Local Economic Development

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT - Local Economic Development

Staff

Deputy Director: Local Economic Development

Mr. B. Sibiya

Mr B. Sibiya.

Local Economic Development Unit is a directorate in the Community Development.

DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY:

Facilitate:
Facilitate and, where relevant, lead the implementation of local economic development through ensuring appropriate institutional capacity is created on the District level.

Guide / Enable:
Providing guidance in terms of the direction that local economic development should take.

Link / Coordinate (through integrated development planning):
Ensuring that the activities within the various local municipalities and the activities of external stakeholders are linked and coordinated.

Intelligence:
Providing "intelligence" (appropriate information) in support of local economic development initiatives.

Promote:
Continuing to promote local economic development as a core strategy of the District and Local Municipalities.

Market:
Developing and implementing a competent marketing / public relation programme for the District.

Support:
Providing support to local municipalities in the implementation of local economic development.

Fund:
Providing funding for strategic infrastructure projects which will open up opportunities for local economic development.

Monitor:
Establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring the successful implementation of local economic development.

LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES:

Link / Coordinate (through integrated development planning):
Linking and coordinating the activities of stakeholders in local economic development on a local municipality level.

Promote:
Promoting the implementation of local economic in line with the District Strategy.

Support:
Providing support to entrepreneurs (established and emerging), communities and investors in the establishment of new business or ventures.

Market:
Providing support to the District in developing and implementing the district marketing / public relations programme and where necessary developing complementary programmes for the local municipality deemed.

Implement:
Being actively involved in the implementation of local economic development projects in its area of jurisdiction.

Monitor:
Establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring the successful implementation of local economic development. This information is to be linked to the District Monitoring system.

COMMUNITIES:

Identification:
Continuing to identify viable opportunities for economic development in the local context and promoting such opportunities with local government.

Support:
Providing support for local economic development initiatives to be implemented in the local area.

Participate:
Actively participating in local economic development initiatives in the local area.

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS / INSTITUTIONS:

Fund:
Providing funding support for the implementation of strategic local economic development and related projects, as well as funding for research and project packaging.

Support:
Providing human resource capacity and management support for the implementation of local economic development.

INVESTORS:

Implement:
Implementing projects, with a specific focus on those projects that are of a strategic nature.

Initiate:
Initiate new projects and secure resources and partners for realisation.

FUNDING AGENCIES:

Fund:
Making funding available for local economic development and related projects in Zululand.

Monitor:
Monitor and evaluate the efficacy of LED initiatives.

NGOs:

It has been noted that the presence of NGOs in the Zululand District Municipality are limited. The District acknowledges the important future role of NGOs in local economic development and it will therefore endeavor to attract NGOs to the area that will support its efforts in economic development. The potential roles of NGOs in economic development include:

Implement:
Implementing projects, with a specific focus on those projects that are of a strategic nature.

Support:
Providing support to communities in becoming involved in local economic development.

Initiate:
Initiate new projects and secure resources and partners for realisation.

OTHER AGENCIES / INSTITUTIONS:

Traditional Leaders:
All projects initiated and undertaken in traditional authority areas require the support and active participation of traditional leaders during all phases of the process from initiation through to implementation and operation. Traditional leaders will fulfill an important role in specifically:

Identifying and initiating projects / activities within their areas;
Ensuring the support of the wider community for the initiative;
Making land available for the initiative; and
Monitoring the implementation of the initiative.

Tourism Associations:
The tourism associations are viewed as an integral part of the tourism infrastructure in the District. The tourism associations will continue to provide networking and linkaging services for the tourism industry. The associations should be encouraged to take on a greater developmental role in future.

District Agricultural Council:
The District Agricultural Council (DAC) and farmers' associations are viewed as an integral part of the agriculture infrastructure in the District. The DAC and farmers' associations will continue to provide networking and linkaging services for the tourism industry. It is, however, envisaged that the DAC and associations will be encouraged to take on a greater developmental role in future.

