A Critical Investigation of the Relevance and Potential of IDPS as a Local Governance Instrument for Pursuing Social Justice in South Africa

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2013/v16i5a2434

Keywords:

, Transformative constitutionalism, Social justice, Local government, IDPs.

Abstract

Unlike the situation in the past, when local government’s role was limited to service delivery, local government is now constitutionally mandated to play an expanded developmental role. As a “co-responsible” sphere of government, local government is obliged to contribute towards realising the transformative constitutional mandate aimed at social justice. South African scholars and jurists share the view that social justice is primarily concerned with the eradication of poverty and extreme inequalities in access to basic services, and aims to ensure that poor people command sufficient material resources to facilitate their equal participation in socio-political life. In order to enable municipalities to fulfil their broad constitutional mandate, the system of integrated development planning (IDPs) came into effect in South Africa in 2000. Each municipality is obliged to design, adopt and implement an integrated development plan in order to achieve its expanded constitutional mandate. The IDP is considered to be the chief legally prescribed governance instrument for South African municipalities.

 

The purpose of this article is to explore and critically investigate the relevance and potential of IDPs in contributing towards the achievement of social justice in South Africa. This article argues inter alia that the multitude of sectors that converge in an IDP makes it directly relevant and gives it enormous potential to contribute towards social justice because, depending on the context, municipalities could include and implement strategies that specifically respond to diverse areas of human need. In this regard, the legal and policy frameworks for IDPs provide a structured scheme that could be used by municipalities to prioritise and meet the basic needs of especially the poor. Despite its potential, it is argued that the ability of IDPs to respond to the basic needs of the poor is largely constrained by a series of implementation challenges partly attributed to the underlying legal and policy framework.

    

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Bibliography

ACHPR Principles and Guidelines

African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Principles and Guidelines on the Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (2010)

Albertyn and Goldbatt 1998 SAJHR

Albertyn C and Goldbatt B "Facing the Challenge of Transformation: Difficulties in the Development of an Indigenous Jurisprudence of Equality" 1998 SAJHR 248-276

Algotsson and Murombo Water Supply and Sanitation

Algotsson E and Murombo T Water Supply and Sanitation in South Africa: Environmental Rights and Municipal Accountability (Lawyers for Human Rights Pretoria 2009)

Atkinson Local Government

Atkinson D Local Government, Local Governance and Sustainable Development: Getting the Parameters Right (HSRC Cape Town 2002)

Berrisford and Kihato "Local Government Planning"

Berrisford S and Kihato M "Local Government Planning, Legal Frameworks and Regulatory Tools: Vital Signs?" in Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008) 377-403

Bertocci Strategic Planning and Management

Bertocci DI Strategic Planning and Management: A Roadmap to Success (University Press of America Lanham, Md 2009)

Binns and Nel 2002 Regional Studies

Binns T and Nel E "Devolving Development: Integrated Development Planning and Developmental Local Government in Post-apartheid South Africa" 2002 Regional Studies 921-932

Botha 2002 TSAR

Botha H "Metaphoric Reasoning and Transformative Constitutionalism" 2002 TSAR 612-627

Botha Rights and Democracy

Botha H et al Rights and Democracy in a Transformative Constitution (Sun Press Stellenbosch 2003)

Brand "Introduction to Socio-economic Rights"

Brand D "Introduction to Socio-economic Rights in the South African Constitution" in Brand D and Heyns F Socio-economic Rights in South Africa (PULP Pretoria 2005) 1-56

Brand Courts, Socio-economic Rights and Transformative Politics

Brand D Courts, Socio-economic Rights and Transformative Politics (LLD-thesis US 2009)

Bryson 1988 Long Range Planning

Bryson J "A Strategic Planning Process for Public and Non-profit Organisations" 1988 Long Range Planning 73-81

Burns and Hattingh 2007 SAJELP

Burns M and Hattingh J "Locating Policy within the Taxonomy of Sustainable Development" 2007 SAJELP 1-29

Chaskalson 2000 SAJHR

Chaskalson A "The Third Bram Fisher Memorial Lecture: Human Dignity as a Foundational Value of Our Constitution" 2000 SAJHR 193-205

