Die proses van geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsbeplanning (GOB) van die Ngwathe munisipaliteit : 'n kritiese evaluering

Abstract

South Africa's first democratic government, elected in 1994, faced a series of challenges. Seemingly the most urgent of these has been the addressing of the inequalities created by the previous political dispensation. A solution thereof has been the re-conceptualisation of the state, with specific reference to local government, as an instrument for sustainable development. The Constitution (108/1996) has assigned local government with a transformation and development mandate. Local government must not only seek to provide services to all our citizens but to be fundamentally developmental in orientation. In this respect integrated development planning is regarded as an important tool for bridging the gap between the current development reality and the vision of equitable and sustainable development and service delivery. Integrated development planning has theoretically the potential to become a driving force for the transformation of municipalities to more strategic, inclusive, democratic, responsive and developmental government institutions. This study was undertaken to determine the manner in which this potential was realised in practice. It is within this context that the Ngwathe Local Municipality provides an interesting case study. The evaluation has established that this municipality has not transformed fundamentally with regard to an integrated development planning process. In this respect it is concluded that the transformation and development mandate is being forced upon municipalities without preparing them for this task. A few recommendations to rectify the situation are made.