Problems and Purpose

The goal of this mentorship programme is to remove obstacles so children can focus on school and making decisions that shape their futures. The Decisions Affect Destinies (DAD) Programme was introduced in Ward 73 to address socio-political and developmental challenges such as low youth engagement in governance, lack of structured mentorship, socio-economic inequality, and dependency on councillor-led initiatives. The programme is aimed to empower youth with leadership and decision-making skills, enhance civic awareness, promote educational equity and institutionalise youth participation in ward structures for long-term sustainability.

From an accountability perspective, the DAD initiative reflects social and horizontal accountability mechanisms. Those built on voluntary, participatory engagement rather than hierarchical enforcement (Bovens, 2007, pp. 457–458). It’s goals of empowerment, engagement, equity and sustainability align with Bovens’ learning perspective of accountability, which views such mechanisms as tools to “enhance effectiveness and adaptive governance through reflection and continuous improvement” (Bovens, 2007, p. 463). By embedding mentorship and civic training, the DAD programme cultivates democratic accountability by integrating youth voices into governance, while also addressing constitutional accountability by creating transparent, collective decision-making systems. This approach demonstrates how local initiatives can operationalise Bovens’ tripartite framework of accountability (democratic, constitutional, and learning) within the context of community governance. The youth participation leads to them forming part of a democracy, which will in turn encourage them to vote when they are eligible. Helping them feel a purpose in the existing democracy and also showing them that they can contribute/make a positive contribution to this democracy.

Background History and Context

Ward 73 is a suburban administrative area within the City of Cape Town, that comprises suburbs such as Plumstead, Meadowridge, Bergvliet, Southfield, parts of Constantia and Diep River. The ward covers approximately 9.4 km² and accommodates around 26,000 residents, according to census-derived data (WaziMap, 2022). Demographically, Ward 73 displays a relatively higher median age compared to national averages, a strong prevalence of English as a first language and consistently high voter turnout in municipal elections between 2016 and 2021 (WaziMap, 2022).

Civic engagement in the ward operates primarily through the ward councillor, ward committee and the City’s ward allocation budgeting process, which funds local projects and community programmes (City of Cape Town, 2022). These institutional mechanisms establish a framework for participatory governance at the neighbourhood level and create an enabling environment for initiatives such as the Decisions Affect Destinies (DAD) Programme, provided such programmes are formally integrated into ward allocation processes and the advisory functions of the ward committee (City of Cape Town, 2022).

Ward 73’s local governance landscape is further enriched by an active network of schools, libraries, faith-based organisations, cultural associations and sporting clubs, which together foster a vibrant community identity. This social fabric provides fertile ground for youth-centred initiatives like the DAD Programme to thrive because it allows for collaboration across diverse community stakeholders and the mobilisation of local resources. Coupled with the ward’s strong tradition of civic participation and high voter engagement, the environment is particularly conducive to developing young leaders equipped to carry forward participatory governance practices.

South Africa’s local government framework emphasises participatory governance, as reflected in municipal legislation that mandates community participation in development planning and budgeting (Republic of South Africa, 2000). Within this framework, ward committees serve as institutional mechanisms to facilitate communication between citizens and the municipality, enabling residents to articulate local needs and influence policy implementation (City of Cape Town, 2021). These committees are intended to represent a cross-section of community interests including youth, business, faith-based, sporting and civil society groups, thus ensuring inclusive local representation (Western Cape Government, 2021).

The strong civic backbone of Ward 73, combined with accessible public spaces and a committed resident base, provides a bright backdrop for the DAD Programme to achieve its vision. The presence of active neighbourhood watches, environmental groups and local heritage initiatives further complements the Programme’s goals, as these entities can serve as real-life platforms for mentorship, skills application and civic learning for the youth. This synergy between formal municipal structures and grassroots networks amplifies the ward’s capacity to transform youth energy into sustainable community leadership. However, empirical studies and policy reviews indicate that ward committee performance is often inconsistent, marked by uneven representation (particularly low youth participation), irregular meeting frequencies and overreliance on proactive councillors to translate engagement into tangible development outcomes (City of Cape Town, 2021; Western Cape Government, 2021). These structural limitations affect how ward-based initiatives, such as the DAD Programme, can deepen participatory impact beyond occasional events or youth outreach activities. By leveraging the ward’s social vibrancy and institutional support, the Programme seeks to address these gaps and illuminate a pathway for long-term youth empowerment and community engagement.

