Why public engagement matters in governance

Consultation and engagement must not be optional but the foundation upon which governance in Zimbabwe is built. Days of career politicians who only pay a visit to the average person’s daily experiences and whose focus is planning for re-election and extending their power reach must come to an end. The role of elected officials must not be to shape rules and public policy to match what politicians think are public interests but to consult society and increase public engagement to get true public interests.

Government must be built on the principles of core ethical standards, socio-political rules and accountability frameworks designed to serve public interest. Safe and accessible spaces must be created for people to shape rules and public policy to address their real needs, and the role of elected officials must be to present those needs to national government.

Political spaces designed by politicians tend to serve one purpose only, that is, expanding the power reach of the wealthy and elite while also building robust protective walls to keep away the average person from meaningful participation. From that privileged zone, the political elite externalise their thoughts of what they perceive to be ‘national problems’. They create political spaces full of assumptions of the needs of the public and everyone acts surprised that real challenges faced by the average person remain unresolved.

In the absence of effective consultation governing bodies make decisions in a vacuum, the result is policies that fail to address the actual needs, nuances, and lived experiences of the people they serve. Matabeleland has been consistent in expressing its dissatisfaction with its marginal role in national politics due to tyranny of the majority Shona constituency.

Active consultation is the bridge that aligns state action with community reality. Zimbabwe needs a progressive political framework that would primarily stop the use of intimidation and fear as tools to manage communities’ expectations and start to create a safe space for dissent against power and immorality, increase and maintain public engagement in governance matters.

Defined as ‘a dynamic interactive process aimed at fostering dialogue between individuals or groups’, engagement is more than just obtaining feedback, it involves a continuous, proactive approach that emphasises participation, collaboration, and incorporation of communities’ insights in the decision-making process.

The engagement process is intended to facilitate a genuine exchange of views with the goal of influencing decisions policies or programmes.

To foster meaningful and sustained engagement, the tool of choice will be ‘The Triangle of Engagement’ process which revolves around three interconnected elements:

Informing decisions – providing opportunities for communities to contribute/influence the decision-making processes.
Strengthening relationships – building new relationships and/or improving relationships with the communities.
Building Capacity – to educate the communities on a specific themes or issues to increase knowledge or change behaviours.

Why participatory governance matters

Gathers Local Expertise: Communities understand their own challenges better than distant policymakers. Effective consultation ensures community’s actual daily routines are mapped, and policy decisions align with public interest and prevents wastage of resources.
Builds Trust: Transparent consultation prevents degradation of trust, stops politicians from writing their own performance reports, fosters civic trust and reduces institutional friction.
Prevents Blind Spots: Inclusion ensures that decisions do not overlook the unique cultural, financial, or physical barriers faced by marginalised minority groups.
Improves Compliance: When communities do not feel “governed at” but partnered with, public trust increases. This leads to civic engagement, support and increased compliance with public policies they helped shape.

Barriers to effective consultation

Tokenism: “Tick in box” public hearings that happen after decisions have already been made.
Inaccessibility: Holding meetings at times or locations that working-class residents cannot attend and/ or using overly bureaucratic language.
Inaccessible Communication Formats: Relying solely on specific formal languages instead of multiple languages, communication formats – online surveys, which excludes elderly, low-income, or rural populations.

How Real Consultation Works

Proactive outreach: Meeting people where they are such as in community centres, places of worship, or digital spaces instead of expecting them to attend formal town halls.
Beyond Voting: People do not just directly vote on how to spend a portion of public money, they help shape laws and community projects through regular talks, public meetings, and online tools.
Hybrid Model: It works alongside traditional systems, combining the choice of leaders with direct public input. Randomly selected members of the community study an issue, listen to experts, and suggest new rules.
Local Focus: It is often used for community issues, local budgets, and regional planning.
Closing the feedback loop: Showing the community exactly how their input changed the final decision, which proves their voices mattered.

Conclusion

Informed public engagement and honest government consultation are core to good governance. An ongoing two-way engagement between the governing and the governed gives people the opportunity to influence and inform the decision-making process and make them aware of the level of service they should expect to receive.