Despite consultations, public hearings, and government gazettes, efforts to foster meaningful engagement beyond elections remain inadequate
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.By fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging continuous, diverse forms of participation, we can provoke a new way of thinking about democratic engagement.
It involves the reconfiguration of power dynamics to include marginalised people who are excluded from political and economic decision-making processes. Participation serves as a mechanism through which these groups can contribute to the formulation of goals, policies, resource allocation, programme implementation and the distribution of benefits such as contracts and patronage.
Pre-colonial societies in Africa were based on community values and were made through consensus-building processes involving various stakeholders in society. By embracing both traditional and nontraditional forms of engagement, such as community forums, lekgotlas, citizen assemblies and participatory budgeting, the democratic process can be revitalised.
There are three key starting points. First, political leaders should avoid seeing election results as a zero-sum game. Second, their commitment to citizens should not depend on the election outcome. Third, inclusive civic engagement should be strengthened, and our understanding of it should be evaluated.
Encouraging such interactions can strengthen democratic institutions and build trust between the government and the public. When citizens believe that their input can lead to tangible changes, they are more likely to remain involved and committed to democratic processes. While there is a collective awareness that change is necessary, the current approach often lacks a sense of ownership and responsibility. We need to reimagine how we exercise our agency, understanding that our power extends beyond election day and is not solely dependent on political leaders. Exercising our agency involves embracing a sense of ownership over the democratic process.
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