Advantages of Participatory Budgeting and Planning in Dondo

• More investment initiatives mainly in the area of socio-economic development;

• More flexibility in the response to the citizens concerns;

• More involvement of the citizens in finding local solutions for local problems

Constraints

• Weak representation of the various concerned groups;

• Weak understanding of the main issues to be addressed in the process,

• Use of the  same methodology for different type of problems and target population

The municipality has the following challenges:

• Spread the concept of Participatory Budgeting;

• Promote public awareness on the role of the municipalities;

• Involvement of the citizens in Participatory Budgeting;

• Establishment of civic education processes  using the media;

• Capacity building of the members of the Municipal Council and Assembly as well as the communities.

How to overcome the challenges:

• Production of manuals, brochures and other instruments to be used in spreading the concept of Participatory Budgeting;

• Involvement of Community Radio and other social communication means in dissemination and increasing of the awareness of the communities and the members of the Municipal Council and Assembly on Participatory Budgeting;

• Mobilize internal and external resources to support the implementation of the municipal Participatory Budgeting;

• Use part of the municipal revenues for technical capacity building; and

• Liaise with the local government ad other partners in order to improve the municipal model on Participatory Budgeting

 Perspectives

• With the Participatory Budgeting we want to improve transparency in municipal management;

• Democratize the decision-making process;

• Share the responsibility for municipal management (Municipal government and the citizens)

By. Manuel Cambezo (Presidente do CMD)

PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING IN ETHIKWENI MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA

This article was prepared by Mr. Owen Naidoo, Financial Officer, Ethikweni Municilaity, South Africa

Background:

Ethikweni Municipality is located in Durban, South Africa. Participatory Budgeting in Ethikweni Municipality is guided by the Mayor and is facilitated by three departments namely: Treasury; Corporate Policy and Community Participation; and Action Support. The Treasury department is responsible for the compilation, co-ordination and driving of the budget process whilst the Corporate Policy and Community Participation and Action Support departments co-ordinate the participation process with the community and various stakeholders through Regional Public Hearings and Ward Meetings and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) workshops.

The driving force behind the participatory budgeting initiative: Citizens participation in the budgetary process is encouraged by the South African Government and is strongly supported by the legislation which acknowledges that community input is essential in compiling the budget. Thus the budget is believed to be the ‘people’s budget’. South Africa has a democratically elected government and there is freedom of speech as embodied the national Constitution. The Participatory Budgeting process has also been made possible by the political history of South Africa. The imbalance in service delivery needs to be redressed to ensure that the previously disadvantaged communities get an equitable distribution of resources and service delivery.

The participatory budgeting process in Ethikweni Municipality is targeted at all users of information including, the Community, Commerce and Industry. The demographic focus is women, youth, disabled, indigent and previously disadvantaged individuals.

Participatory Budgeting Tools and Methodologies:

1. Public and Regional Budget hearings: These are held centrally after the draft budget has been tabled to council. Cluster presentations are done by each cluster head during the hearings;
    

2. Integrated Development Plan Workshops and Ward Meetings: These are held on an ongoing basis and are meant to obtain the views of the citizens.
    

3. The Print and Electronic Media: The budgets are publicized through newspapers, the radio and the council’s website. The draft budget is placed on the council website 90 days prior to the approval of the budgets for comment.
    

4. The Budget is monitored through in-year, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting as required by the legislation. Monitoring is done against service delivery and the Budget Implementation Plan which quantifies measurable targets.