Chenwi 2011 SAPL

Chenwi L "'Meaningful engagement' in the realisation of socio-economic rights: The South African experience" 2011 SAPL 128-156

Christmas and De Visser 2009 CJLG

Christmas A and De Visser J "Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice: Reviewing the Functions and Powers of Local Government in South Africa" 2009 CJLG 107-119

Clarke and Stewart Planning for Change

Clarke M and Stewart J Planning for Change: Strategic Planning in Local Government (Longman Group Essex 1998)

Cloete and Thornhill South African Municipal Government

Cloete JJN and Thornhill C South African Municipal Government and Administration (Dotsquare Pretoria 2005)

Coetzee 2010 SSB/TRP

Coetzee J "Not another 'night at the museum': 'moving on - from 'developmental' local government to 'developmental local state'" 2010 SSB/TRP 18-28

De Villiers and Sindane Cooperative Government

De Villiers B and Sindane J Cooperative Government: The Oil of the Engine (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Johannesburg 2011)

De Visser 2003 LDD

De Visser J "A perspective on local government's role in realising the right to housing and the answer of the Grootboom judgment" 2003 LDD 201-215

De Visser Developmental Local Government

De Visser J Developmental Local Government: A Case Study of South Africa (Intersentia Antwerpen 2005)

De Visser Institutional Subsidiarity

De Visser J Institutional Subsidiarity in the Constitution: Slapstick Asymmetry or a 'Rights-based' Approach to Powers? (Community Law Centre, UWC Cape Town 2008)

De Visser 2009 CJLG

De Visser J "Developmental Local Government in South Africa: Institutional Fault Lines" 2009 CJLG 7-25

De Visser 2010 Stell LR

De Visser J "Institutional Subsidiarity in the South African Constitution" 2010 Stell LR 90-115

De Vos 2001 SAJHR

De Vos P "Grootboom, the Right of Access to Housing and Substantive Equality as Contextual Fairness" 2001 SAJHR 258-276

Du Plessis Fulfilment of South Africa's Constitutional Environmental Right

Du Plessis AA Fulfilment of South Africa's Constitutional Environmental Right in the Local Government Sphere (LLD-thesis NWU 2008)

Du Plessis 2010 Stell LR

Du Plessis AA "'Local Environmental Governance' and the Role of Local Government in Realising Section 24 of the South African Constitution" 2010 Stell LR 265-297

Du Plessis 2011 SAJHR

Du Plessis A "South Africa's Constitutional Environmental Right (Generously) Interpreted: What is in it for Poverty" 2011 SAJHR 279-307

Du Plessis 2008 SAPL

Du Plessis W "Legal Mechanism for Cooperative Governance in South Africa: Successes and Failures" 2008 SAPL 87-110

Du Plessis and Du Plessis "Balancing of Sustainability Interests"

Du Plessis W and Du Plessis A "The Balancing of Sustainability Interests in South Africa" in Faure M and Du Plessis W The Balancing of Interests in Environmental Law in Africa (PULP Pretoria 2011) 413-458

Edwards 2008 Politeia

Edwards T "Cooperative governance in South Africa, with specific reference to the challenges of intergovernmental relations" 2008 Politeia 65-85

Fraser "Social Justice"

Fraser N "Social Justice in the Age of Identity Politics: Redistribution, Recognition, and Participation" in Fraser N and Honneth A Redistribution or Recognition (Verso London 2003)

Friesen 2003 Federal Governance

Friesen M "Subsidiarity and Federalism: An Old Concept with Contemporary Relevance for Political Society" 2003 Federal Governance: A Graduate Journal of Theory and Politics 1-22

Fuo 2013 Obiter

Fuo O "The transformative potential of the constitutional environmental right overlooked in Grootboom" 2013 Obiter 77-95

Fuo 2013 PELJ

Fuo O "Constitutional basis for the enforcement of 'executive' policies that give effect to socio-economic rights in South Africa" 2013 PELJ 1-44

Gordon Strategic Planning

Gordon GL Strategic Planning for Local Government (ICMA Washington 1993)

Harrison "Integrated Development Plans"

Harrison P "Integrated Development Plans and Third World Politics" in Tomlinson R and Du Toit J Democracy and Delivery: Urban Policy in South Africa (HSRC Cape Town 2006) 186-207

