3.13 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
3.13.3 SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
SPATIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
o Connectivity to the provincial spatial system.
o The towns within the ZDM area are considered as Provincial Tertiary Nodes, namely Ulundi, Vryheid, and Pongola.
o Relatively good land use management system in Vryheid, eDumbe, and Phongola Towns.
o The southern, south-western, and northern corridors along the ZDM boundaries, have been demarcated as provincial “Priority Conservation Areas”.
o Conservation/ protected areas of provincial significance.
o Wetlands of national significance in eDumbe, Abaqulusi and uPhongolo.
o Three major provincial rivers that runs through the district.
o Low density rural settlement.
o Unplanned relatively high- density rural settlements.
o Lack of spatial planning and land use management in rural areas.
o Population density below provincial average.
o Underutilised commercial agricultural land transferred to the land reform beneficiaries.
o Encroachment of settlements onto commercial agricultural land.
o Poor access to land management information by Izinduna which results in poorly located settlements.
o Underdevelopment in rural settlements.
o Undulating topography.
o Underutilised agricultural land.
o Inadequate capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters.
o Settlements located in environmentally sensitive areas.
o Mining areas not that ae not rehabilitated.
o Established economic centres.
o Provincial roads (corridors) that runs through the district.
o Good agricultural land with high production potential.
o Existing towns.
o Good to High Potential Agricultural land exists in the north-western parts of the Municipal Area.
o 58% of remaining vegetation in the district is classified as endangered.
o Imfolozi Catchment does not have a dam.
o There are numerous protected areas in the ZDM that offer tourism and economic opportunities.
o Spatial separation between towns and huge rural settlements.
o Further concentration of economic opportunities in major cities and secondary towns.
o Unresolved land issues.
o Deterioration of dense rural settlements into peri urban.
o Land degradation due to unmanaged growth of settlement and untoward agricultural practises.
o Poor catchment management o Climate change.
o Alien and invasive species.
MUNICIPAL TRANSFORMATION & ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
o Political stability.
o Well-functioning Executive
o Vacant posts.
o Unautomated Performance
o Local government support programmes.
o Political instability (poor cooperation among and within
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Committee, Portfolio committees
and other EXCO and Council structures.
o All top-management posts are filled.
o MTAS in place.
o Electronic Records Management System (EDMS) since 2006.
o Approved organogram.
o Functional GIS section.
o Planning Shared Services in place.
o Stable workforce particularly management
o Low staff vacancy and turnover rate.
o All management policies are in place and are implemented effectively.
o Information technology systems.
Management System. o District Based approach to the delivery of basic services.
o Local government training programmes.
o Advancement in information technology.
political parties).
o Movement of skilled personnel to urban municipalities.
o Lack of support from national and provincial government.
SERVICE DELIVERY
o Well-developed Water Services Development Plan.
o Established Water Services Authority function.
o Bulk Regional Water Schemes.
o Waste disposal sites in major towns.
o Relatively good road network with good gravel and paved roads.
o Relatively high-water services backlog, especially in rural areas.
o Poor quality of ground and surface water in certain areas.
o Inadequate maintenance the existing infrastructure.
o Relatively high sanitation backlog.
o Relatively high electricity backlog.
o Poor road access in deep
o Grant funding from the national government.
o ESKOM as a generator and supplier of electricity.
o Regional roads that runs through the district.
o Good road linkages between and within different municipalities.
o Ulundi airport.
o Withdrawal of funding for bulk infrastructure.
o Deterioration in the condition of gravel roads.
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS isolated rural settlements.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
o Established commercial centres in each local municipality.
o Established agricultural sector.
o Tourist destinations of national significance.
o Extensive timber plantations.
o Maize and sugar cane processing.
o Good access to schools.
o Existing social facilities such as hospitals.
o Low contribution to the provincial economy.
o Concentration of the district economy in Ulundi and Vryheid.
o Lack of investment and job opportunities in rural areas.
o Dependence on community services.
o Communities that access schools and clinics beyond a 5km radius.
o Relatively high poverty level.
o Income inequality.
o Low human development index.
o High mortality (child) rate.
o High agricultural potential.
o Coal mining
o Heritage and eco-tourism.
o Processing of various agricultural products.
o Large growing Population.
o Coal mining.
o Existing TVET Colleges.
o Satellite campus of one of the universities in the province.
o Technological advancement.
o Mechanisation of the agricultural sector.
o Exposure to international markets and trade.
o Diseases.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND MANAGEMENT
o Established financial management system.
o Ability to spend grant funding.
o Ability to account for expenditure.
o Going concern.
o Financial management systems and policies.
o Reliance on grant funding.
o Low revenue generation capacity.
o Audit results.
o Grant funding.
o
o Withdrawal of conditional grant funding.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
o Functional council and its structures.
o Functional Audit and Risk Management Committee
o Comprehensive IT security policy
o District intergovernmental relations structures requires revival.
o Some dysfunctional war rooms.
o Public participation structures
o Support from provincial and national government.
o Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
o Poor cooperation among and within political parties.
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS in place to minimize the risk of
errors, fraud and the loss of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
o Numerous organizational arrangements are in place for the IDP preparation process.
o Functional shared services centre and JMPT.
o IDP and budget are approved on time each year.
o Performance Management System.
o Governance policies are in place.
o Well established supply chain system.
require re-establishment.
4 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
The ZDM has formulated her long-term development strategy within the context of a suite of local government legislation; national development agenda; and the provincial development programme. The strategy responds directly to the development issues facing the ZDM and seeks to reposition the district to cease opportunities the outside environment presents, defend the gains of the recent years, and withstand challenges that may arise at any given time.