DVA1502: Development Problems and

Institutions

Prepared by:
Mr KME Mabena

Date: 13 September 2023

Time: 17h00 – 18h00
Discussion Class 4: Learning Unit 4

Topic: Politics, Participation,

Empowerment and Development.
 Table of Content

1. Opening by the Facilitator and Secondary Lecturer:

2. Outcomes of learning unit 4
3. Introduction: Participation is part of empowerment
4. Why active involvement of ordinary people is important
5. Obstacles to participatory development
6. Impact of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in community participation.
7. The role of Public Participation legislation in SA
8. Conclusion
9. Q & A
10. Closing
 Outcomes of study unit 4

Once you have completed this learning unit, you should be

able to:

• understand effective mass participation in development

• discuss the impact of ICT (Information and
Communications Technology) in community
participation
• analyse the role of legislation in public participation
Introduction: Participation is part of empowerment
Participation refers to “the role
people play in the change that
occurs during the process of
development” (Maphosa & Naidoo
2017:73).
Participation is an expression of
agency, which allows people to
compete for and question power.
Empowerment means people
having power and control over
their own lives.
Participation is a basic human
right, people need to be involved
in all processes of development
which include needs assessment,
planning, mobilizing, training,
implementing and monitoring and
evaluation.
The are two types of
participations: passive (or liberal)
CONCEPTS and an active (or radical).
Four dimensions of power that are
important in the process of
empowerment: power over, power
to, power with, power within.
.
Why active involvement of ordinary people is
important

Wealth of indigenous Understanding of the state Involving them in

technical knowledge. of their development issues. development

Have a say in their own lives Development cannot be unconstrained dialogue with
and future. imposed on people the impoverished
communities and peoples.

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Obstacles to participatory development

• Administrative obstacles

• Top-down approach

• Financial resources

• Culture of dependency

• Lack of use of local expertise and capacity building

• Lack of skilled facilitators

• Language barrier

• Health conditions

• Low levels of education

• Gender-inequality
Impact of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in community participation.

Pros: Cons:

Online/virtual meetings. Rural areas (no access

to technological
instruments).

Powerful tool for Widening of digital

participating in global divide.
markets.

Promoting political Low e-literacy levels

accountability

Improving the delivery of Language barrier.

basic services.

Enhancing local development

opportunities.
The role of Public Participation legislation in SA
• The South African government has vowed to improve the
standard of living of all its citizens.

• Policies promoting active public participation : The basis of the

Constitution (1996), Reconstruction and Development
Programme (1994), White Paper on the Transformation of the
Public Service (1997).

• Local Community Structures to promote participation: Open

government partnership, community development workers,
imbizos and ward committees.

• Due to bad governance (maladministration and corruption) in

South Africa, the goal of achieving public participation becomes a
myth and becomes more and more elusive.

• In the local sphere, municipal officials tend to act as gatekeepers

and controllers rather than facilitators enabling communities to
have a greater voice and control over resources and resource
allocation.

• The key to effective participation is probably the willingness on

the part of government to be accessible to citizens in general and
the poor in particular (Naidoo 2003; Atkinson 2002).
 Conclusion

• In this learning unit, we dealt with issues of participation and

empowerment as strategies used by the poor to escape poverty and
take responsibility for their own development.
Mission
• Participation is the cornerstone of empowerment.

• Popular participation in development is, above all, a political process.

• Describe the connection between agency, participation, and

empowerment.
Vision
• Discussed the impact and challenges of ICT on community participation.