Abstract
M.A.
In terms of the Constitution, municipalities have a mandate to govern, to provide
services and to promote social and economic development. Several pieces of
legislation enhance the developmental role of local government, such as the
Development Facilitation Act, 1995 (Act 67 of 1995) empowering municipalities to
establish statutory land development objectives setting out a clear approach to
land development for each municipality.
The objects of local government as stipulated in section 152 of the Constitution
of the Republic of South Africa , serve as a guideline in fulfilling its role and
functions. The Integrated and Development Plan approach is more appropriate in
facilitating efficiency and effectiveness in municipalities.
Several provinces have passed regulations requiring that the land development
objectives also cover economic development goals.The Department of
Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) is compelled by law to use the
Integrated Development Planning (IDP) and this is likely to shape the actions of local government in implementing policies intended to reduce poverty and
inequality.
A municipality must structure and manage its administration and planning
process to give priority to the basic needs of the community and to promote the
social and economic development of the community, according to the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Only when the majority of the
citizens receive at least a lifeline supply of basic-need services and goods, can
equity be achieved. This study focuses on the City of Johannesburg's constitutional obligation to
promote local economic development. The study is limited in this way to make it
more manageable. This area is selected on the basis that there is a diversity of
people whose economic levels are highly different and therefore there is a need
for LED. A municipality's approach to street traders in, for example, former Black
township areas, is likely to be quite different to approaches in CBDs.
The study is mainly a historical study of both published literature and unpublished
material concerning municipalities' constitutional obligations to
promote LED. The study is trying to pin down facts, and identify trends, in a
rapidly changing environment.