Implication of Community Engagement in the Decision-Making Process in South African Local Municipal.

The study investigates the implication of community engagement in the decision-making processes in South African local municipality governance system. The main concern of having a community participation in decision making has been receiving serious consideration across Africa and South Africa especially, from both civil society and government. Debatably governments in several parts of the world today have initiated different or rather a diverse look at the requisite for public participation in decision-making processes in local municipalities. This study focused on the challenges and the extent to which a community can be involved in the decision making practices in a Local Municipality leadership structure, while trying to access socio-economic and political development. Findings in this study revealed that in most Local Municipality community; participation in decisionmaking has not been effectively been. Using participatory theory there is a clear understanding of the relevance of putting the community members into consideration in decision making at local municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]