Contextualizing Social Capital, Citizen Participation and Poverty through an Examination of the Ward Committee Systemin Bonteheuwel in the Western Cape, South Africa

The discourse on social capital brings to the fore its valuable attributes in facilitating trust, generalized reciprocity and collective action. Moreover, it creates an awareness of the influence of these attributes on the extent to which citizens participate in matters of policy and decision-making. It was with these benefits in mind that the South African government introduced ward committees in 2004, as intermediaries structured to encourage meaningful participation between local communities and the state. It is in this context that the article examines the extent to which the ward committee, in a low socio-economic residential area called Bonteheuwel, was effective in realizing the stated purpose. The main findings suggest that while the ward committee may have been effective in certain aspects, the extent of its effectiveness was limited by the poor attendance at public meetings; the general impact of poverty on collective action; the exclusionary nature of organization through sectors; and the lack of substantive influence in the decision-making process.