Comprehensive Rural Development Programme: the concept

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Comprehensive Rural Development Programme the
concept

• Presentation to the Select Committee on Land and
  Environmental Affairs
• Mr T T Gwanya
• Director-General Department of Rural Development
  
• and Land Reform
• 25 AUGUST 2009

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PURPOSE

• To inform participants about the Comprehensive
  Rural Development Programme (CRDP) concept and
  the proposed approach for its implementation.
• To invite participants to interrogate the concept
  and to engage constructively in the Green Paper
  process.

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OUTLINE

• The Department of Rural Development and Land
  Reform (DRDLR) has developed the CRDP.
• The CRDP requires active participation by all
  stakeholders.
• Rural people must take the centre stage in the
  improvement of their own quality of life.
• The design of the Programme is predicated on
  lessons learnt from pilot sites (Muyexe Village,
  Giyani and Riemvasmaak, Northern Cape).

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DISCUSSION

• The strategic objective of the CRDP is to achieve
  social cohesion and development among rural
  communities.
• The CRDP hinges on a three-pronged strategy
• co-ordinated and integrated broad-based agrarian
  transformation
• an improved land reform programme and
• strategic investments in economic and social
  infrastructure.

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AGRARIAN TRANSFORMATION

• Agrarian transformation is seen as the rapid
  fundamental change in the relations of land,
  livestock, cropping and community.
• The change of attitude by development workers and
  rural people themselves is critical in defining
  these relations.

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AGRARIAN TRANSFORMATION cont.

• Some of the objectives of the agrarian
  transformation strategy include but is not
  limited to
• Facilitating the establishment of business
  initiatives, rural and agro-industries,
  co-operatives, cultural initiatives and vibrant
  local markets
• the empowerment of rural communities to be
  self-reliant and able to take charge of their
  destiny
• the development of a mitigation and adaptation
  strategy to reduce vulnerabilities with special
  reference to climate change, erosion, flooding
  and other natural disasters and
• the use of appropriate technologies, modern
  approaches and indigenous knowledge systems

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AGRARIAN TRANSFORMATION cont.

• increased production and sustainable use of
  natural resources
• Livestock farming and related value chain
  development (exploring all possible species for
  food and economic activity) and
• cropping and related value chain development
  (exploring all possible species, especially
  indigenous plants, for food and economic
  activity)
• strengthening rural livelihoods for vibrant local
  economic development. A livelihood is the means
  of living that rural people build through access
  to and use of the assets they need for this
  purpose and
• food security, dignity and improved quality of
  life for each rural household.

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Rural development focuses on, but is not limited
  to
• The establishment of rural business,
  agro-industries, co-operatives, etc.
• the empowerment of rural people and communities
  and
• the revitalization of old and creation of new
  economic, social, and information and
  communication infrastructure, public amenities
  and facilities in villages and small rural towns,
  etc.

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT cont.

• Some of the objectives of the rural development
  strategy include but is not limited to
• Social mobilization to enable rural communities
  to take initiatives
• establish savings clubs and co-operatives for
  economic activities, wealth creation and
  productive use of assets
• access to resourced clinics
• non-farm activities for strengthening of rural
  livelihoods
• leadership training, social facilitation and
  conscientisation for the CRDP and socio-economic
  independence

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT cont.

• democratization of rural development,
  participation and ownership of all processes,
  projects and programmes
• co-ordination, alignment and co-operative
  governance (Local municipalities, traditional
  councils, provincial government)
• participation of Non-Governmental Organizations
  (NGOs) including faith-based organizations,
  Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and other
  organs of civil society and
• social cohesion and access to human and social
  capital.

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LAND REFORM

• Land reform focuses on reviewing the Restitution,
  Redistribution and Tenure Reform Programmes. All
  land reform programmes must therefore be linked
  to the CRDP.
• The establishment of the new Department of Rural
  Development and Land Reform has also re-confirmed
  Governments commitment to revitalise and develop
  rural areas and that land should be seen as a
  catalyst for poverty alleviation, job creation,
  food security and entrepreneurship. The revised
  land reform strategy will include

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LAND REFORM cont.

