Abstract:
The process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims at identifying the significant
environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposed project before a decision is
made of whether a project should commence. The Public Participation Process (PPP)
should occur throughout all phases of an EIA process and forms an integral part of
successful EIAs. It allows for input from stakeholders and subsequently contributes to
sustainable development. This process is however often viewed as a “box-ticking” exercise
negatively impacting the intended effectiveness thereof. This study therefore aimed to
assess the perceived effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes of the Matseke
filling station project in the Capricorn District of Limpopo from the perspective of various key
stakeholders. The study was descriptive and exploratory in nature and a qualitative research
approach was considered pragmatic. Two key informant interviews were undertaken with
the environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) and government official that was involved
in the EIA processes. Furthermore, a total of 16 Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs)
were identified to participate in the study. Different methods of qualitative analyses were
used to analyse the objectives of this study. The methods include thematic analysis and
descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies. The Statistical Package for
Social Science (SPSS) version 24.0 software was used to analyse the data. The study
findings show that the identified I&APs indicated that they were not involved in project
planning and design. It further shows that only one I&AP commented during the process.
Education, language, gender and methods of communication were identified as key factors
in determining level and effectiveness of public participation processes. The study
recommends that potential I&APs need to be educated by EAPs and government officials
as to the role they play in ensuring effective public participation
