The implementation of Local Economic Development policy : the case of the Emakhazeni Local Municipality in South Africa

Abstract

This article examines the implementation of Local Economic Development (LED) within the context of the Emakhazeni Local Municipality situated in the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa. The objectives of this article are to examine LED policy implementation and the bottlenecks facing the achievement of LED objectives within the local sphere of government in general and the Emakhazeni Local Municipality in particular and to develop an LED policy implementation model based on the findings of the case study and literature review. For the purpose of this article, LED serves as an important strategy to boost local economies to address the high levels of poverty, unemployment and inequalities facing the majority of the South African population, and more importantly to ensure global competitiveness and the integration of the South African economy within the global economic context.