E-Participation and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP): Challenges and Opportunities for Digital Public Engagement in South African Municipalities

Abstract

Section 152 (1) (e) of the Constitution of South Africa mandates that local government ensure broad community involvement, specifically within the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) framework. However, traditional methods of public participation frequently struggle to achieve widespread or inclusive engagement. These traditional approaches often fail to effectively reach the youth demographic. This study aims to assess the shift towards e-participation in IDP planning by outlining the key benefits and challenges associated with the digitalisation of public engagement to foster effective digital governance in South African municipalities. The study utilized a systematic desktop analysis. Relevant academic and policy materials were sourced from global databases including Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Scopus. Results indicate that digitalizing the IDP process significantly enhances public participation, accountability, and transparency. This shift fosters youth mobilisation and reduces the operational costs associated with physical meetings. Key benefits include streamlined administrative processes, increased efficiency, and hyper-local transparency. Conversely, the findings identify significant barriers to implementation. These obstacles include a rigid adherence to the traditional status quo, uncoordinated e-participation rollouts, ICT infrastructure gaps, and persistent governance challenges. The digitalisation of IDP participation represents a significant opportunity for municipalities to move toward effective digital governance by addressing constitutional mandates for community involvement, though successful implementation depends on mitigating identified systemic challenges. This study recommends the municipalities to implement digitalisation framework and roadmap to guide the integration of e-participation in IDPs. It offers critical insights for Public Administration by bridging the gap between digital theory and local government application in South Africa.