South Africa gained its democratic momentum after the 1994 general election with a constitutional framework emphasising public participation, accountability, and transparency of public affairs (Govender et al., 2011). Since then, the government has functioned on a three-tier system, namely, national government responsible for policy making, coordination, and oversight; Provincial government tasked with the responsibility of designing ordinances, service delivery and development within the provincial sphere; Local government comprising municipalities responsible for service delivery and Local Economic Development (LED) within their area of jurisdiction (South African Government, 2024). From the era of the apartheid regime until the advent of the democratic dispensation, the government remained characterised by harsh discrimination and limited citizen engagement and participation (South African Government, 2024). The introduction of democratic reforms and local government elections post-1994 enabled the government to focus on reimagining and rebuilding a transformative public administration through public and private institutions to facilitate citizen engagement and participation (South African Government, 2024).

– By Terrance T. Molobela