The interrelatedness of the ward committee systems and community participation in South Africa: A critical approach to local governance
Maela Khutso Delphus, Munzhedzi Pandelani Harry & Matloga Sanah Tebogo
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the interconnection between ward committees and community participation. It argues that an effective, functional, and persuasive ward committee system promotes community participation. The paper also examines the efficacy of ward committees in enhancing such participation. Furthermore, it seeks to identify the challenges that hinder the effectiveness of ward committees and, finally, proposes solutions to improve the linkage between ward committees and community participation for better local governance. The paper provides a comprehensive review of the relevant legislative frameworks in South Africa, offering a solid contextual understanding of the political and legal landscape that governs ward committees and community participation. This conceptual paper draws heavily on secondary data and existing literature to address solutions related to the central argument. From the reviewed literature, the study identified several recurring issues, including maladministration (such as corruption and nepotism), a lack of understanding of the roles of ward committees, ineffective communication channels, and dysfunctional ward committee systems caused by political interference. Therefore, the paper recommends that further research be conducted across all municipalities in South Africa to uncover the challenges that hinder the effective linkage between ward committees and community participation, with the goal of promoting responsive and inclusive local governance that meets the diverse needs of society.
Keywords
local municipality, ward committees, community participation, local governance, public participation, democracy
Author information & Contribution
Maela Khutso Delphus. Corresponding author. Doctor of Administration, Part-time lecturer, University of Venda. Email: khutso.maela@univen.ac.za.
Munzhedzi Pandelani Harry. Professor (Dr in Administration). Head of Department (HOD), University of Venda. Email: harry.munzhedzi@univen.ac.za.
Matloga Sanah Tebogo. Doctor of administration. Lecturer. University of Venda. Email: sanah.matloga@univen.ac.za.
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not Applicable.
AI Declaration
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used Quillbot for paraphrasing ideas. The author takes full responsibility for ensuring proper review and editing of content generated using AI.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
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Cite this article:
Delphus, M.K., Harry, M.P. & Tebogo, M.S. (2025). The interrelatedness of the ward committee systems and community participation in South Africa: A critical approach to local governance. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(3), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353239
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