Towards people's participation and rural development : the case of Kudumane District

Abstract

Traditional development theories concentrated on stimulating economic growth without considering the extent to which growth would affect rural people's quality of life. Modernisation has failed to improve life in rural Third World areas. Current development thinking emphasises the human aspect of development and IS more inclined towards participatory rural development. Referring specifically to the Batlharos Water project, the study investigates and identifies the causes ofthe limited initiatives in participatory development within the Kudumane district in the North-West Province of South Africa. Trends in the evolution of development thought to people's participation, including factors, processes and approaches that may facilitate participatory development in the Kudumane area are discussed. Factors that have affected and limited earlier participatory initiatives in this area are isolated. The study concludes that unless rural communities constantly become the planners, initiators and executors of local development, no real transformation of their lives can be accomplished.