Evaluating community participation in solid waste management in Kliptown, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

This paper analyses community participation in solid waste management in Kliptown, an informal and disadvantaged neighbourhood of Johannesburg characterised by inadequate infrastructure and strained relations between citizens and the state. Using mixed-methods approaches, the results reveal low formal engagement and significant reliance on informal waste disposal, driven by structural constraints such as unreliable public services, rather than apathy. The findings demonstrate that participation is institutionally contingent on the perceived reliability of municipal services, highlighting the need for context-specific collaboration to mitigate environmental health risks. The paper further argues that by considering participation deficits as consequences of governance conditions rather than individual behaviours, the study contributes to the debate on urban service delivery in informal settlements and underscores the need for reliable services, institutionalized collaboration, and context-appropriate community engagement strategies.