Developing%20Rural%20Economies%20in%20South%20Africa

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Developing Rural Economies in South Africa

• By
• Dr Maria Motebang
• Presented at INCA Summer School Oct 2005
• Litsebi Consultants (Pty) Ltd

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1. Outline

• Defining rural development
• Approaches to Rural Devt
• History of RD in SA
• RD Policy framework
• The ISRDS/P
• Challenges
• Way forward

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2. Defining Rural Development

• Multifaceted attempts aimed at improving the
  provision of services infrastructure
• Increasing opportunities for income generation
• Local economic development
• Active representation in political processes
• Social cohesion
• security

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3. Approaches in Rural Development

• Community Development
• Integrated Rural Development
• Basic Needs
• Public Participation

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4. History of RD in SA

• Aimed at promoting minimum living standards
  (Homelands)
• Uniqueness of rural population in SA high density
  population and dislocated settlement
• Migration has resulted in a high level of
  interdependence btn rural communities and large
  cities
• Estimated at 51

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5. Rural Devt Policy Framework

• RDP
• GEAR
• Rural Development Strategy 1995
• Rural Development Framework 1997
• Rural Development Initiative

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6. The ISRDS

• Launched in 2001
• Creative and ambitious attempt to address
  institutional weaknesses
• Deepen the impact of delivery
• Bolster local capacity for participation
• The core tool for delivery is the IDP

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Vision

• To attain socially cohesive and stable rural
  communities with viable institutions, sustainable
  economies and universal access to social
  amenities, able to attract and retain skilled and
  knowledgeable people who are equipped to
  contribute to growth and development

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6.1 Framework for Delivery
Framework for delivery
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
LONG RANGE PLANNING
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
CO-ORDINATION OF DELIVERY
STAKEHOLDER MOBILISATION
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6.2 Implementation Phases

• Phase 1 2001-2003 The pilot phase and evaluation
• Phase 2 2003-2005 Implementation and Medium Term
  Review
• Phase 3 2005-2010 upscale, full implementation
  and exit strategy for external agencies

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6.3 Coordinating Institutions

• DPLG
• The IDT
• The Inter-departmental Task Team
• Provincial IDTT
• Political Champions
• Provincial Government

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7. Performance so far

• ISRDP has all the essential elements of IRD
• The challenge is to ensure that decentralization,
  planning, resource definition and peoples
  participation are met
• Some of these elements are sometimes sacrificed
  for the sake of accelerated delivery

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8. Challenges

• Structural requirements Land Reform
• Lack of understanding of the ISRDP inefficient
  coordinating mechanism
• Prioritization Re-orientating/ ruralizing IDPs
  LEDs
• Capacity
• Peoples participation and stakeholder
  mobilization.

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8.1 Ruralizing IDPs

• Pro-active rural saving schemes
• Mindset shift in IDPs
• Less industrialised but more agro-based
• Engaging traditional leadership
• More labour based activities
• Activities that will increase productivity

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8.2 Agro-based economies

• LED
• Natural resource based tourism
• Twining of tourism endeavours
• Improved rural lending schmes
• Accelerated water resource management for
  agriculture
• IRAP (Integrated Rural Access Plans)
• Agri-based stakeholder mobilization

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8.3 Local Institutional Capacity Building
Municipal capacity

• Support Community Based Devt Planning
• Use of CDWs
• Conduct municipal capacity audit
• Short term training in rural development

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9. Conclusion

• There are fewer rural based and driven
  initiatives taking place
• Emphasis has been on infrastructure services
  that not necessarily devtal
• For SD to occur there has to be a balance in both
  rural and urban growth