‘I participate through suffering’: Rethinking community participation in Local Economic Development in Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa

Local Economic Development (LED) in South Africa is often framed as a participatory and inclusive strategy aimed at addressing unemployment and inequality. However, in practice, participation tends to be procedural rather than transformative. This study investigates the experiences of community participation in LED within Phuthaditjhaba, a peripheral urban centre in the Free State province. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including municipal officials, non-profit organisations, and community members. The findings reveal that participation is hindered by limited access to information, weak alignment between LED initiatives and local needs, fragmented stakeholder coordination, and persistent service delivery failures. Instead of fostering meaningful engagement, participation is often perceived as symbolic, burdensome, and exclusionary, with minimal impact on decision-making. The study introduces the concept of ‘participation through suffering’ to highlight how communities remain involved in development processes that demand compliance without delivering substantial economic benefits. The article argues that without addressing underlying power dynamics, institutional capacity, and locally rooted planning processes, participatory LED frameworks are likely to reinforce exclusion rather than promote inclusive development.