Contextualising the National Development Plan for enhanced service delivery: considerations for planning in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

English: Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) are the planning instruments directed at strategies for enhancing service delivery in local government. As a consequence, capacity initiatives are driven by these plans to address prioritised developmental needs. The key to establishing such initiatives is informed by the National Development Plan (NDP). This Plan changed the planning regime in South Africa, culminating in a comprehensive planning hierarchy for local, provincial and national spheres of government. In light thereof, the paper theoretically examines the alignment of planning work procedures in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in ensuring that development planning is ‘on track’. To this end, the KZN Provincial Planning Commission (PPC) developed a Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) aligned with the National Plan. It follows then that District Municipalities formulated a District Growth and Development Plan (DGDP) with the same time horizon as the National Plan leading to 2030. Municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) then become instruments to implement the Provincial Strategy in five-year periods. Against the background of action-based Batho-Pele Principles as necessary determinants, key issues may be addressed, whilst contextualising long-term development planning and implementation as the NDP-PGDP-IDP praxis. Cumulatively, planners in KZN must respond to this new plan hierarchy innovatively by integrating and aligning with the NDP at other planning levels in an ethical, accountable and socially responsible manner addressing poverty, inequality and unemployment. The article concludes that the trajectory of development planning in KZN is strategically linked to national and long-term initiatives and work procedures for enhanced service delivery.

Afrikaans: Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsplanne (GOPPE) is die beplanninginstrumente wat strategieë vir die bevordering van dienslewering op plaaslike regeringsvlak bevat. Gevolglik word kapasiteitsinitiatiewe deur hierdie planne uiteengesit om geprioritiseerde ontwikkelingsbehoeftes aan te spreek. Die sleutel vir die totstandbring van sulke inisiatiewe is in die Nasionale Onwikkelingsplan (NOP) te vinde. Die Plan het die beplanningsraamwerk in Suid-Afrika verander om sodoende ’n omvattende beplanningshiërargie vir plaaslike, provinsiale en nasionale regeringsvlakke daar te stel. Teen hierdie agtergrond, teoretiseer die artikel oor die belyning van beplanningswerksprosedures in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) om te verseker dat ontwikkelingsbeplanning ‘op die regte spoor is’. Gevolglik het die KwaZulu-Natalse Provinsiale Beplanningskommissie (PBK) ’n Provinsiale Groei- en Ontwikkelingstrategie (PGOS) ontwikkel, wat in lyn is met die nasionale plan. Dit word gevolg deurdat distriksmunisipaliteite Distriksgroei- en Ontwikkelingsplanne (DGOPe) opgestel het, wat dieselfde tydshorison van 2030 het as dié van die NOP. Die instrumente om die DGOPe te implementer, is die GOPPE van munisipaliteite, wat ’n vyf jaar lewensduur het. Teen die agtergrond van noodsaaklike aksie-gedrewe Batho Pelebeginsels kan sleutelvraagstukke binne die langtermyn beplanning en implementering van die NOP-DGOP-GOP raamwerk aangespreek word. Beplanners in KZN moet innoverend en gesamentlik op hierdie nuwe beplanningshiërargie reageer deur integrering en belyning met die NOP op alle beplanningsvlakke op ’n etiese, toerekeningsvatbare en sosiaal verantwoordelike manier om sodoende armoede, ongelykheid en werkloosheid aan te spreek. Die artikel sluit af met die gevolgtrekking dat die ontwikkelingstrajek van ontwikkelingsbeplanning in KZN strategies met die nasionale en langtermyn inisiatiewe en werksprosedures vir verbeterde dienslewering verbind is.

SeSotho: Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) ndi zwishumiswa zwo pikwaho ukhwinisa ndisedzo yatshumelao nga mivhuso yapo. Ngauralo, dzithandela dza umandafhadza dzi ndisedwa nga idzi plane hu uitela u fhelisa thodea dza mveledziso dzo tiwaho. Zwihulwane u tumbulwani ha idzothandela, ndi khwathisedzo ibvaho kha Plane Khulu ya Afrika Tshipembe(NDP) ine yoshandukisa ndila yau pulana Afrika Tshipembe. Hezwo zwotou tutuwedza ngau angaredza mitevhe yavhupulani ineyavha mivhuso yapo, ya vundu naya ntha ha ya vundu. Ngau dodombedza, heyi gandiso ithathuvha vhutumani ha ndila dza vhupulani kha vundu la KwaZulu-Natal ukhwathisedza uri vhupulani ha mvelaphanda vhukhou bvelaphanda. Uswika zwino, khomishini ya vhupulani ya vundu la KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) yo bveledzisa plane ya u alusa vundu (PGDS) yo di sendekaho nga pulane khulwane ya Afrika Tshipembe. Itevhelwa nga pulane dzamivhuso ya ntha yapo (DGDP) yobadekanwaho na pulane khulwane yo pimelwaho uswika nga nwaha wa 2030. Pulane dza mivhuso yapo (IDPs) ngauraro dzi vha zwishumiswa zwau implimentha pulane ya vundu nga minwaha mitanu(5). Hezwo azwi ngo thudzela kule dzi tenwa zwa Batho-Pele saizwi zwi tshi tandulula dzikhaedu khulwane nau dzeula pulane ya tshifinga tshilapfu ya mveledziso na u implimenthwa ha NDP-PGDP-IDP. Ngauralo, vhapulani vha KZN tevhela mitevhe iyo ngavhukoni, tanganyisa, na u ubadekanya kha mivhuso yothe ya Afrika tshpembe ngaufhulufhedzea, udzhiela zhele na vhudifhinduleli tshitshavhani. Zwothe zwi kwinisa vhushayi, ndinganyiso, nau shayiwa ha mishumo sa zwo tiwaho nga pulane ya tshifhinga tshilapfu. Heyi gandiso ikhunyeledza ngauri, mutalambalo wa vhupulani ha mbvela phanda KZN ho dzudzanyea nau badekanywa na dzi thandela dza khulwane na maitele a u khinisa ndisedzo ya tshumelo.