Public participation : a South African local government perspective
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Date
Authors
Maphazi, N.
Raga, K.
Taylor, J.D.
Mayekiso, T.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Consortium of Public Administration
Abstract
The need for enhanced community consultation and participation is clearly
articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Constitution),
and also in terms of a variety of developmental local government legislation.
Community members are now expected to play a more meaningful role in terms of
their involvement in civic matters. Community members who play an active role in
local government matters and who are well-informed, will have greater confidence
in their local government structures. However, various recent studies on community
participation reveal that the envisaged participatory role has generally not met the
expectations of government. A great deal of apathy still exists, especially regarding
matters pertaining to local government.
The article reviews the need for community consultation and participation from
a variety of perspectives within the South African context. Certain strategies to
enhance public participation are reviewed with emphasis on the third sphere
of government.
Description
Keywords
Public participation, Local government
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Maphazi, N., Mayekiso, T., Raga, K. and Taylor, J.D. 2013. Public participation: a South African local government perspective. African Journal of Public Affairs, 6(2): 56-67.