Harrison "Origins and Outcomes"

Harrison P "The Origins and Outcomes of South Africa's Integrated Development Plans" in Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008) 321-337

Hattingh Governmental Relations

Hattingh J Governmental Relations: A South African Perspective (UNISA Press Pretoria 1998)

Holness 2011 SAPL

Holness W "Equality in the graveyard: Participatory democracy in the context of housing delivery" 2011 SAPL 1-36

Klare 1998 SAJHR

Klare K "Legal Culture and Transformative Constitutionalism" 1998 SAJHR 146-188

Langa 2006 Stell LR

Langa P "Transformative Constitutionalism" 2006 Stell LR 351-360

Layman Intergovernmental Relations

Layman T Intergovernmental Relations and Service Delivery in South Africa: A Ten Year Review (The Presidency Pretoria 2003)

Liebenberg 2006 Stell LR

Liebenberg S "Needs, Rights and Transformation: Adjudicating Social Rights" 2006 Stell LR 5-36

Liebenberg Socio-economic Rights

Liebenberg S Socio-economic Rights: Adjudicating Under a Transformative Constitution (Juta Cape Town 2010)

Liebenberg and Quinot Law and Poverty

Liebenberg S and Quinot G Law and Poverty: Perspectives from South Africa and Beyond (Juta Claremont 2012)

Malan 2005 Politeia

Malan L "Intergovernmental relations and co-operative government in South Africa: The ten year review" 2005 Politeia 226-243

Marquardt 1994 Fordham Int'l LJ

Marquardt P "Subsidiarity and Sovereignty in the European Union" 1994 Fordham Int'l LJ 614-640

Mercer Strategic Planning

Mercer J Strategic Planning for Public Managers (Quorum Books New York 1991)

Mojapelo Effectiveness of the Integrated Development Planning

Mojapelo MA The Effectiveness of the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) as a Tool to Accelerated Service Delivery: A Case Study of Aganang Local Municipality in Limpopo Province (MA-dissertation NWU 2007)

Moseneke 2002 SAJHR

Moseneke D "Fourth Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture" 2002 SAJHR 309-319

Mthethwa "Address"

Mthethwa N "Address by the Acting Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs" (Unpublished address delivered at the SALGA Elective Conference 30 August 2011)

Muller 2011 Stell LR

Muller G "Conceptualising 'Meaningful Engagement' as a Deliberative Democratic Partnership" 2011 Stell LR 742-758

Linder and Peters "Study of Policy Instruments"

Linder S and Peters G "The Study of Policy Instruments: Four Schools of Thought" in Peters G and Van Nispen F Public Policy Instruments: Evaluating the Tools of Public Administration (Edward Elgar Cheltenham 1998) 33-45

Parliament of Great Britian Social Justice

Parliament of Great Britian Social Justice: Transforming Lives (Stationery Office London 2012)

Patel "Tools and Trade-offs"

Patel Y "Tools and Trade-offs in Environmental Decision Making" in Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008) 357-376

Patel and Powell "Intergovernmental Delivery"

Patel Y and Powell D "Intergovernmental Delivery in Municipal Areas: Reflections on Current Practice" in Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008) 339-356

Pieterse 2005 SAPL

Pieterse M "What do we mean when we talk about transformative constitutionalism" 2005 SAPL 156-66

Pieterse 2007 Hum Rts Q

Pieterse M "Eating socio-economic rights: the usefulness of rights talk in alleviating social hardship revisited" 2007 Hum Rts Q 796-822

Pieterse and Van Donk "Developmental Local Government"

Pieterse E and Van Donk M "Developmental Local Government: Squaring the Circle Between Policy Intent and Impact" in Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008) 51-75

Roering and Bryson 1988 Public Administration Review

Roering W and Bryson J "Initiation of Strategic Planning by Governments" 1988 Public Administration Review 995-1004

Roux 2009 Stell LR

Roux T "Transformative Constitutionalism and the Best Interpretation of the South African Constitution: Distinction without a Difference" 2009 Stell LR 258-285

Rugege 2003 LDD

Rugege S "Traditional leadership and its future role in local governance" 2003 LDD 171-200

Ruiters "Free Basic Electricity"

