| dc.description.abstract | The title of this thesis is a (Dutch) saying that speaks of ‘Ostrich politics’. It means that one keeps oneself blind for incoming danger or malpractices. In this case this saying can both relate a rather literal sense; to Oudtshoorn being the ostrich farming capital of the world, and to its metaphorical sense. The research examines the effects and impact of the participation structure of the local government in Oudtshoorn towards the goals of participation. The participation structure used in Oudtshoorn is based on National government guidelines and aims towards a good functional participation structure, including all, contributing towards an accountable and transparent local government that develops along the real community priorities. A huge challenge in a town with, just as any South African town, highly segregated communities with a high unemployment rate, a strong competition for job and an infrastructure that give little opportunities for the poor. Thirteen years of democratization, narrowing the distances between communities created by the apartheids regime, seven years of greater Oudtshoorn municipal unity and four years into the public participation structure several questions prompted to start this research. The main question is as follows:
What are effects of the current public participation structure in South Africa’s Local Government towards the end-goal of participation: a good functional participation structure, including all, contributing towards an accountable and transparent local government that develops along the real community priorities?
The sub questions are:
1. Who are involved in the participation structure?
2. Who organises the participation structure?
3. How does the participation structure influence decision-making?
4. Who are participating?;
5. How does participation contribute to a transparent and accountable government?
6. Is the participation structure in Oudtshoorn (moving toward) being a good functional participation structure?
7. Are the challenges of rights based participation found in Oudtshoorn?
8. Are the effects of the current participation found in Oudtshoorn representative for the participation structure in South Africa?
Public participation in developing democracies is often not only an instrument to reach certain goals but it became a goal in itself. Empowering and involving the population through participation. Public participation contributes towards a transparent and accountable government through; creating more social capital for its participants especially for the former disadvantaged groups; creating better insight in what the needs of the citizens are; creating planning with the citizens’ instead of, blue print planning for the citizens and it gives more insight in the way governing functions. The goal of participation in South Africa is creating a more representative governance, more accountability, more transparency and a good functioning participation model. In short, it is aiming towards democracy. The people have the right to contribute and participate in this democracy.
Many of today’s obstacles and challenges of the local government derive from South Africa’s historic legacy (legacies). These legacies are still tangible and visible in today’s society and actual in the challenges faced by the citizens and governments of South Africa. South Africa’s
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government is trying to battle these inequalities with democracy and participation involving everyone to overcome the distances between communities and the local government.
The first effect of implementing a participation structure is the existence of a participation structure. In Oudtshoorn the process of implementing a participation structure is still on its way therefore there are a current decision-making model, explained in chapter four in Figure 14, and a future decision-making model, explained in chapter six, Figure 25. These models are showing the flow of participation through the decision-making organs of the municipality into the Integrated Development Plans. The current model is researched on its effects, in chapter five. In the future participation model, the changes are projected that are envisioned by the IDP manager and form the basis for the following intergraded development plans (IDP).
The goal of participation is to reach all communities. The effect would be that communities needs are brought to council and form the basis of planning to address those needs. The Oudtshoorn Municipality is consulting her citizens. In geographical terms through wards, ward comities and ward councillors. Through civil-society organisation in the forums and those who are not reached by these methods of participation through The Community Development Workers (CDW’s).
The needs that are gathered by the ward participation are predominantly on housing and infrastructure The largest expenditures of the municipality are also on these topics.
Reaching out to all communities is a goal of participation, the effect would that be all communities would be present on participation meetings. That is not true for Oudtshoorn. The targeted formerly neglected communities do attend meeting and are even dominating like the Blacks, woman, the poor, and in ward meetings the unemployed. However, some of the most vulnerable communities do not attend the meeting for instance the Youth, elderly and the rural poor. Moreover, the rich and White communities seem not to attend at all. Theoretically, this effect is to be expected as the rights based Participation schemes are targeted at the poor and the neglected groups. The poorest are the most difficult to reach and often are not reached at all. For instance, the rural, remote living, unlettered, uneducated poor, would have difficulties hearing about a participation meeting, difficulties going to meeting and difficulties understanding a meeting. These last communities are to be reached through the CDW’s.
Due to citizens participating in the participation structure, the local government should become more transparent and accountable. Important is the balance between representative democracy and participatory democracy.
This balance cannot been found in Oudtshoorn. The structure during the time of the research was completely dominated by the political struggles of the council. Political will to use the participation structure was almost absent. The effect was that little meeting were held and the budget on ward based participation was cut almost by three fourth and only three CDW’s were operational in Oudtshoorn. Officials tried to carry on with participation but in absence of councillors or council no meeting could be held, and no decisions could be made. Capable and willing politicians can be seen as the Achilles’ heel of the structure.
Another weakness of the participation structure is the absence of a performance management system. Responsibilities are not taken by those who should. Slow processes and communication within the municipality seem the biggest obstacles for addressing the
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citizens’ needs. The local government is not capable to incorporate the drastic changes needed for participatory democracy. Corruption, distrust between the different population groups, the old and the new officials and councillors seem the cause of this. Government officials were overruled by councillors and senior municipal managers and often neglected in decisions. The authority of the officials was undermined as well as the means to take responsible action. Participation is thus not creating accountability but seems dependent from it. The Intergraded development planning (IDP) and communication trough participation meetings do lead to more transparent governing as long as they are honest and detailed.
The challenges Local government face cannot be solved by public participation alone. Chapter six and seven show that participation does not automatically lead to better governing. Nor that participation can be a substitute for governing. Many of the dangers that are found in the rights based participation structure can be found in Oudtshoorn. Furthermore, many of the challenges created by apartheid negatively influence the ability to set up a good functional participation structure. Segregation planning left a society that separated communities, it separated some communities from opportunities due to geographical distances and from educational and job opportunities. This makes it costly and difficult to reach those communities. It makes it hard to find capable communicators and stimulators from these communities. Furthermore, it makes the system vulnerable for political opportunists to misuse politics and the participatory democracy for personal gain, corruption or even to create social unrest. Challenges inherited from apartheid undermine participatory such as representative democracy and accountability making municipalities vulnerable for bad politics, low capacitated personnel, high costs and poor democracy and accountability.
The title of this thesis is a (Dutch) saying that speaks of ‘Ostrich politics’. It means that one keeps oneself blind for incoming danger or malpractices. It can be concluded that are many dangers on the road to developing South Africa to a representative democracy in which everyone has not only the rights, but also equal opportunities to a better live. Dangers like corruption, incapable officials and politicians but moreover serious challenges derived from apartheid that need to be faced and addressed. Participation contributions towards the eradication of these challenges are limited to a serious and meaningful dialogue between government and her citizens . Many of these challenges are to be solved by the government trough bold ‘good’ governing which are not automatically the result of the participation structure. | |