• Picking up the pace of land redistribution
  through
• Increased access to land by previously
  disadvantaged people, through the redistribution
  of 30 of white-owned agricultural land and
• Reviewing the land reform products and
  approaches.
• Review of land acquisition processes.
• Establish a special Land Commission for an audit
  of privately owned agricultural land.
• Put mechanisms in place to ensure that land is
  used productively.
• Provide for the effective development and
  beneficiation of land reform beneficiaries.
• The categorization of beneficiaries through
  targeted allocation.

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LAND REFORM cont.

• TENURE REFORM
• Fast-tracking the settlement of labour tenancy
  claims, especially in KwaZulu-Natal and
  Mpumalanga.
• Facilitating secure access to land by farm
  dwellers.
• Protecting the land rights of farm workers, and
  creating decent jobs on farms.
• Dealing effectively and promptly with illegal
  evictions, which includes access to legal
  representation.
• Establishing agri-villages for local economic
  development on farms.
• Providing basic needs for farm dwellers,
  including water, sanitation, electricity,
  housing, etc.
• Dealing effectively with State land
  administration.
• Providing effective support to and capacity
  building of farm dwellers.
• Implementation of the Communal Land Rights Act,
  2004 (CLaRA).

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LAND REFORM cont.

• RESTITUTION
• Increasing the pace of settling outstanding land
  restitution claims by
• Providing an analysis of outstanding claims
  (nature and type) and indicating related
  challenges
• adopting a developmental approach to the
  settlement of restitution claims and its
  contribution to the CRDP
• defining the strategy of dealing with land claims
  in the Land Claims Court, and ensuring that these
  are winnable and strong cases thereby setting a
  good precedent appealing cases that may set bad
  precedent and shortening the protracted
  processes.
• Ensuring sustainability, beneficiation, and
  contribution to poverty eradication, economic
  growth and employment creation as well as the
  vibrancy of land restitution projects, going
  forward.

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EMPLOYMENT CREATION MODEL

• Central to the three-pronged strategy is an
  employment creation model.
• Para-development specialists to train and mentor
  selected unemployed community members. Using the
  Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP)
  principles. Muyexe e.g. secure 1 job per
  household (900 jobs).
• Phase One (incubator) - meet basic needs.
• Phase Two - entrepreneurial development.
• Phase Three -small, micro and medium enterprises
  and village markets.

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CRDP MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND
REFORM DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND
REFORM Programme Development, policy and
legislation development and Co-ordination
Stakeholder commitments

OFFICE OF THE PREMIER CRDP Champion (MEC with
rural development function)
Stakeholder commitments
COUNCIL OF STAKEHOLDERS (Organs of civil society,
government, business, co-operatives, ward
committees beneficiaries, workers, community
development workers, traditional institutions,
etc.)
Conditionalities, code of conduct disciplinary
panel
Household Co-operatives other enterprises
(groups of 20)
SOCIAL COHESION AND DEVELOPMENT

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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

• The CRDP requires a co-ordinated strategy.
• Refinement of the CRDP will continue through
  selected pilots in the eight provinces.
• Pilot phase expected to run for a minimum of two
  years.
• The CRDP will then be scaled up from the initial
  pilot sites into other sites nationally but
  linked to the overall planning frameworks within
  a province.

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ORGANISATIONAL AND PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

• New mandate led to alignment organisational
  arrangements between DRDLR and other government
  departments and institutions e.g Department of
  Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
  released the Integrated Sustainable Rural
  Development Programme (ISRDP) staff complement to
  the DRDLR.
• Ministries of Public Works, Water and
  Environmental Affairs, Transport Social
  Development have pledged support. War Room on
  Poverty provides additional co-ordination.

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IMPLICATIONS

• Financial The DRDLR reprioritized R505 million
  from its current budget for the design and pilot
  stage. Government departments and civil societys
  commitments have not been finally quantified.
• Communication being developed.
• Vulnerable groups targeted.
• Constitutional None. Rural Development is a
  concurrent national and provincial competency but
  legislation would need to be created.

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CONCLUSION

• The CRDP was officially launched in Muyexe,
  Giyani on 17 August 2009.
• Our vision is to see vibrant and sustainable
  rural communities the CRDP is the vehicle that
  will take us there.
• We require commitment and co-operation from our
  stakeholders.
• We will use available resources, but additional
  Budget is required.

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Working together we can do more to improve the
quality of life for all our people living in
rural areasThank you!