Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality
Traditional top-down approaches exclude communities from participating in policy design and decision-making, while existing communication models are inadequate in addressing communication and service delivery challenges in rural municipalities. And Matatiele Local Municipality (MLM) is no exception....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universitas-Győr Nonprofit Ltd.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Institutiones Administrationis |
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| Online Access: | https://administrativescience.com/index.php/instadm/article/view/110/92 |
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| author | Moroesi Lebenya Betty Claire Mubangizi Oluwaseun Temitope Ojogiwa |
| author_facet | Moroesi Lebenya Betty Claire Mubangizi Oluwaseun Temitope Ojogiwa |
| author_sort | Moroesi Lebenya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traditional top-down approaches exclude communities from participating in policy design and decision-making, while existing communication models are inadequate in addressing communication and service delivery challenges in rural municipalities. And Matatiele Local Municipality (MLM) is no exception. This study is focusing on Matatiele Local Municipality’s use of participatory communication (PC) processes in line with democratic principles and their impact on service delivery. It explores the communication practices, the nexus between good governance and participatory communication and identifies approaches towards participatory communication in rural Matatiele. From an interpretivism paradigm, the study employed a qualitative research method that permit a focused examination of nineteen purposively selected participants. Data retrieved from the semi-structured interview and from secondary sources was analysed thematically and narratively. Findings indicate that participatory communication is not uniformly applied across all areas within MLM jurisdiction. Infrastructure deficits, service delivery challenges and issues related to decentralisation are also identified. The study concludes that traditional authorities play a significant yet overlooked role in democratic development at the local level. Recommendations include an emphasis on the reassessment of the role citizens play in the decision-making process to enhance their meaningful involvement and empowerment in the governance process beyond participation by consultation. Therefore, participatory communication practices beyond establishing clear feedback mechanisms, enhancing responsiveness to community concerns, and improving citizens’ influence on final decisions can promote mutual understanding and cocreation of content that could enhance citizens’ livelihoods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ec07c68ecc8c452c89d4d089600aac6b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2786-1929 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Universitas-Győr Nonprofit Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Institutiones Administrationis |
| spelling | doaj-art-ec07c68ecc8c452c89d4d089600aac6b2024-12-27T14:37:17ZengUniversitas-Győr Nonprofit Ltd.Institutiones Administrationis2786-19292024-12-0142729110.54201/iajas.110Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local MunicipalityMoroesi Lebenya0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2349-0949Betty Claire Mubangizi1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0774-7193Oluwaseun Temitope Ojogiwa2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1713-3144University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalTraditional top-down approaches exclude communities from participating in policy design and decision-making, while existing communication models are inadequate in addressing communication and service delivery challenges in rural municipalities. And Matatiele Local Municipality (MLM) is no exception. This study is focusing on Matatiele Local Municipality’s use of participatory communication (PC) processes in line with democratic principles and their impact on service delivery. It explores the communication practices, the nexus between good governance and participatory communication and identifies approaches towards participatory communication in rural Matatiele. From an interpretivism paradigm, the study employed a qualitative research method that permit a focused examination of nineteen purposively selected participants. Data retrieved from the semi-structured interview and from secondary sources was analysed thematically and narratively. Findings indicate that participatory communication is not uniformly applied across all areas within MLM jurisdiction. Infrastructure deficits, service delivery challenges and issues related to decentralisation are also identified. The study concludes that traditional authorities play a significant yet overlooked role in democratic development at the local level. Recommendations include an emphasis on the reassessment of the role citizens play in the decision-making process to enhance their meaningful involvement and empowerment in the governance process beyond participation by consultation. Therefore, participatory communication practices beyond establishing clear feedback mechanisms, enhancing responsiveness to community concerns, and improving citizens’ influence on final decisions can promote mutual understanding and cocreation of content that could enhance citizens’ livelihoods.https://administrativescience.com/index.php/instadm/article/view/110/92participatory communicationsustainable rural livelihoodsgood governancelocal responsiveness |
| spellingShingle | Moroesi Lebenya Betty Claire Mubangizi Oluwaseun Temitope Ojogiwa Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality Institutiones Administrationis participatory communication sustainable rural livelihoods good governance local responsiveness |
| title | Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality |
| title_full | Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality |
| title_fullStr | Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality |
| title_short | Participatory Communication for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods : Insights from Matatiele Local Municipality |
| title_sort | participatory communication for sustainable rural livelihoods insights from matatiele local municipality |
| topic | participatory communication sustainable rural livelihoods good governance local responsiveness |
| url | https://administrativescience.com/index.php/instadm/article/view/110/92 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT moroesilebenya participatorycommunicationforsustainablerurallivelihoodsinsightsfrommatatielelocalmunicipality AT bettyclairemubangizi participatorycommunicationforsustainablerurallivelihoodsinsightsfrommatatielelocalmunicipality AT oluwaseuntemitopeojogiwa participatorycommunicationforsustainablerurallivelihoodsinsightsfrommatatielelocalmunicipality |