The role of ward committees in citizen participation and the socio-economic development of communities

Abstract: Concerning the role of citizens in participative democracy the urgent question is whether the ward committee structure could, as intended, help to develop a bridge between local government and communities? In order to address this prickly question it would fi rst of all be necessary to gain some insight into the nature and problems of the role of ward committees in the development of participative governance. Ward committees function as a representative structure of the communities and form a bridge by coordinating and facilitating effective communication between the municipal council and the citizens they represent. The article aims to determine the most important factors that impact on the role and functions of ward committees in terms of the effectiveness of ward committees as participatory mechanisms in local governance. It provides the legal and policy framework for participation on local government level as well as a discussion of the functioning of ward committees in a democratic government system. The article focuses on the functioning of ward committees within an environment enabling the participation of citizens and socio-economic development. The authors propose that participatory action research can be used as a tool by ward committees to develop participative democracy on local government level