Regenerating rural economies: The case of Limehill, South Africa

Abstract

The issue of the quality of life of rural South Africans has become a key focus of attention of the national and provincial governments in postapartheid South Africa. This focus stems from legislation that enshrines concurrent responsibility for rural development to both these spheres of government. However, post-1995 legislation including the introduction of wall-to-wall municipal authorities and the subsequent initiatives by municipalities to assume responsibility for service delivery in their areas have infused considerable complexity into the development landscape at the local level. Within this context and against the background of different perspectives and strategies for rural development, this paper examines, in a case study of the Limehill Complex within the Ndaka Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, the specific development problems that the `deep' rural communities experience. The paper then discusses strategic interventions that the Ndaka Municipality, in conjunction with other role players and the different spheres of government, needs to consider for implementation in order to regenerate the rural economy of the Limehill Complex and assist in the alleviation of widespread poverty in the area.