investigate effective strategies and processes for public participation in the IDP process in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. A qualitative study was undertaken and literature review on public participation in terms of the Integrated Development Planning was conducted. Relevant secondary data was sourced and structured interviews were conducted with three (3) ward councillors in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipal. Focus group interviews were also conducted with ward committee members from three (3) wards in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The findings of this research indicate that ward councilors have limited information on administrative processes. This could lead to ward councillors not be able to provide feedback on various service delivery issues and the progress of the municipal projects. Also ward councillors may not be able to influence public participation if they do not understand their role in administrative processes such as monitoring implementation of council decisions and policies. Ward councillors have no influence on the Integrated Development Planning especially the cost and budget estimates for municipal projects which are intended to benefit the members of the community. On the basis of the key findings, recommendations were made that ward committees should be empowered to deal with the complex developments in the Integrated Development Planning process and ward councillors should play a leading role in the Integrated Development Planning process.
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- Date Issued: 2015
An evaluation of public participation on service delivery at Lukhanji Municipality
- Authors: Fuku, Mzwamadoda
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation.
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8281 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016495
- Description: After 1994, the democratic South Africa passed a number of legislations in order to address the imbalances of the previous apartheid regime. The new South African government had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the citizens of the country. In 1995 the government formulated the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service. The aim was to transform the South African public service, which is the indication of the importance of service delivery, as the key machinery of the government to equalize service delivery to all citizens. In 1996, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa anchored the Bill of Rights as the cornerstone of democracy that enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. Chapter ten of the Constitution stipulates the basic values and principles governing public administration. The South African Government has developed a wide range of legislation that ensures that communities are consulted on a continuous basis with regard to how services need to be rendered. Communities have a right to be consulted and to give input into issues affecting them. Public consultation as envisaged in the South African legislation has, however, not yielded the desired results which is evident in the spate of service delivery protests over poor or non-service delivery. Section 152(1) (e) of the constitution stipulates amongst others, promotes involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. Section 73 of the Municipal Structures Act (no.117 of 1998) also requires municipalities to establish ward committees in a manner that seeks to enhance participatory democracy at the local level. The study therefore is to check that decision-makers at the Chris Hani Municipality understand the consequences of their decisions before they act and people affected get the opportunity to participate in designing their future.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Community participation in the decision-making process in Mnquma Local Municipality
- Authors: Mbane, Masibulele
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Community development -- South Africa -- Citizen participation , Citicen's advisory committees -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8286 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018501
- Description: The study investigates community participation in the decision-making processes in Mnquma Local Municipality. The issue of community participation in decision making is receiving attention in South Africa, from both government and civil society sectors. Governments in many parts of the world have begun to take a fresh look at the need for public participation in decision-making processes. The main problem to be addressed in this study is the extent to which the community can be involved in decision making processes in Mnquma Local Municipality. To address the research problem and to achieve the aims of this study, an in depth review of the literature on decision making was done. The empirical search was done by distributing self-administered questionnaires to the participants in Mnquma Local Municipality. The research findings revealed that in Mnquma Local Municipality community participation in decision-making is not effective. Consequently, the delivery of services in this municipality is poor. Another factor that inhibits community participation in the decision making processes in the municipality is that most of the municipal documents are written in English a language in which the majority of the members of the community are not competent in because they are Xhosa speaking people. Recommendations for improved satisfaction in service delivery, communication, consultation, regular meetings, and language were made with regard to community participation in decision making. If these recommendations are implemented, they will assist Mnquma Local Municipality in the area of decision making.
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- Date Issued: 2012
An assessment of community participation in strategic decision-making: the case of Amothole District Municipality
- Authors: Ned, Samora
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5742 , vital:20993
- Description: The South African Constitution of 1996, as amended, provides for three spheres of Government, namely National, Provincial and Local Government. The local sphere of government is mandated to provide developmental and accountable local government and to ensure the provision of basic services to communities in a sustainable manner. The Department of Provincial and Local Government Community-Based Workbook and Guide provided that local government legislation has been put in a place to enable South Africa to constructively work towards providing basic services and improving the social and economic lives of citizens. As local government is the sphere of government where delivery takes place at community level, it is important to ensure and secure the support and participation of communities. It is critical to mention that local government faces many challenges in providing services that will contribute to developing a peaceful, stable and healthy environment. In adherence to Local Government legislation, which includes, inter alia, the Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act, the local authorities are required to provide systems and processes to enable public participation processes in the affairs of the municipalities. This requirement is mandatory to ensure that citizens contribute by making input in the planning of the municipality. Amathole District Municipality adopted a Public Participation and Petitions Policy to ensure that citizens participate in the activities of the municipality. The main purpose of this study was to establish whether those structures are effective and whether the municipality, in its planning processes, considered the views and input of the communities. The study investigated the extent of community participation in municipal planning and performance and also investigated the effectiveness of ADM community participation strategies. Quantitative research methods were used to collect data for the study. The research questionnaire covered a wide range of council related activities ranging from knowledge of local government legislation relating to public participation, understanding of public participation processes by councillors, compliance of the municipality with public participation processes and related legislation and feedback to communities on the input they make to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the Budget planning processes. The questionnaires were administered to all Councillors within the municipality to ensure that all municipal programmes were covered, and the Executive Mayor, Council Speaker who ensures that council resolutions are implemented and the Chief Whip of Council, who is responsible for the welfare of all political parties in Council. There was also the inclusion of the Chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee who is responsible for oversight and monitoring the performance of the Executive. The sample group was carefully chosen to represent a wide range of councillors who serve in the ADM Council. The positive response rate therefore provided an acceptable scientific basis for analysis and objectivity to the study.
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- Date Issued: 2015