Ruiters G "Free Basic Electricity in South Africa: A Strategy for Helping or Containing the Poor?" in McDonald D Electric Capitalism: Recolonising Africa on the Power Grid (HSRC Cape Town 2009) 248-263

Salamon 2000-2001 Fordham Urb LJ

Salamon L "The New Governance and the Tools of Public Action: An Introduction" 2000-2001 Fordham Urb LJ 1611-1674

Sen 2005 Journal of Human Development

Sen A "Human Rights and Capabilities" 2005 Journal of Human Development 151-166

Sibanda 2011 Stell LR

Sibanda S "Not purpose made! Transformative constitutionalism and the struggle to eradicate poverty" 2011 Stell LR 482-500

Simeon and Murray 2001 Publius

Simeon R and Murray C "Multi-sphere Governance in South Africa: An Interim Assessment" 2001 Publius: The Journal of Federalism 65-92

Solange 2011 Stell LR

Solange R "Transformative constitutionalism in a democratic developmental state" 2011 Stell LR 452-565

Sooka "Transforming our Society"

Sooka Y "Transforming our Society" in Handmaker J and Berkout R Mobilising Social Justice in South Africa: Perspectives from Researchers and Practitioners (PULP Pretoria 2010) 193-201

Sowman and Brown 2006 J Environ Plann Manag

Sowman M and Brown A "Mainstreaming environmental sustainability into South Africa's integrated development planning process" 2006 J Environ Plann Manag 695-712

Stewart 2010 Penn St Int'l L Rev

Stewart L "Adjudicating Socio-economic Rights under a Transformative Constitution" 2010 Penn St Int'l L Rev 487-512

Stewart 2011 Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo

Stewart L "The politics of poverty: Do socio-economic rights Become Real Only When Enforced by Courts" 2011 Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo 1510-1526

Steytler 2011 SAPL

Steytler N "The legal instruments to raise property rates: Policy, by-laws and resolutions" 2011 SAPL 484-496

Steytler and De Visser Local Government Law

Steytler N and De Visser J Local Government Law of South Africa (LexisNexis Durban 2009)

Steytler and Fessha Defining Provincial and Local Government Powers

Steytler N and Fessha Y Defining Provincial and Local Government Powers and Functions: The Management of Concurrency (Community Law Centre, UWC Cape Town 2005)

Streib and Poister 2005 Public Administration Review

Streib G and Poister T "Elements of Strategic Planning and Management in Municipal Government: Status after Two Decades" 2005 Public Administration Review 45-56

Todes 2004 J Environ Plann Manag

Todes A "Regional Planning and Sustainability: Limits and Potentials of South Africa's Integrated Development Plans" 2004 J Environ Plann Manag 843-861

UN "Agenda 21"

United Nations "Agenda 21" in UN Report on the Conference on Environment and Development 3-14 June 1992 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

UN Social Justice

United Nations Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations (UN New York 2006)

UN-HABITAT International Guidelines

UN-HABITAT International Guidelines on Decentralisation and the Strengthening of Local Authorities (UN-HABITAT Nairobi 2007)

Van Blerk Jurisprudence

Van Blerk A Jurisprudence: An Introduction (Butterworths Durban 1998)

Van der Walt "South African Reading of Frank Michelman's Theory"

Van der Walt A "A South African Reading of Frank Michelman's Theory of Social Justice" in Botha H, Van der Walt A and Van der Walt J Rights and Democracy in a Transformative Constitution (Sun Press Stellenbosch 2003) 163-212

Van Donk Consolidating Developmental Local Government

Van Donk M et al Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (University of Cape Town Press Cape Town 2008)

Van Marle 2009 Stell LR

Van Marle K "Transformative Constitutionalism as/and Critique" 2009 Stell LR 286-301

Visser 2003 SAGJ

Visser G "Spatialities of Social Justice and Local Government Transition: Notes on and for South African Social Justice Discourse" 2003 SAGJ 99-111

Woolman 2009 LDD

Woolman S "L'etat C'est Moi: Why the Final Constitution and the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act Does Not Resolve Intergovernmental Disputes" 2009 LDD 62-75

Zybrands "Local Government"

