An exploratory study of public participation during the Integrated development planning process: a case study of Theewaterskloof Local municipality, Western Cape Province

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore public participation during the Integrated Development Planning process at a selected municipality, which is Theewaterskloof Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province. South Africa, as a democratic state, has a legislative framework that promotes public participation during Integrated Development Planning. Notably, a Bill of rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, encourages the protection of human rights through acknowledging of participatory democracy whereby all citizens have to be involved in decision-making on matters that affect them. Public participation should be understood as the working together of government and communities in governance on programmes and projects that uplift the society, at a local government level. Community participation creates a platform whereby communities at local government level have to inform people in authority directly what they want and what they do not want. Public Participation ensures that municipalities ensure a buy in from, and develop partnerships with stakeholders. It is also a concept that is often mentioned in discussions on community development. In this study the researcher adopted a use of a case study design which entails both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. In depth interviews were conducted by the researcher with senior management of the municipality. Self-administered questionnaires were also distributed to the community in a representative sample. The findings of the study were analysed using (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) SPSS version 17 data processing computer software (quantitative data analyses). The outcomes of the study revealed that; the community of Theewaterskloof Municipality did not actively participate during Integrated Development Planning. This thesis concludes with a set of recommendations largely stating that local government is obliged to develop an enabling environment that includes all stakeholders and should allow space for communities to interact with the municipalities on an equal footing. The recommendations are aimed at enhancing community participation in the IDP and ensuring the provision of democratic and accountable government for local communities.