The Role od Ward Committees in community participation: the case of Lepelle-Nkupi Local Municipality, Limpopo Province

Abstract

Participating in the community involves open dialogue and team effort to solve problems in order to make decisions that are better and more acceptable. The focus of this study is to investigate the role that ward committees play in promoting community participation in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality, Limpopo Province. This is an attempt to learn how community participation through ward committees can aid basic service delivery which in doing so the community will be effectively playing their part in the integrated development planning. The study was conducted in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality. For this study, mixed-method research was used. The study adopted a pragmatism paradigm and utilized a descriptive and contextual design using questionnaires and interviews as a method of collecting data. The study population consisted of municipal officials, ward councillors, ward committee members, civic organisations, community leaders, and community development workers. Sampling methods such as non-probability sampling in the form of purposive sampling technique were adopted. International business machinery: The statistical package of social sciences (IBM: SPSS) latest version was used to analyse quantitative data collected through questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative interview data narratively. To guarantee that all respondents may participate voluntarily and without being forced or intimidated, all ethical considerations were taken into account during the data-gathering process.