JOBURG’S governance model is under scrutiny and policy experts are calling for more transparency in budgetary processes and an improved public participation function to improve efficiency in the management of municipal services.
A transparent governance model would ensure residents were aligned with planning processes and were included in decision-making, experts in local government told Joburg councillors at a Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) meeting on Tuesday, 30 August.
Public participation was not a linear process, said Mike Makwela, a local governance programme co-ordinator for Planact, a non-governmental organisation which provides assistance and research to influence policy in local government.
Makwela said involving the public in decision-making and the governance of the city would pre-empt service delivery protests and other unforeseen unpleasant incidents. Joburg needed to examine its public participation process, to identify shortfalls and inefficiencies.
Robust public participation would help the public understand the complex nature of governance and tradeoffs, and debunk myths about local government, Makwela said, adding that the City should shift the perspective of governance from bureaucrats to ordinary citizens.
“The City should communicate its success stories more effectively,” he said.
Monitor
Advising the City on an appropriate governance model, Ralph Mathekga, the founder and director of Clear Content Research and Consulting, said the City should employ people who would monitor public participation on a full-time basis.
Clear Content Research and Consulting is a research and consulting company on media strategy, politics and public finance.
Mathekga said local government was constrained because the relationship between national, provincial and local government was incoherent. There were genuine concerns at local government level that communities were raising and service delivery protests were based on serious issues.
“But I think what is indicated in the protests is the way in which we handle them, and it also shows a gap in civic education,” he said.
Giving a conclusive argument, Mcebisi Ndletyana, the ambassador for Governance Week in the GDS2040 outreach, argued that although some service delivery protests highlighted underperformance, they did not signal a crisis; rather, they were politically motivated.
“I would rather we have protests than not have protests at all, regardless of whatever nature they may be or what might be the cause behind [them] because we are a democratic society and protests are one way through which citizens express and reflect their plight,” said Ndletyana.
He said the City’s public participation process was creating pockets of discontent and was delegitimized, not providing enough room for criticism. “What do we mean by public participation? Are we genuinely interested in what people have to say? Let’s understand the public participation process for what it is, to pre-empt problems because you cannot stage manage these things forever.”
Local government
Ndletyana said the City should understand things for what they were and not impose. The lack of public participation in council matters had created expectations that could not be met or had missed some of the local nuances. “It’s about localising the message and taking ownership; that’s why we have local government.”
The failure to deliver was not just a reflection of a complacent authority but also a reflection of a dispirited citizenry. “It becomes a joint responsibility. The success of the GDS will depend on the extent in which it can mobilise communities.”
He said civic participation had been marginalised and there were low levels of civic activism. “You have to say something and be active otherwise, in the absence of active citizenry, then we are domed,” he said.
Governance is being examined as part of Joburg’s community outreach programme to revise its long-term Growth and Development Strategy for the next 30 years. Get involved by voicing your concerns and suggestions on Facebook or Twitter, or log on to the website.
Topics that have already been examined are liveable cities, resource sustainability, and health and poverty. Governance Week runs until 4 September, and will be followed by weeks focusing on transportation; community safety; environment; economic growth; and smart cities.
Source: Joburg.org.za