Local Governance: Empowering Communities to Engage Their Local Municipalities on Issues of Accountability and Governance

Research has shown conclusively that although the constitution of South Africa makes very specific provisions for public consultation and participation at virtually all levels of policy making and planning (especially at the municipal and ward level) the reality is very different. The spirit of the constitution has been diminished in many cases to mere legislative compliance.

As a consequence many communities have disengaged themselves from any critical interaction with the municipalities in which they reside. This has spiraled into a feeling of powerlessness, apathy and more recently, anger expressed through some of the violent service delivery protests that we have seen around the country.

The Democracy Development Programme (DDP) has been working in this sphere of increased citizen participation for the past 10 years in KwaZulu Natal. We would like to share our learning and talk about the possibilities of how this situation could be addressed in a manner that is both workable   and strengthens our notion of a ‘peoples’ democracy.

The workshop will look at the following:

·         Local Government competencies  (powers and functions)in relation to service delivery

·         Constitutional mechanisms for public participation in municipalities (what they are and how they are supposed to work)

·         Innovative models for claiming citizen space (alternate avenues for public participation)

·         How to mobilize communities to become empowered citizens (alternate ways of citizen mobilization)

·         Keeping municipalities accountable to communities ( governance and accountability)

Workshop Information

Date: 28-29 September 2010

Venue: Glenmore Pastoral Centre, Durban

Cost: R800.00 per participant

To attend, please RSVP to Nondumiso by fax on 031 306 2261 or email to NondumisoM@ddpdurban.org.za by 31 August 2010.

For queries contact Manju Marimuthu at the DDP office on 031 3049305.