Towards a refined Integrated Development Planning process in Mbombela Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province

Abstract

Integrated development planning seeks to shift from rigid, complex, and autocratic approaches to a more democratic, strategic and integrated form where grassroots communities have a say in their own development. South Africa’s post-1994 government has been enforcing integrated development planning to promote democracy and the delivery of services to grassroots communities. There is a growing concern that the integrated development planning in its current form has not achieved these intended outcomes despite it being purported to be a product of a phased inclusive participatory process. This study sought to develop a refined integrated development planning process using the case of Mbombela Local Municipality in Mpumalanga province. The specific objectives were to: (1) to determine the preferred criteria for assessing each phase of integrated development planning process; (2) to determine the extent to which key stakeholders play their designated roles in formulating the IDP; (3) to analyse the major weaknesses of each phase of the process; (4) to critique the legal framework governing the integrated development planning in South Africa. A sequential exploratory mixed methods design was applied where quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 265 participants and 7 key informants from the Mbombela Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District Municipality and the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. These were selected because of the role they play in the integrated development planning. The study established that the current integrated development planning is not effective in responding to the needs of the communities because, it lack stakeholders participation, by-in and ownership. Key stakeholders were not involved in all the phases of the process and there was misalignment between the integrated development planning projects and the community needs. Community participation, leadership, impact, compact and monitoring were suggested as the major criteria for assessing quality of the integrated development planning. The study established that the legislation have sufficiently laid a framework for the integrated development planning. However, it did not clarify the extent at which the communities must be involved in the process. The study recommends a new refined integrated development planning process which highlights that inclusive stakeholder participation should be compulsory in all the phases. Project and integration stages should be integrated to constitute one phase and key planning elements such as digital participation, ward-based budgeting, integrated service delivery, integrated