S USTAINABILITY
S PATIAL V ISION & O BJECTIVES
C URRENT S PATIAL F ORM
P ROPOSED S PATIAL F ORM
Hubs and Corridors Key investment hubs and activity corridors for the cluster over the next 5 years have been identified.
A CCESS / S PATIAL S USTAINABILITY - I NDICATORS
E CONOMIC S USTAINABILITY - I NDICATORS
A LIGNMENT
I NSTITUTIONAL C APACITY – M ANAGEMENT OF THE SDMP
Primary node in the municipality ii. Impendle City is an integral part of the wider Impendle Management Area iii. Focus on residential, service, tourism and retail development in the city and on less visible residential development and agriculture in the rest of the management area iv. Encouraging a mix of low-, middle- and upper-income residential developments on the west side of the existing city center v. Connect the residential and commercial area of the city with the surrounding landscape: maintain the green belt from the city to the mountain in the west vi .
Identify opportunities for small-scale processing and manufacturing (eg sawmill and carpentry) north of the town center with a to the main road vii. Promote the establishment of a retail complex on the north-eastern side of the town viii. Connect the retail area with a tourism node to the east of the commercial area. It should border the main road with convenient hospitality outlets and small retail facilities for curio sales. ix.
The area to the east of the road should remain green belt to preserve the town's rural views and maintain the appeal of the landscape to pass through the area. Identified as a management area for the impact of the national highway, service links with Stepmore-Mqatsheni, links between Stoffelton-Ntwasahlobo and the 3 interchange at the entrance to the area from Impendle ii. Exchange between national and local transport networks iii. Planned development around existing centers in Stoffelton and Ntwasahlobo v.Focus on protection of high value land vi.
Future development in Ntwasahlba is mainly agriculture (livestock and smallholder farming), processing, services and accommodation viii. Future development at the three-way intersection, tourism opportunities ix. Keep the low-density rural settlement as rural in management area x. Define the urban edge first around the management area and then around the Stoffelton-Ntwasahlobo junction. Focus on livestock and high value small scale agricultural production to take advantage of climate and location iv.
Motivating alternative technology options for domestic energy, housing and essential services v. Potential inclusion of high tourism focus on nature in the area.
F INANCIAL C APACITY
What would be the cost to households of greater incidence of illness (medical costs, lost productivity costs) as a result of having to use contaminated water. What would it cost the municipalities to supply all rural and urban households with network sewer systems. What would it cost rural households to replace firewood with paraffin or anthracite for cooking and heating.
What will it cost the economy to have to generate all new jobs only in the manufacturing sector (while leaving the cheaper jobs in tourism and agriculture). What would be the cost to rural and urban households if food production was not possible within the municipality. What will be the travel costs for rural households to have access to alternative leisure facilities.
What will be the cost to build and maintain recreational facilities for the communities within these related municipalities. What will be the cost to the municipal economy if access roads regularly flood and bridges are washed away?
P ROJECTS
P HASING S TRATEGY – S TRATEGIC P ROJECTS
M ONITORING I MPLEMENTATION
The government has a constitutional obligation to provide basic services to all citizens (for example, water, energy, health care and educational facilities), wherever they live. Apart from the constitutional obligation described in Principle 2 above, public expenditure on investment in fixed assets should be directed to places of economic growth and/or economic potential, to stimulate private sector investment, foster sustainable economic activities and create job opportunities in the create long term. In places where there is both a high poverty rate and demonstrated economic potential, this may also include investment in fixed capital that goes beyond basic services to tap the potential of those places.
In places with low economic potential, government should focus primarily on human capital development through education and training, social transfers such as grants, and poverty reduction programs in addition to providing basic services. It should also reduce migration costs by providing information on the labor market to give people better information, opportunities and capacities, so that they are attracted - if they want to - to places more likely to offer sustainable employment and economic opportunities. To overcome the spatial distortions of apartheid, future opportunities for settlement and economic development must be channeled into activity corridors and nodes adjacent to or connecting key growth centers.
Infrastructure investment should primarily support places that will become key growth hubs in South Africa and the SADC region to create regional gateways to the global economy. The NSDP principles are specifically aimed at focusing government action and investment, avoiding the so-called 'watering can' approach and enabling the developing state to achieve maximum social and economic impact within the context of limited resources. While it may seem that government spending on economic infrastructure is being directed to areas with some potential for economic development, it would seem that many other areas are being excluded from development, but in fact that is not the case.
Different regions have different economic potential and the spatial variations in the incidence of poverty also vary widely. The NSDP argues that these varied and diverse spatial contexts suggest a policy approach that must itself be differentiated and conducive to the requirements of the different contexts. Thus, in areas with low or no economic potential, the path of development and poverty reduction must be through a focus on investment in human capital development (education, training, social welfare, sound rural development planning, aggressive land and agricultural reform and the expansion of agricultural extension services, etc.).
The Indian state of Kerala, as well as Chile and Tunisia, are striking examples of the effect of this approach on poverty reduction and on overall human development in the so-called 'shadow areas' or areas of low potential. The implementation of the strategies of various agencies and spheres of government is intended to be monitored in accordance with NSDP principles. Realizing sustainable human settlements and robust local economies in the context of sustainable development.
