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Dilemmas of public participation in policymaking in South Africa

Author

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  • Umoh, Samuel Uwem

    (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa)

Abstract
The effectiveness of representative democracy in South Africa is questionable, given the lack of confidence in the Parliament and the recurring service delivery protests, which indicate that citizens' opinions are unheard. Due to this, the Members of Parliament (MPs) devise strategies such as democratic innovation to involve citizens in policymaking as the platform for deliberation. Given this context, the paper discusses public participation in policymaking and how declining confidence in the Parliament necessitates democratic innovations as a panacea for increasing citizens' participation in Parliament activities. The paper also identifies dilemmas that occur in public involvement. Data was generated by interviews (with 16 MPs), observation of plenary debates, minutes of the Parliament, Hansard, minutes of Select and Standing Committees, and Parliamentary speeches. Findings suggest that despite the complexity of implementing public participation in South Africa, the Parliament has made significant progress since 1994 in widening democratic innovation to facilitate public participation. However, disadvantaged people continue to be marginalized from policymaking. The paper suggests that there is a need for political education and public participation in policymaking to strengthen democratic institutions in South Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Umoh, Samuel Uwem, 2022. "Dilemmas of public participation in policymaking in South Africa," Studia z Polityki Publicznej / Public Policy Studies, Warsaw School of Economics, vol. 9(4), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:spppps:0254
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    parliament; national assembly; policymaking; public participation; South Africa; democratic innovation; proportional representation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration
    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy
    • Z18 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Public Policy
    • Z28 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Policy

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