Practicing joint responsibility for sustainable regional development: introducting the concept of regional management

Abstract

The South African Constitution and the White Paper for Local Government clearly heralded a new era for local governance in South Africa. Not only did it recognise local government as a distinctive sphere of government, it also, propelled local government to be more developmental in its approach. Effective operating systems and efficient structures to ensure improved service delivery especially in areas of great need became a key priority for all involved and this was meant to be reflected in the Integrated Development Plans of all municipalities. Up to now, considerable efforts have gone into unpacking the content, scope and potential of development in using an integrated planning process. The IDP has been the single most important tool to ensure that developmental local governance really works. It laid the foundation for strategic prioritisation of much needed infrastructure projects, access to services and opportunities for economic promotion in most local areas. The paper attempts to show that a range of additional factors should be taken into account if real sustainable change is to take place over the medium to long term. It introduces the concept of regional management as a complimentary approach to district development and builds on key national debates on intergovernmental planning, developmental governance and joint responsibility for economic development. It puts forward the idea that regional management could be a way to promote joint responsibility for sustainable development in a region in areas with relatively good potential for growth.