CASE STUDIES

Introduction

Development does not take place in a vacuum, but within a context of local and national policies that are always a product of competing political and economic interests that seek to inscribe their own values on the process. Despite the perception of development policy as merely a benign and apolitical administrative process that is always done in benevolence to the citizen, it is imperative to note that development policies are manifestly political and take place within a context of the asymmetrical power relations between social groups. In most African countries, development has been largely an elitist discourse, driven by the state, civil society, donors and market forces. Citizens, especially rural people, often find themselves participating along the margins without substantial contribution to the content and process of development policies. This marginalization inevitably raises fundamental questions about political cultures in Africa’s fledgling democracies, especially the indispensability of good governance and transparency as values that must underpin policy making processes that seek to address people’s needs.

CASE STUDIES

1) Findings: South Africa Case Study

South Africa is generally regarded as one of the biggest and strongest economies in the African continent. However, inequalities that cut across the race, gender, class and geographic location remain very much a part of the fabric of the society. Many people in urban areas still lack basic needs, such as shelter and clean water and rural poverty still remains largely unattended. This action research focuses on agriculture and rural livelihoods in Jozini municipal area and seeks to establish the extent to which communication and public participation are integrated in development. Human development requires a minimum level of community participation in planning stages, decisions about the nature of development, as well as how to prioritise projects and shape the policy regime, so that communities develop not simply as consumers of policies but also with sustainable development outcomes in mind. 
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2) Findings: Malawi Case Study

Malawi is endowed with a variety of natural resources which include vast water systems. The major water systems include Lake Malawi, the Shire River and Lake Chilwa, an inland basin lake and a dense network of perennial rivers. These water systems cover more than 21 percent of the country’s territorial area. Notwithstanding these abundant water resources, Malawi is currently encountering a number of growing competing demands and challenges. Some of these demands and challenges identified in the National Water Policy include the following: high population growth resulting in increase for demand for water for domestic, industrial and municipal uses, agriculture/irrigation, tourism, mining, manufacturing, water transport/navigation, energy/hydropower, and ecological sustenance.

3) Findings: Zambia Case Study

Zambia became a Democratic Republic in 1991 after the end of one-party rule. The constitution provides for the separation of powers between the legislation, administration and the judiciary to provide for autonomy and checks and balances in governance of the country. The hangover from the one-party state era, however, prevails and impacts issues of governance, accountability and transparency.The constitution also gives district councils a reasonable amount of autonomy to make and pass by-laws to govern the district. This is not withstanding the national laws. These by-laws are however subject to the approval of the minister for local government. They include raising funds and using the same for providing services and reducing poverty in the district. The central government supplements the district efforts by providing grants and being responsible for funding and supervising the larger inter district and national projects usually related to infrastructure, epidemics, education, health, and agriculture.

4)Findings: Lesotho Case Study

Lesotho is a country of just under 2 million people. It became independent in 1966. It is a landlocked country, bordered on all sides by South Africa. Until 2007, Lesotho maintained a centralized bureaucratic administration, which was perhaps in part responsible for the persistence of poverty, the slow pace of development and poor service delivery. It follows a two-house parliamentary system – a lower housed comprised of proportionally elected representatives and an upper house of senators, including 22 paramount chiefs and 11 others appointed by the state council, a clear indication of how much importance is given to traditional leadership in Lesotho politics. Although this system is supposed to facilitate communication between traditional leadership and the government, particularly in respect of service delivery, but evidence on the ground indicates that the system is not yielding results.