An implementation framework to address spatial planning constraints in the former Venda homeland, South Africa (1979-2023)

Abstract

The spatial planning legacy of colonialism remains visible in both the global north and south, though it manifests in profoundly different ways. In many African cities, the institutional and administrative arrangements imposed during colonial rule continue to shape the spatial structure, settlement patterns, and everyday urban interactions and lived experiences. In South Africa, spatial segregation through the creation of homelands, or Bantustans, produced a discriminatory spatial planning landscape legacy whose effects remain deeply embedded in contemporary development outcomes. Addressing the spatial planning constraints that persist in these areas is essential for reducing inequalities and advancing sustainable development in the 21st century. However, in the former Venda homeland, the absence of a spatial planning implementation framework to address long-standing spatial planning constraints has perpetuated spatial inequalities. The aim of the study was to develop an implementation framework that addresses spatial planning constraints in the former Venda homeland. The study’s objectives were: (i) To review evidence on spatial planning constraints with implications for policy in historically marginalised areas (ii) To examine spatio-temporal patterns of built-up change in the former Venda homeland across spatial planning regimes (iii) To explore the experiences of utilising spatial planning tools to facilitate development in the former Venda homeland; and (iv) To develop an implementation framework that responds to these spatial planning constraints. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and employed a qualitative research design to generate an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences and institutional dynamics shaping spatial planning in the area. The research was primarily informed by the left-behind places theory as the overarching theoretical lens. Data was collected through 11 in-depth key informant interviews with government officials (municipal, provincial, and national) and traditional leaders who played central roles in spatial planning within the former Venda homeland, complemented by a spatio-temporal analysis of built-up change and a structured, evidence-based analytical review of spatial planning constraints in historically marginalised areas. An inductive and iterative data analysis process using reflexive thematic analysis was employed. The findings of the study contribute to knowledge on spatial planning in uneven geographies by providing empirically grounded insights into planning practices within such contexts, extending the application of left-behind places theory within an African rural setting, and highlighting operational gaps in spatial planning implementation. The findings informed the development of a Context Attuned Spatial Planning Implementation (CASPI) framework, which provides a context-specific and practice-oriented approach to addressing spatial planning constraints in historically marginalised areas.