CHAPTER FIVE: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.2 Discussion
5.2.3 Relevance, appropriateness and adequacy of platforms
received before the synthesis of the holistic approach in order to address the service delivery issues in the IDP.
What is important to note is that key stakeholders interviewed and documents reviewed, including the IDP, list methods that can and have been used to collect, share or engage with stakeholders. Such methods are said to ensure the incorporation of the knowledge and experience of all stakeholders because strategic planning, as Bryson (2004:6) states, requires a “broad-scale yet effective information gathering”. This is important considering that learning “exists to the extent that individuals make their knowledge available to others through a process of sharing...” (Bodhanya 2008:4). Therefore, if platforms (mechanisms and measures) are not available to individuals, this hampers learning because learning starts in this context from individuals who interact (Argyris and Schön 1978:16-17 and Wang and Ahmed 2003:9). Furthermore, through such platforms, Bryson (2004:6) states, there is accommodation of “divergent interests and values”.
resource guide. It also hints at the warning by Vanttinen and Pyhalto (2009:788) that “if the strategic process does not promote the participation and activeness of all the actors in the organisation[, which in this instance are the stakeholders within the Municipality,]there is a risk that the strategy will not be implemented...”. Furthermore, the absence of stakeholder participation might undermine the legitimacy of a MIDP, as the plan will not reflect the community needs and priorities, but it will be imposed on a section of the community that was unrepresented in its formation. Traditional Leadership stakeholders expressed this view in the interviews. This then raise a serious issue as the process happens within a local government system.
The consultation with and participation of Traditional Leadership and their structures is important. The MSA of 2000 states that Traditional authorities (now Traditional Councils) chaired by Traditional Leaders, are to be consulted on the drafting of the MIDP. Their consultation is pivotal considering the function of Traditional Councils in terms of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, which is to facilitate “the involvement of the traditional community in the development or amendment of the Integrated Development Plan of a Municipality in whose area that community resides” (RSA 2003:10). The participation of Traditional Leadership was also noted in the IDP Guide Pack, which states that traditional leaders should be part of the IDP Representative Forum.
What is stated above then raises the question of the adequacy of the platforms created and used. It can be said that adequacy of platforms can result in different stakeholders being given an opportunity to open up and be listened to. Consequently, the Municipality could then be seen as adhering to the characterisation of developmental local government in the White Paper on Local Government of 1998. Developmental local government is characterised as local government that is “committed to working with citizens and groups within the community to find sustainable ways to meet their social, economic and material needs, and improve their quality of life”(DPLG 1998:23; Schmidt 2008:121).
Furthermore, stakeholders should also have an opportunity to consider alternative interpretations of prevailing circumstances or courses of action. The platforms can be processes or measures that can set the stage for a municipality to gather, share, and learn from different stakeholders. Moreover, institutional solutions can be derived using the processes or measures to meet and satisfy the needs of stakeholders. The IDP can be a true instrument for meaningful learning while being a planning and decision-making tool in relation to medium and long-term development.
Mechanisms and measures have been put in place to give meaning to developmental local government. These legislatively required mechanisms, processes, and procedures are to allow for notification, consultation, and the participation of the local community in the affairs of the municipality (RSA 2000:30). This is paramount if consideration is given to what is described by Bryson (2004:6) in defining strategic planning as “a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions...” As such, the mechanisms and measures create an opportunity for people, as different stakeholders, to be informed and listened to, and for stakeholders to partake in the art of thinking together: to engage, think, interact and rethink. Through these processes, there are opportunities for learning and unlearning, while planning as learning, states Mintzberg and Waters (1985:270), involves adaptation.
Furthermore, there is a focus on strategic decisions in relation to “a locality’s future and implementing those decisions” (Pindur 1992:102). The focus on strategic decisions, states Eadie (1983:448), shows that the priority of strategic planning is beyond the operational level improvement of outputs.
What one key political leadership stakeholder noted, though, is that there is general apathy towards the IDP process. This should not be the case in a country like South Africa, where any engagement on issues of development has been largely limited or non-existent. This raises the issue of the appropriateness of the platforms or perceived relevance of the content for discussion as some people in the townships and rural areas, states one key political leadership stakeholder, may not be aware of the avenues open to them. However, other stakeholders state that there are adequate and appropriate platforms for different sectors of the community to participate in the IDP process. The platforms include regional IDP workshops, public hearings, meetings, ad hoc presentations, Big Mama/IDP festivals, and other communications channels and the IDP documents are provided for comments on the Municipal website and in libraries and Sizakala Customer Centres.
Knowing that there are platforms that have been created or used in the process of IDP is one thing, what is of interest to this research is to ascertain whether learning actually occurs. It is necessary to ascertain whether there is adherence to the prescriptions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and other legislative and policy frameworks. Adherence to these legislative and policy frameworks is important because MIDP is a map that sets out the service delivery and development plan for a locality. Therefore, having spaces for dialogue promotes a system of participatory governance. It should be noted that platforms on their own are of no use if stakeholders are not supportive of the idea of engaging or participating.
Their involvement or participation is significant, as Argyris and Schön (1978:16 and Wang
and Ahmed (2003:9) state, learning starts from individuals, and it is these “individuals as agents for organisations”, who interact.
The MIDP process has been kept simple and compliance-driven as with many other organisations because it is said that creating or using a number of spaces or platforms costs money and time. They therefore limited platforms and have used particular ones to engage or to create dialogue. With eThekwini Municipality, the regional hearings were held instead of ward-based engagements, because the ward committees, as said earlier, were at different times not functional or were non-existent. The ward committees, as legitimate statutory platforms for community participation and drivers of community-based planning, were to lead and facilitate the ward meetings. This is because Ward Committees can be two-way communication channels for both the municipality and the community, as they can give information to communities and obtain information from and about the community.
EThekwini Municipality has chosen a representative democratic process in facilitating its consultation with different sectors, but has also made provision for direct participation through regional hearings, which would have been ward-based. The choice is in line with the IDP approach of inclusive and representative consultation and/or participation. For instance, businesses are engaged through the Durban Chamber of Commerce while ratepayers, or residents are engaged through the ratepayers’ or residents’ associations. When coming to direct participation with communities, Ballard et al. (2007:265) state that local meetings in each ward are more of a problematic process for the Municipality to use to consult the community rather than for communities to participate. Further, they say, elected representatives feel that community participation at local level competes with their representation as they are to set “the tone and direction for development policy”, in this instance a strategic development plan (Ballard et al. 2007:265). EThekwini Municipality wants to venture out of the representative consultation and/or participation approach as it will be looking at using technology – social media (Twitter and blog) - to talk to people about strategies. One senior management stakeholder in the interview confirmed this.
The question mains remains as to whether or not the guidelines provided by the National and Provincial Governments, in terms of the process and how it is facilitated, were in any way guidelines, or were rather to tighten Government’s management of the process and the performance thereof. Further, another question was whether these guidelines are to ensure conformity by municipalities while setting out the map on service delivery.