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

Participant Recruitment and Selection

In 2022, Councillor Eddie Andrews started a plan to get more young people involved in Ward 73’s community development by working with the Hillsong Africa Foundation (HAF), a non-profit group that focuses on youth mentorship and leadership training (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 4). This partnership led to the creation of the Decisions Affect Destinies (DAD) Programme, which aims to empower young residents through structured civic participation and mentorship.

The recruitment process for the DAD programme was carefully planned to be inclusive and transparent. The councillor’s office, along with the Ward 73 Committee and HAF facilitators, reached out through local schools, faith-based youth groups and community networks to find eligible youth aged 16 to 25 years who live in the ward 73 (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 6). They used the City’s community communication channels, social media and ward newsletters to spread the word and they also engaged directly with people during public meetings and youth forums (Hillsong Africa Foundation, 2023). Candidates were chosen based on their interest in civic participation, commitment to leadership development and willingness to do community service. Those who were shortlisted were invited to an introductory workshop led by HAF facilitators and representatives from the councillor’s office. This workshop covered programme expectations, civic responsibility and team building (HAF, 2023). It also served as an informal way to check if the participants were a good fit for the programme’s leadership and social responsibility goals.

The DAD programme was officially included in the City’s Ward Allocation Framework, which connects it to municipal oversight and accountability structures (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 8). The councillor’s office took care of coordination, supervision and regular reporting, making sure the programme worked well with ongoing ward committee activities and budgetary planning processes. Participants and mentors attended Sub-council 20 sessions, watched ward committee meetings, and helped with community-based service initiatives, giving them real-life experience in local governance.

Even though there is no formal data on attendance and outcomes, the programme’s focus on civic engagement has significantly increased youth visibility in ward-level governance spaces and has encouraged a growing culture of accountability and youth participation within local government structures (Constantiaberg Bulletin, 2025, p. 3; City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 9).

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

Participation in the 2025 academic year’s Decisions Affect Destinies (DAD) Programme has shown positive short-term results in Ward 73. The initiative has helped reduce educational resource challenges by providing school materials and creating more opportunities for consistent youth participation in community activities (Constantiaberg Bulletin, 2025, p. 3). According to the City of Cape Town’s Sub-council 20 reports, attendance levels have remained high, and many participants have shown continued engagement throughout the mentorship cycle (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 9).

The programme’s main goals are to increase civic awareness, promote leadership development, and open channels for youth input in ward-level decision-making. While there is no exact data on how many participants attended ward committee meetings or submitted project proposals, the programme’s formal connection to the ward allocation budget gives it credibility and creates potential for youth ideas to be taken seriously in local planning and development discussions (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 8).

Overall, the DAD programme has shown that youth mentorship within ward governance can strengthen citizen participation. By involving young people directly in ward committee activities and community projects, the initiative helps make local governance more inclusive and representative (Hillsong Africa Foundation, 2023). It also demonstrates that when mentorship is formally linked to municipal funding and reporting systems, youth participation can shift from being symbolic to becoming part of the governance process itself.

Traditionally, young people have often been treated as beneficiaries of development programmes rather than as active contributors. The DAD programme model challenges this by giving youth a defined role within the ward’s governance structure — working alongside councillors, sub-council members, and other community representatives (Constantiaberg Bulletin, 2025, p. 3). This approach strengthens the legitimacy and diversity of ward committees by ensuring that youth voices are included in discussions on budgets, service delivery, planning, and community development (Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs [COGTA], 2021).

The statutory role of ward committees, as outlined by COGTA, is to represent community views, take part in local planning and budgeting, and act in the best interests of residents (COGTA, 2021). Youth participation through the DAD programme supports these legal objectives and can lead to more democratic and transparent decision-making at the community level.

Importantly, the DAD programme’s dual focus on leadership development and material support (such as distributing school bags and learning resources) recognises that sustainable civic engagement requires both empowerment and the removal of barriers that limit participation (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 7). This holistic approach increases the likelihood that youth will remain involved in governance activities beyond the duration of the programme.

