Developmental local government: a study of public participation of the integrated development planning process of the city of Cape Town

Abstract

Local government in South Africa is in the process of transformation. One of the critical constitutional features of local government in South Africa after 1994 is its developmental orientation. Developmental local government requires public participation in the decision-making of local authorities. Community participation is relevant to every sector of development, for example, education, health, housing, water and sanitation, agricultural development and conservation. The assumption is that public participation is positive in that it can contribute to making programmes more sustainable. Public participation in local government processes, especially in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), is imperative to the promotion of institutional democracy. The IDP as a development tool promotes participatory democracy (Municipal Systems Act, 2000). The public participation study of the IDP in the City of Cape Town was conducted in four Sub-council areas of the city to determine whether public participation was successful and whether the objectives of local government are being met. The method used was participant observation at almost all of the public participation workshops and at public hearings including the Mayor's Listening Campaign (MLC). Semi-structured interviews were held with Council officials involved in public participation in the IDP as well as with members of the community from Mitchell's Plain and Kraaifontein. This study was conducted from October 2001 to October 2004. The study reveals that public participation in the IDP process of the City of Cape Town since the period mentioned above was not successful. The findings of the research show that tremendous efforts have been made in the last budgetary term of 200312004. This indicates that success in the future could be achieved in the area of meaningful public participation in the IDP. However, it is argued that local processes are not effective if communities are not involved in the development activities of municipalities.