Unpacking community participation in the Integrated Development Planning process in Mbombela Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

During the apartheid era in South Africa, most black people were banned from participating in government planning processes. After 1994, the black democratic government took power and sought to address apartheid practices by enacting key policies to transform local government. As a planning instrument for local government, the integrated development plan (IDP), was seen as one of the mechanisms for including residents in policy and decision making. This research unpacked the participation of the community in the integrated development planning process. The study objectives were to conceptualize the understanding of community participation by the participants, examine the knowledge of the participants about the IDP process in the local municipality of Mbombela, identify factors that hinder participation in community meetings, and recommend strategies to improve the effectiveness of community participation in the IDP. The qualitative approach was used to collect data from 16 participants through semi-structured interviews. The data in this study were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that one of the main issues that made it difficult for community members to engage successfully during IDP sessions was the use of English and political jargon. Based on this finding, it is recommended that the local language be used extensively during IDP meetings. Furthermore, it is necessary to simplify and unpack complex development concepts for residents, to facilitate their understanding of the issues discussed and the challenges at hand.