Since the DAD initiative is funded through the Ward Allocation Grant, it is formally tied to municipal resource allocation and oversight systems (City of Cape Town, 2023, p. 8). This institutional link enhances its legitimacy, accountability, and sustainability. However, for youth participation to become a routine and lasting part of ward governance rather than a short-term project, the ward must introduce permanent structures such as youth sub-committees and regular reporting mechanisms. The literature on ward committees stresses the need for regular meetings, clear representation from different community sectors (including youth) and the proper recording of minutes and reports that feed into municipal performance systems (South African Law Library, 2024). Establishing these processes would ensure that programmes like DAD have lasting effects on democratic participation, accountability, and inclusive local governance.

Analysis and Lessons Learned

The Decisions Affect Destinies (DAD) initiative in Cape Town can be looked at through two complementary theories: Accountability Theory and Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation. These frameworks help us understand how youth involvement, transparency, and participatory governance work at the ward level.

Accountability Theory focuses on how public representatives and institutions are held responsible for their actions, ensuring transparency, responsiveness, and proper use of their authority (Bovens, 2007). According to Bovens (2007, p. 450), “accountability exists when an actor must explain and justify their actions to a forum, which can question, judge and impose consequences”. In local governance, this relationship goes beyond formal reporting to include social accountability, where citizens influence decisions and demand explanations from those in power (Bovens, 2007, pp. 457–458). In the DAD programme, accountability works in two ways. First, there is upward accountability, where the ward councillor must report programme activities, spending, and outcomes through the City of Cape Town’s Ward Allocation Framework, ensuring fiscal and administrative oversight (City of Cape Town, 2023). Second, there is downward accountability, where the councillor and the Hillsong Africa Foundation (HAF), as partners, must answer to the community and youth participants. This includes clear communication about selection processes, programme outcomes, and feedback opportunities. Downward accountability, as Bovens (2007) notes, boosts legitimacy by creating shared responsibility between authorities and citizens, ensuring governance is participatory and responsive. Through these mechanisms, the DAD programme shows how participatory accountability can be part of ward-level governance. By requiring both reporting to municipal authorities and feedback from citizens, the initiative combines formal (institutional) and informal (community-based) accountability structures, an important aspect of democratic local governance (Hillsong Africa Foundation, 2023).

Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (Arnstein, 1969) ranks levels of citizen influence in participatory initiatives, from non-participation (manipulation, therapy) to tokenism (informing, consultation, placation), and finally to citizen power (partnership, delegated power, citizen control). The framework shows how real empowerment means citizens move from being informed to sharing or exercising decision-making authority. In the DAD programme, youth engagement mainly operates at the “Partnership” level on Arnstein’s ladder. Here, collaboration between youth participants, the councillor’s office, and the HAF allows for shared decision-making in structured mentorship, civic education, and community service projects (Constantiaberg Bulletin, 2025). Youth participants help plan activities, implement projects, and engage locally, while municipal representatives provide support and resources. This setup shows a new form of co-governance, where young citizens are not just beneficiaries but active partners in shaping community initiatives.

When viewed together, Accountability Theory and Arnstein’s Ladder show how the DAD initiative promotes participatory accountability, a form of accountability that combines democratic responsiveness with community empowerment. The councillor’s responsiveness to youth feedback, along with clear communication and structured participation, forms what Bovens (2007, p. 463) calls the learning perspective of accountability, where reflection and adaptation improve policy outcomes.

Arnstein’s model, meanwhile, sees the DAD initiative as a transformative participatory process that could evolve toward higher levels of citizen power. If institutionalised for example, by creating youth sub-committees within the Ward 73 Committee or giving youth observer status in sub-council sessions, the programme could move toward “Delegated Power”, where young citizens actively shape ward-level decisions (COGTA, 2021). Ultimately, the DAD programme offers a valuable lesson for participatory governance in South Africa: effective youth inclusion depends not only on creating participation opportunities but also on embedding accountability, transparency and shared authority within institutional frameworks. When participation is combined with genuine accountability mechanisms, initiatives like DAD can contribute to more democratic, inclusive and sustainable local governance.

