The role of civic participation in the South African budgeting process

Abstract

In 1994, the South African collective landscape changed significantly after the country s first inclusive democratic elections. Essentially, changes required a redress of social and economic imbalances by means of a reconstructed governance system stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (hereafter referred to as the Constitution). It was imperative to align structures to accommodate the needs and aspirations of the broader citizenry, particularly the relationship between the government, the private sector and civil society. Consequently, public involvement in governance matters was emphasised. Municipalities, for instance, had to develop integrated development plans (IDPs) to promote and enhance the notion of developmental local government. Public participation at all levels of government is now steadily evolving, albeit with different approaches regarding inclusivity. South Africa s intergovernmental relations framework, particularly the system of decentralisation and the broader fiscal structure, had to adapt to the democratic environment. Participatory democracy as an instrument to improve governance through transparency and accountability was emphasised. This research contextualises public participation and participatory budgeting (PB) frameworks from a decentralised perspective to contextualise the role of civic participation in the South African budgeting process. The mixed-methods approach will form the foundational construct of this research. This approach reflects an inquiry involving the collection of qualitative and quantitative data and information. The qualitative field will consist mainly of a theoretical assessment of public participation in the budgeting environment, while the quantitative domain aims to address the current state of public participation and budgeting constructs through indices analysis. A comparative assessment between selected Anglophone countries regarding public participation in budgeting processes forms the framework for this approach.