The Integrated Development Planning Process's Impact as a Tool for Increasing Community Participation in South Africa

The South African Municipal Systems Act of 2003 and the 1996 Constitution encourage community-based organisations (CBOs) and communities to actively participate in the municipal planning process. It is significant for CBOs and communities to be engaged in drafting the Integrated Development Plan (hereafter IDP) to guarantee that the municipality considers their expectations and needs in the final IDP document. Thus, this article intends to determine the impact of the IDP process on increasing community participation using the Tzaneen municipal areas under the jurisdiction of GTM as a case study. It is argued that the design and implementation of the IDP process are confronted with many contemporary challenges. To comprehend the challenges, the study has adopted a mixed-method research approach. Using probability and non-probability selection approaches, 410 participants were selected from the Tzaneen municipal areas in South Africa. The data was collected and analysed until saturation was reached. The researchers used an online structured questionnaire and face-to-face semi-structured interviews to collect empirical data and review the existing literature. The study found a continuous lack of community participation in municipal affairs. The service delivery backlog is still challenging despite constitutional mandates and democratic principles. The participants indicated that they are unable to hold municipal officials accountable. Lastly, there needs to be more political will to partake in the IDP process. Based on the above, this study recommends that municipal policies should be influenced by community involvement. The study also recommends that the Greater Tzaneen Municipality's officials and politicians should at all times uphold democratic principles by ensuring active public participation, transparency, and accountable governance.