compact-policy-brief-bridging-the-communication-divide-final-v2-71fcc7dc0de27598.pdf

This policy brief, authored by Mamoshotoana Concelia Choma of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), argues that systemic communication failures in South African municipalities undermine public trust and citizen participation. Drawing on evidence from the COMPACT programme's study of 12 municipalities, the document identifies weaknesses such as top-down messaging, the neglect of traditional outreach, and internal institutional silos. It recommends professionalising communication units, institutionalising two-way engagement, and integrating knowledge management to shift municipal communication from reactive practices to citizen-centred systems, all while leveraging existing national policy frameworks.

• Evidence from the COMPACT programme, which studied 12 municipalities, reveals systemic communication failures that hinder public trust and participation, particularly in resource-constrained and rural areas. These failures are characterized by a lack of professional communication units, poor internal coordination, and inconsistent engagement practices.
• The interface between ward councillors and their communities is a significant point of failure. Councillors often lack the administrative support and coordination with municipal officials needed to provide consistent feedback or convene regular meetings, leading residents to view participation as symbolic.
• Municipal communication is frequently one-way and inaccessible, relying on technical or bureaucratic language and failing to provide consistent translations into local languages despite the multilingual nature of South Africa.
• There is a problematic trend of over-reliance on digital communication platforms, which risks excluding older residents, rural communities, and those with limited connectivity. Traditional methods like community radio, loud-hailing, and face-to-face engagement remain critical for inclusivity.
• Internal municipal communication is often fragmented and siloed, which directly impairs the quality and timeliness of information provided to the public and leads to reactive communication during service delivery crises.
• The brief proposes that communication be elevated to a strategic administrative function by locating communication units within the Office of the Municipal Manager and ensuring Heads of Communication are part of senior management processes.
• To improve inclusivity, the brief recommends using the Government Segmentation Model (GSM) to tailor communication based on language, location, and socio-economic context, and embedding Knowledge Management (KM) to ensure public information is verified and accurate.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (n.d.). compact-policy-brief-bridging-the-communication-divide-final-v2-71fcc7dc0de27598.pdf. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/COMPACT-Policy-Brief-Bridging-the-Communication-Divide-FINAL-v2.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. compact-policy-brief-bridging-the-communication-divide-final-v2-71fcc7dc0de27598.pdf. n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/COMPACT-Policy-Brief-Bridging-the-Communication-Divide-FINAL-v2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=compact-policy-brief-bridging-the-communication-divide-final-v2-71fcc7dc0de27598.pdf |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/COMPACT-Policy-Brief-Bridging-the-Communication-Divide-FINAL-v2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitutendcompactpolicybriefbridgingthecommunicationdividefinalv271fcc7dc0de27598pdf, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{compact-policy-brief-bridging-the-communication-divide-final-v2-71fcc7dc0de27598.pdf}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/COMPACT-Policy-Brief-Bridging-the-Communication-Divide-FINAL-v2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }