Assessing community participation in the Integrated Development Plan to enhance service delivery at Mbizana Local Municipality
This study was undertaken to assess the community participation in the Integrated Development Plan. The study aimed to identify the causes for poor service delivery in the Mbizana Local Municipality. The study attempted to comprehend if this poor service delivery is caused by the inadequate management of an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) or the lack of community participation in local government affairs, particularly in the Integrated Development Plan. The existing literature reveals that poor service delivery could be caused by aspects, such as a lack of communication, participation, corruption, fraud, political interference in administration, elevated levels of unemployment and inadequate institutional capacity. Data was collected from both municipal officials and community citizens to understand the causes of poor service delivery in Mbizana Local Municipality. This was conducted by employing the qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews served as a device to collect data from the study participants, representing community citizens, and municipal officials. This device was chosen attributable to its ability to collect as much information as possible from the study participants; therefore, participants were not limited when responding to the interview questions. The study findings reveal that the poor service delivery at Mbizana Local Municipality is caused by a lack of community participation and inadequate management of the Integrated Development Plan formulations. First, this is because the community citizens do not understand the processes of an Integrated Development Plan formulation and its importance to their lives. Second, the municipal officials also fail to adequately deliver municipal services attributable to concerns, such as internal political conflicts, corruption, and failure to maintain open communication with the local constituents. The study provides recommendations suggesting potential solutions for poor service delivery in Mbizana Local Municipality, which can also be adopted by all South African municipalities.
Community, Community participation, Integrated development plan
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