Business Organisations/Forums:
The existing business organisations are viewed as an integral part of the business infrastructure in the District. The organisations will continue to provide networking and linkaging services for the tourism industry. It is, however, envisaged that the organisations will be encouraged to take on a greater developmental role in future.

Civic institutions:
Civic institutions such as churches, civic associations, ratepayers groups and others will be encouraged to fulfill a greater role in local economic development. Civic institutions can fulfill a number of roles in promoting local economic development, viz.

Disseminating information relating to District and Local Municipality policies and strategies regarding economic development;
Building the capacity of members to become involved in local economic development;
Identify and fund local economic development initiatives, etc.

THE STRATEGIES

The objective of developing a strategy is to create focus aimed at achieving maximum impact. In the corporate business environment strategies are referred to as "long range plans for the effective management of environmental opportunities and threats in the light of corporate weaknesses and strengths".
The strategies developed in this section present the plan of action proposed by the district for achieving the vision and objectives as established in previous sections.

Four categories of strategies, in line with approach adopted in the setting up of the Siyaphambili programme, have been identified, viz.

Overall district strategies:
These strategies are general and the implementation thereof will, to a greater or lesser extent, impact on the development of all sectors of the economy;

Business strategies:
Considering the approaches to the development of the business sector which includes the following sectors: industry, commerce, construction, transport and mining;

Agriculture strategies:
Focusing on the development of the agricultural sector; and

Tourism strategies:
Focusing on the development of the tourism sector.

A comprehensive list of the strategies developed is provided below, however, all the strategies can be summarized in terms of the six district strategies. The overall district strategies are:

DISTRICT STRATEGIES

1. Establishing LED institutions and processes
2. Changing attitudes
3. Addressing the fundamentals
4. Raising the profile of the region
5. Improving and Promoting Access
6. Visible Delivery

The sector specific strategies relate to the above District strategies and include:

BUSINESS STRATEGIES

1. Institutional structuring for delivery
2. Capacity building and training
3. Establishing/building agri-industries
4. Establishing small scale mining
5. Municipal business strategies

AGRICULTURE STRATEGIES

1. Institutional structuring for agricultural delivery
2. Sustainable land reform
3. Improved market access for agricultural produce
4. Visible delivery in agricultural sector
5. Municipal agricultural strategies

TOURISM STRATEGIES

1. Institutional structuring for tourism
2. Tourist information inside the District
3. Tourist information outside the District
4. Making tourists feel safe and welcome
5. Community tourism
6. Visible tourism delivery
7. Municipal tourism strategies

Each of the identified strategies are discussed on the sheets that follow under the headings:

Status Quo,

The Objective,

The Components,

The stakeholders,

Linked Strategies; and

Projects.

Institutional (link with the municipal and IDP processes)

The Local Economic Development Forum forms part of the overarching Institutional structure of the IDP Process. Apart from sharing information on future economic activities, the purpose of the forum is to jointly agree on a direction and guidance with all stakeholders and experts in the field of economic development in the district.

Sub-forums under the Local Economic Development Forum include Tourism and the recently established General Business and Agricultural forums.

Achievements of the LED Directorate

Ukuzakha Nokuzenzela Program - this programme was established to assist the pro-poor communities within the District. ZDM is assisting the organized groups through ward Councillors. There are five tractors that are ploughing the fields for the communities and seeds are given.
P700 Local Area Development Plan - Master Plan developed and under implementation.
Tourism Training - all tourism Officers were trained.
LED Awareness Programme - the awareness was conducted throughout the District.
Cengeni Gate Community Tourism Project - Business Plan was developed, trying to secure a private partner for the implementation.
Development of Mona Market and Nguni Cattle - Business Plan was developed.
Phongola Private Public Partnership - Business Plan was developed.
Nongoma Poultry Project - Business Plan was developed
Louwsberg Agro-processing Initiative - Business Plan was developed
Distcrict Nursery Expansion
Ulundi Tourism Hub - the project is under implementation
P700 Infrastructure Corridor Development - Phase I (detail Planning) has been completed and Phase II will follow (actual Implementation)
Cengeni Gate (entrance to Imfolozi Hluhluwe Park) will be completed by the end of June 2010.