Bringing in the rural core

^{SOWING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS: Members of the Ogunjini Club project going about their daily duties Picture: KEN MCHUNU}

The rural areas of eThekwini were selected as one of the five areas where the Area Based Management (ABM) approach can be piloted within the eThekwini Municipality.

The ABM Programme is a partnership between the eThekwini Municipality and the European Union - an institutional mechanism through which the delivery of services can be focused within key areas of the Municipality.

The rural project areas comprises those areas north, west and south of Durban, and includes the periurban areas along the N2 and N3 corridors.

These areas include mainly those incorporated with the demarcation of the Unicity in year 2000, which meant that 67% of the city’s spatial footprint is now “rural” in character. This translates to about 1 500 km and a population of approximately 600 000.

These areas are characterised by factors such as little or no municipal services; fragmented service delivery by government; high levels of poverty and diseases; low levels of sustainable income and economic opportunities and potential to erode key natural asset resources.

Key stakeholders groups include 17 Traditional Authority structures, 32 Municipal Councillors and civic organisations.

The study area is largely defined by its geo-spatial features – dispersed pattern of settlement in traditional dwelling structures, and communal land holdings under the Ingonyama Trust – and its physical characteristics – located on the periphery of the EMA and dominated by rugged, hilly terrain.

The programme objective is: “The development and management of rural areas that are fully integrated within the metropolitan context, making a valuable economic and social contribution based on their distinctive character and assets and through systems that are sustainable, affordable and appropriate.”

Key strategic outcomes

Three main outcomes with associated strategies were derived from this overall objective and these are:

Outcome One
Rural households enjoy greater access to a range of sustainable, affordable and appropriate basic services through the re-orientation of delivery systems and the improved spatial location of these services.

This outcome is focused on the need to develop alternative approaches to the delivery of basic services that are people-centred, pro-poor and orientated towards supporting and enhancing existing systems and local initiatives.

Strategies in this regard are:
• Strengthen and re-orientate delivery through research and training
• Facilitate access to safe and affordable infrastructure (services and social facilities)
• Facilitate sustainable land use management through the support of existing land management and allocation systems, land reform and appropriate spatial planning.

Outcome Two
Economic livelihoods of rural households are enhanced. This recognises that the livelihoods strategies of poor rural households need to be supported and enhanced, particularly through expanding the range of income-generating opportunities
that are available to them.

Strategies are:
• Facilitate access to income generating opportunities and social grants
•Manage environmental resources to secure sustainable rural livelihoods

Outcome Three
Systems of governance in rural areas are improved. This recognises that governance systems accommodate a wide range of stakeholders – traditional leaders, councillors, municipal officials and civil society – and effective institutional arrangements and development processes will require considerable capacity building, empowerment and participation.

Institutional co-ordination is also essential to facilitate service delivery alignment and integration.

Improved governance requires the following strategies:
• Capacitate and integrate civil society and traditional leadership for active involvement in governance
• Facilitate institutional coordination among key government departments, traditional leadership and Community Based Organisations to ensure that integrated and appropriate service delivery takes place.