The transformation of municipal development planning in South Africa (post-1994) : impressions and impasse

Abstract

In South Africa, the government’s transformation process, which effectively started in 1994, not only resulted in a new democracy, a new governmental dispensation or a ‘new South Africa’, but it also spearheaded a significant, rapid and radical transformation of local government in South Africa, as well as a radical transformation of municipal planning. During the mid- to late 1990s, significant strides were made in South Africa by government, planning institutions and planners to develop a new more appropriate, integrated, developmental, democratic, strategic and sustainable development planning system – in line with the international planning principles and the emerging focus of the new democratic South African government. Currently, almost two decades later, the South African municipal planning system, in spite of various efforts and policy developments, is still struggling to adapt to, and implement the new principles and is not addressing the development goals in all parts of the country effectively. In order to set a basis for assessing the challenges of, and gaps in the current planning system, this article discusses the characteristics of the (new) transforming planning system and examines some of the most important efforts being made on policy level and in practice to promote the new principles. This article presents an interrogation of the gaps in the planning system in an attempt to present some propositions to address these shortcomings.

In Suid-Afrika het die regering se transformasieproses, wat daadwerklik in 1994 begin het, nie net tot ’n nuwe demokrasie, ’n nuwe regeringsbedeling of ’n “nuwe Suid-Afrika” gelei nie, maar was dit ook die begin van aansienlike, snelle en fundamentele transformasie ten opsigte van plaaslike regerings in Suid-Afrika, en van radikale transformasie wat stadsbeplanning betref. Gedurende die middel tot laat 1990’s het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering, beplanningsinstansies en beplanners aansienlike vordering gemaak met die beplanning van ’n meer toepaslike, geïntegreerde, ontwikkelingsgerigte, demokratiese, strategiese en volhoubare ontwikkelingsbeplanningstelsel – in ooreenstemming met internasionale beplanningsbeginsels en die nuwe demokratiese regering se ontluikende fokus. Vandag, byna twee dekades later en ten spyte van verskeie pogings en beleidsontwikkelings, sukkel die Suid-Afrikaanse munisipale beplanningstelsel nog steeds om die nuwe beginsels aan te pas en te implementeer en word die ontwikkelingsdoelwitte in munisipaliteite oral in die land nog steeds nie doeltreffend aangespreek nie. Ten einde ’n grondslag daar te stel vir die assessering van die uitdagings en tekortkominge in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse beplanningstelsel, bespreek hierdie artikel die kenmerke van die (nuwe) transformerende beplanningstelsel en word daar gekyk na enkele van die belangrikste pogings wat op beleidsvlak en in die praktyk aangewend word om die toepassing van die nuwe beginsels te bevorder. Die artikel ondersoek die tekortkominge in die beplanningstelsel in ’n poging om enkele voorstelle te maak oor hoe dié tekortkominge reggestel kan word.

Mo Afrika-Borwa, tshepetšo ya phetošo ya mmušo, yeo gabotse e thomilego ka 1994 ga se ya tšweletša temokrasi e mpsha, pušo e mpsha goba ‘Afrika-Borwa e mpsha’ fela, eupša e hlotše phetogo ye kgolo, ya bohlokwa, ya ka pela ya pušoselegae mo Afrika-Borwa gammogo le phetogo ye kaonekaone ya peakanyo ya setoropo. Go thoma magareng go iša mafelelong a 1990, go gatilwe dikgato tše kgolo mo Afrika-Borwa ke ba Mmušo, ditheo tša peakanyo le babeakanyi go tšweletša mokgwa wa maleba wa peakanyo ya tlhabollo wa go swarelela le wa togamaano, temokrasi, tlhabollo, togagano – go ya ka dikokwane tša peakanyo tša boditšhabatšhaba le nepišo yeo e rotogago ya Mmušo wo moswa wa Afrika-Borwa ya temokrasi. Lehono, morago ga mengwagasome ya go nyaka go ba ye mebedi, mokgwa wa peakanyo ya mmasepala wa Afrika-Borwa, le ge go na le maiteko le dihlabollo tša dipholisi tša go fapafapana, o sa šitwa go fetogela go le go phethagatša dikokwane tše di swa gomme ga o šogane gabotse le dinepo tša tlhabollo ka mahlakoreng ka moka a naga. Go tšweletša mekgwa ya go ela ditlhohlo le go rarolla mathata ka gare ga mokgwa wa bjale wa peakanyo wa Afrika-Borwa, sengwalwa se se ahlaahla dika tša mokgwa wa peakanyo (wo moswa) wo o fetogago le go lekola dikgato tše dingwe tše bohlokwahlokwa tšeo di dirwago maemong a pholisi le phethagatšong go godiša dikokwane tše di swa. Sengwalwa se tšweletša dipotšišo mabapi le mathata ka gare ga mokgwa wa peakanyo ka maikemišetšo a go tla ka dikakanyo tša go rarolla mathata a.