Practice of participatory communication : asset based community development legacy project in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the practice of participatory communication by the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) on the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) project in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape (EC) Province. The study was conducted in fourteen villages that form part of package four where SANRAL is busy constructing a road. Zutari, formerly known as Aurecon, was appointed with Royal Mndawe Holdings (ROMH) as a consortium in order to provide professional services for the 17,6 km Section 20 stretch of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Highway between Msikaba Bridge and Lingeni Intersection. The research used a qualitative case study research approach, and is framed within participatory communication. The findings of the study were based on consideration of in-depth participant interviews, analysed using a systematic method, where interview transcripts were arranged and coded to categorise information accordingly. The study population consisted of people that have been fairly involved in the project, mainly the Project Liaison Committee Members (PLC). This group of stakeholders were more relevant to provide insights about how the practice of participatory communication has been practiced on an ongoing community development project. Similarly, development communication uses communication processes that aim to improve the lives of the citizens (Alemnew, 2017). Consequently, the study explored the practice of participatory communication in a setting in which a sustainable development model (ABCD) is being employed to catalyse SANRAL’s post-construction legacy in the area. SANRAL adopted an ABCD model to drive its intended legacy programme. This study empowers development communication practitioners and informs development discourses alike. The findings revealed that genuine participation was practiced by SANRAL on the ABCD Project. Likewise, participatory communication is associated with a two-way flow of communication, allowing community members to become key drivers of their development, and not mere beneficiaries of development interventions in their area (Ako, 2017). Notably, the major communications practices were best described as a two-way participatory approach, aimed at facilitating socio-economic development on an ABCD community-based project. The study finds that participatory communication enables information sharing between people, as it creates a legitimate platform for the marginalised to be empowered during development devised with them in mind.