A six-step framework for participatory communication and institutionalised participation in South Africa’s municipal IDP processes

ABSTRACT

Institutionalised participation in South Africa’s local government is a process that compels municipal officials to fulfil specific legislative imperatives, such as the coordination of all resources and the development of Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and budgets, to ensure effective service delivery. However, for participation to be genuine and active, should it not be approached as an end in itself and not a means to achieve pre-defined imperatives? As an answer to this question, this article proposes a participatory communication framework to facilitate institutionalised participation, thereby theoretically reconceptualising participation, dialogue, and empowerment from Freirean and Habermasian perspectives.

KEYWORDS:

• Communication for development and social change
• participatory communication
• community participation
• dialogue
• empowerment
• Integrated Development Plan (IDP)

Acknowledgements

This work is based on the research supported wholly/in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant Numbers: 116791).

This article emanates from a PhD research project by the first author, which was supervised by the second author. The PhD was conferred by North-West University in June 2021. A reference for this PhD study is: Molale, Tshepang Bright. 2021. A framework for participatory communication in the IDP context of Ward 31 in Rustenburg Local Municipality, PhD Thesis, North-West University. The authors have permission to reproduce this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF): [Grant Number 116791].

Notes on contributors

Tshepang Molale

Tshepang Molale is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, specialising in Communication for Development and Social Change. He was previously appointed as a Senior Lecturer at North-West University. His research interests include Development Journalism as well as Indigenous Language Community Media, and Participatory Development in Local Government. He is a member of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and has recently published a co-authored book chapter entitled: Deconstructing the participation of rural dwellers in a community radio station: A participatory development communication approach to a radio station in the North-West Province, South Africa.

Lynnette Fourie

Lynnette Fourie is a Professor in Communication Studies with an interest in Development Communication and Political Communication. She is a Research Director of the Focus Area: Social Transformation at North-West University and she is a member of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).