Community Engagement And Political Decision On Issues Of Service Delivery In South Africa

Abstract

The study assesses the strategies adopted for community engagement; it examines the effect of community engagement on service delivery and analyses the challenges of community engagement in the provision of services. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, policy documents, research reports, and journal articles are the secondary data adopted for the study. The study revealed that voting initiatives, izimbizos (sizable community assemblies), Integrated Development Planning (IDP), advisory committees, and electronic public participation are common strategies for community engagement in South Africa. Collective decision-making, building consensus and collaboration, and upholding the legitimacy and credibility of the government are the effects of community engagement in South African municipalities. In contrast, inadequate information about community needs, unsuitable community coordination, inappropriate participants, and deficient feedback reports were the challenges of community engagement in the study area. The study concludes that the effect of community engagement has not been felt as expected due to poor planning and lack of genuine institutional structures.