Kommunikasie tussen die CDC-lede en die gemeenskap van Rundu: 'n ontwikkelingskommunikasieperspektief

Abstract

Rundu is a town in northern Namibia facing various development issues such as unemployment and poverty. In Namibia, the government follows a decentralized approach to social development and, as such, a committee (CDC) was established in each constituency, which is responsible for grassroots development. This committee also acts as an intermediary between government and the local community. In this study, it is argued that communication between the CDC members and the local Rundu community should adhere to the principles of the participatory approach to development communication in order to achieve development goals. The general research question formulated for the study asks: What is the nature of communication between the CDC members and the developing community of Rundu? In answering this question, a literature study was first conducted on the participatory approach to development communication to determine how communication between the CDC members and the developing community ought to be. The principles discussed in theory are participation, dialogue, cultural identity and empowerment. The empirical part of the study was approached qualitatively by means of semi-structured interviews with CDC members and focus groups with community members of Rundu. It has been found that the communication between the CDC members and the developing community of Rundu does not currently comply with the principles of the participatory approach. First, it appears that the developing community does not actively participate in CDC development initiatives. Furthermore, it is clear that the communication between the CDC members and the community is not dialogic. The CDC seeks to protect the cultural identity of the developing community, but it is not sufficiently integrated within the context of development or the messages communicated by the CDC. Finally, it was found that the local community is not empowered by their participation in the CDC development initiatives. Consequently, it can be said that the nature of communication between the CDC members and the local Rundu community is not participatory.