Recommendations

To maximise the potential of youth and citizen participation in Ward 73 and replicate elsewhere, here are some recommendations:

1. Ensure Youth Representation: Explicitly include a youth sector in the ward committee structure. Nomination, election, and term should align with the City’s Rules for Ward Committees. This creates a permanent channel for youth contributions to planning and budgets.
2. Youth Participation in DAD Programmes: Youth participating in the DAD programme can create proposals (e.g., debating competitions, holiday programmes, first-aid training) that feed into the annual ward allocation process. This deepens the participatory loop between youth and local government.
3. Develop Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms: Implement mechanisms to assess the impact over time, such as attendance, retention, youth proposals, youth-led initiatives, community engagement, and changes in civic knowledge.
4. Encourage Mentorship and Ambassadors: Encourage older youth participants to mentor younger ones or serve as youth ambassadors in ward meetings. This builds internal youth capacity within the ward governance ecosystem.
5. Active Councillor Facilitation: Councillors should actively facilitate the ward committee and youth engagement. Awareness-building among councillors about the importance of youth participation is crucial.
6. Tailor the DAD Model: While other wards can adopt the DAD model, they should tailor it to their local context, considering factors like budget allocation size, local NGOs/partners, youth population, and governance capacity.
7. Document the Ward 73 Case: Document the Ward 73 case (through Participedia and local municipal channels) to aid replication efforts.

References

Arnstein, S.R. (1969). A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), pp.216–224.

Bovens, M. (2007). Analysing and Assessing Public Accountability: A Conceptual Framework. European Law Journal, 13(4), pp.447–468.

Constantiaberg Bulletin City of Cape Town, 2023/24. Budget Annexure 30: Operating and capital ward-allocation projects supported by Sub-councils (Ward allocations list). City of Cape Town Document Centre. (Accessed: 2025). web1.capetown.gov.za

Constantiaberg Bulletin, 2025. Youth programme kids get school bags, stationery. Constantiaberg Bulletin, 14 January 2025. Available at: https://constantiabergbulletin.co.za/news/2025-01-21-youth-programme-kids-get-school-bags-stationery/ (Accessed: 2025). Constantiaberg Bulletin

City of Cape Town, 2021. Ward 73 map. City of Cape Town CouncilHub (Ward Map PDF). (Ward boundaries as released by Municipal Demarcation Board). Available at: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/councilhubonline/assets/Maps/Ward/Ward%2073%20Map.pdf (Accessed: 2025). web1.capetown.gov.za

City of Cape Town, [2021]. Ward profile: Ward 73. City of Cape Town Ward Profiles. Available at: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/councilhubonline/wardprofile?wardid=73 (Accessed: 2025). web1.capetown.gov.za

City of Cape Town. (2022) Ward Allocation Policy and Community-Based Budgeting Framework. Cape Town: City of Cape Town.

City of Cape Town, 2022. Rules for the Election and Establishment of Ward Committees (procedures and guidelines). City of Cape Town Document Centre. (Accessed: 2025). resource.capetown.gov.za DA Councillor Eddie Andrews (Ward 73) — public communications, Facebook posts (2024–2025) showing DAD excursions and ward allocation engagement. Available from Eddie Andrews Facebook page (Accessed: 2025). Facebook+1

DA Councillor Eddie Andrews Ward 73, (2025) .Decision Affects Destinies Tutoring Programme! We had a successful start to our study programme where tutoring support was offered to learners of the D.A.D Ambassadors in Steurhof, during their June 2025 exam [Facebook image]. 12 June. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=701027315871186&set=a.132129569427633 (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). (2021) Ward Committee Handbook. Pretoria: Government Printer.

Hillsong Africa Foundation. (2023) DAD Programme Overview and Recruitment Process Report. Cape Town: HAF.

Republic of South Africa. (2000) Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000. Pretoria: Government Printer.

UCT News, 2018. ‘Ward councillors are key players’ (analysis of ward committee functioning and representation issues). Available at: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2018-10-16-ward-councillors-are-key-players (Accessed: 2025).

WaziMap. (2022) Ward 73 Census Profile: City of Cape Town (Census 2021 Data). OpenUp South Africa. Available at: https://wazimap.co.za (Accessed: 25 October 2025).

Western Cape Government. (2021) Ward Committee Resource Guide. Cape Town: Department of Local Government. Available at: https://resource.capetown.gov.za (Accessed: 25 October 2025).