Open AccessCaught in the vortex: can local government community development workers succeed in South Africa?
Author(s) -
Mel Gray,
Betty C. Mubangizi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
community development journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1468-2656
pISSN - 0010-3802
DOI - 10.1093/cdj/bsp007
Subject(s) - government (linguistics) , community development , context (archaeology) , economic growth , confusion , state (computer science) , political science , local government , public administration , sociology , public relations , economics , geography , psychology , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , algorithm , computer science , psychoanalysis
In 2003, following a Parliamentary announcement by President Thabo Mbeki, a new cadre of public servants – community development workers (CDWs) – was introduced in South Africa to serve as agents of change within local government municipalities charged with the responsibility for social and economic development. This paper examines the context of this initiative, the role of CDW, the progress of the Community Development Workers Programme (CDWP), and the challenges faced by this emerging occupational group. It begins with a discussion of community development theory and highlights the difficulties for CDWs as state employees whose goal is to foster support for and participation in government-initiated programmes. It argues that community development practice can be a far cry from its sometimes hortatory theory. Given the institutional confusion within which they operate and the harsh practice realities in South Africa, success seems most unlikely