Zybrands W "Local Government" in Venter A and Landsberg C Government and Politics in South Africa (Van Schaik Pretoria 2011) 133-159

Register of legislation

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

Housing Act 107 of 1997

Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005 (IGRFA)

Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003

Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000

Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013

Register of government and international publications and reports

City of Tshwane Integrated Development Plan 2011-2016 (2011)

CoGTA (Final Draft) Policy Paper on Integrated Development Planning (2000)

CoGTA State of Local Government in South Africa Report (2009)

Consolidated General Report on the Audit Outcomes of Local Government 2010-2011 (2012)

Consolidated General Report on the Audit Outcomes of Local Government 2011-2012 (2013)

Draft Infrastructure Development Bill (2013) (GN 99 of GG 36143 of 8 February 2013)

Five Year Plan for Cape Town 2012-2017: Draft Review (2013)

Green Paper: National Strategic Planning (2009)

IDP Guide Packs Series, Guides 0-6 (2001)

Integrated Development Plan of Tlokwe City Council (2011)

Local Government: Municipal Planning and Performance Management Regulations (2001) (GN R796 in GG 22605 of 24 August 2001)

Local Government Budgets and Expenditure Review 2006/2007-2012/2013 (2011)

Local Government Turn Around Strategy (2009)

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality: Integrated Development Plan 2012-2016 (2012)

National Development Plan (2011)

Provincial Growth and Development Strategy Guidelines (2005)

Presidency's Together Doing More and Better: Medium Term Strategic Framework: A Framework to Guide Government's Programme in the Electoral Mandate Period 2009-2014 (2009)

Presidency's Medium Term Strategic Framework: A Framework to Guide Government's Programme in the Electoral Mandate Period 2004-2009 (2004)

Review of Sanitation Policy and Practice in South Africa 2001-2008 (2010)

South Africa's Review Report for the Sixteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (2008)

State Municipal Assessment 2010/2011: National Trends in Municipal Capacity (2012)

Statistics South Africa Census 2011: Highlights of Key Results (2012)

UN Report of the UN Summit for Social Development (1995)

UN Millennium Declaration (Millennium Development Goals) (2000)

Western Cape Department of Local Government and Housing: Summary: IDP Hearings 2005 (2005)

White Paper on Local Government (1998)

White Paper on the Energy Policy of the Republic of South Africa (1998)

Register of case law

Beja v Premier of the Western Cape 2011 10 BCLR 1077 (WCC)

City of Cape Town v Robertson 2005 2 SA 323 (CC)

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Blue Moonlight Properties Ltd 39 (Pty) 2012 2 BCLR 150 (CC)

Fedsure Life Assurance v Greater Johannesburg Transitional Metropolitan Council 1998 12 BCLR 1458 (CC)

Government of the Republic of South Africa v Grootboom 2000 (11) BCLR 1169 (CC)

Maccsand (Pty) Ltd v City of Cape Town 2012 7 BCLR 690 (CC)

Occupiers of 51 Olivia Road, Berea Township and 197 Main Street Johannesburg v City of Johannesburg 2008 5 BCLR 475 (CC)

R A Le Sueur v EThekwini Municipality 2013 Case No 9714/11

Soobramoney v Minister of Health, Kwazulu-Natal 1997 12 BCLR 1691 (CC)

Register of internet sources

Department of Human Settlements 2011 www.info.gov.za

Department of Human Settlements 2011 Cities Get New Powers and Funding for Human Settlements www.info.gov.za/speech/DynamicAction?

pageid=461&sid=16739&tid=29399 [date of use 21 May 2012]

National Planning Commission 2011 www.npconline.co.za

National Planning Commission 2011 National Development Plan www.npconline.co.za [date of use 4 Mar 2013]

Shepstone and Wylie Date Unknown www.wylie.co.za

Shepstone and Wylie Date Unknown Summary of Legal News from Africa and around the World www.wylie.co.za/NewsItem/226 [date of use 14 Mar 2013

Published

17-05-2017

How to Cite

Fuo, O. N. (2017). A Critical Investigation of the Relevance and Potential of IDPS as a Local Governance Instrument for Pursuing Social Justice in South Africa. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 16(5), 220–286. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2013/v16i5a2434

Issue

Section

Articles