Using mobile phones for public participation with local government in Cape Town

Although governments around the world have welcomed the idea of promoting interactions with citizens during their process of decision-making, research has indicated that fear, the level of trust in the government, and privacy are among the reasons for reluctance and apathy from citizens towards interacting with their government. This study aims to determine the extent to which trust, expectancy, social influence, and incentives will influence mobile interaction with the government. A survey approach was used to sample Capetonians about mobile participation with their local government. Results indicate that respondents were not willing to participate in their local government because they did not trust the government to protect their privacy. However, respondents were willing to use their mobile phones to report damaged infrastructure or service delivery issues. From the various incentives that were suggested, benefit to the community was a popular choice. Recommendations for promoting mobile participation include introducing non-monetary incentives as well as mobile applications that will provide the user with convenience, cost efficiency, and an assurance of their privacy.