Eben Sadie of Sadie Family Wines.
The Limpopo Development Plan (LDP), aimed at bringing about radical change to improve the economy of the province and the wellbeing of its people, rests on a number of critical success factors, including a strengthened provincial planning, monitoring and evaluation system.
This emerged during a presentation on the LDP by Nape Nchabeleng, senior general manager for planning in the Office of the Limpopo Premier, during the Limpopo Provincial Public Sector Corporate Governance and Ethical Workshop. The five-year LDP was drafted after the lapse of the Limpopo Growth and Development Strategy (2009 – 2014) and came into operation last month.
Nchabeleng said that in addition to monitoring and evaluation, the success of the plan rested on strengthening the managerial and technical capacity of the provincial government and municipalities to plan, implement and monitor sustainable service delivery and good governance; and an enabling environment for Public-Private Partnerships. “To achieve this government should facilitate support, encourage and engage the private sector and all relevant stakeholders in result-oriented dialogue in pursuit of achieving provincial goals,” he said.
A detailed five-year programme of action had been drafted to implement the LDP strategic objectives and performance targets, he said. The Office of the Premier is co-ordinating crafting of the Annual Targets and will also ensure a Provincial-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System is put in place. In addition, the premier will publish an Annual Assessment Report on the LDP.
LDP goals
In line with the National Development Plan goals to eliminate poverty and reduce levels of inequality by 2030, the LDP has a vision for a province-wide planning process and resource allocation to create jobs and reduce poverty and social inequality.
Among its targets are, to achieve by 2020:
– An average economic growth rate of 3%;
– To increase the matric pass rate from 72% in 2013 to at least 80%;
– To create 429 000 jobs;
– The reduction of the official unemployment rate from 16.9% in 2014 to 14%;
– To increase access to basic water from 83% in 2014 to 90%;
– To increase access to electricity supply from 83% in 2014 to 90%;
– To increase access to sanitation from 43% in 2014 to 50%;
– To increase average life expectancy from 58.3 (males) in 2014 to 60, and 62.5 (females) in 2014 to 65;
– To reduce inequality (Gini coefficient) from 0.61 in 2014 to 0.50; and
– To increase GPP contribution to the GDP from 7.1% in 2014 to 9%.
Key projects
The province’s economic transformation hopes rest on a number of projects, with a key focus on beneficiating mining and agriculture. The LDP minerals beneficiation initiative aims to transform the mining industry in Limpopo from being resource-based to being both resource and knowledge-based through effective value addition. The province also aims to increase the contribution of agriculture to economic growth, by not only increasing food security but also agro-processing and manufacturing for both domestic and export markets.
The province’s High Impact Catalytic Projects include the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) at Tubatse and Musina. The Tubatse SEZ is based on the availability of the PGM (platinum group minerals) in the area and potential opportunities through the beneficiation of PGMs. The main economic activity that will be targeted is the hydrogen fuel cell initiative of Anglo-American Platinum. The Musina SEZ is based on two initiatives, the MUTTASHI concept and the EcoIndustrial Park.
The location of Musina makes it an ideal hub to serve as the logistics port to Africa, Nchabeleng noted. Polokwane and Lephalale are also well positioned to serve as regional logistics hubs within the SADC region, he said. The High Impact Catalytic Projects also include the implementation of the national Strategic Infrastructure Programme targeting Waterberg as an energy hub.
Limpopo will seek economic growth through the development of the Provincial Growth Points of Polokwane, Mogalakwena, Ba-Phalaborwa, Musina-Makhado Corridor, Lephalale, Greater Tubatse, Elias Motsoaledi, Greater Tzaneen, Thulamela and Thabazimbi. It will also improve broadband access and aims to harness and develop information and communication technology (ICT) in the province, with plans including the establishment of innovation hubs to facilitate regional systems and promote research, development and innovation.
In addition, the LDP says the province has unexploited biodiversity resources with the potential to position Limpopo as a national pioneer in the green economy across the entire value-chain — including production, consumption patterns and build environment.
Getting the basics right
Many of the challenges faced by local government in South Africa are the same as challenges faced by local government the world over, said Jay Poole, city auditor of Chesapeake, Virginia, and chair of the United States Association of Local Government Auditors Advocacy Committee.
Strong leadership, effective risk management, control activities and ICT management systems contribute to addressing those challenges, he said. Poole led delegates in discussions and dramatisations on best practices in procurement, audits, ethics and internal control.