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.