Indigenous Knowledge and Participatory Community Development in Mabheleni Community, South Africa

Community development practice in South Africa remains largely dependent on Western scientific knowledge. In the recent years, however, stronger emphasis has been placed on the need to recognise indigenous knowledge in community development practice. Some scholars advocate the integration of indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge to achieve sustainable community development. This paper explored the role of indigenous knowledge in participatory community development. Qualitative data were collected from a total of 20 participants in the Mabheleni Community through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data were analysed thematically on the NVivo 12 software through a thematic analysis method. The results indicated that while indigenous knowledge is used to sustain livelihoods at a household level, it is not effectively used in community development practice owing to two main reasons. First, Western scientific knowledge is given priority in informing community development initiatives. Second, government officials often use a top-down approach in decision-making about community development initiatives, a practice which excludes indigenous people in their development. This study recommended the appropriate application of a participatory bottom-up approach to decision-making, planning, and implementation of development initiatives which can ensure the consideration of indigenous knowledge in community development practice.