Ideological objectives underpinning imbizo as a model of communication and governance

Abstract

In 2001, the South African government adopted an imbizo (plural: izimbizo) as a model ofcommunication. Imbizo is a Zulu word for a traditional community gathering called by the chief tosolve pertinent community issues. The word imbizo has its variants in many African languagesin South Africa, e.g. pit o in Sepedi, kgotla in Setswana and Sesotho. In African indigenouscommunities, imbizo is used as a platform to resolve pertinent community challenges throughhonest engagement between the subjects and leadership. In this article, the ideological nuancesof the government’s decision in 2001 to appropriate imbizo as a model of communication andgovernance are explored. It is argued that, at face value, imbizo is presented by government asa communication and governance model to deepen participatory democracy and public participationespecially for the poor. It is argued in this article that the government’s appropriated imbizo appearsto be used to deepen the ideological positions of the government and ruling party, the AfricanNational Congress (ANC) amongst the masses. It is further argued in this article that an imbizois used by government of South Africa for the attainment of four interrelated ideological objectives.• It is a vehicle to advance the political strategy of the ANC.• It is used as an expression of the African Renaissance paradigm.• Imbizo expresses the ideology of African unity.• It is used as a manifestation of participatory democracy