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Rural Development: a commentary on Limpopo

Tetelo Mashishi
by Tetelo Mashishi

Did you know that Limpopo contributes the highest number of people who migrate from other provinces to Gauteng? Well, according to statistician general Risenga Malukele, this is a fact. But who can blame them? Almost 30 years into democracy it is reported that most provinces in South Africa are still rural provinces and that in Limpopo roughly 82% of the population live in rural areas. Half of the population in Limpopo is dependent on government social grants and most households live in absolute poverty. Unemployment is the most significant contributor to this reality, with youth who are black, and female being disproportionately affected. Nonetheless, we cannot overlook the role of other socio-economic issues such as the lack of basic infrastructure, the state of the roads, conditions of the water supplies and the inability to access good quality social services such as sanitation, education, health, and internet connectivity as contributors to the dire conditions in Limpopo. These challenges result in a significant number of young people migrating from Limpopo in search of better education, economic opportunities, and standard of living in other provinces, with most clearly gravitating towards the Gauteng province.

It’s well understood that urgent government attention is required to rewrite the narrative of Limpopo’s rural areas. Rural communities have the potential to fully participate in the economy and to be economic hubs for young people. Development of Limpopo’s rural areas presents a unique opportunity for government to steer some of the young people away from Gauteng, an already overpopulated province that is expected to keep growing and to retain them in Limpopo. There cannot be sustainable development in Limpopo without the intentional and strategic participation and inclusion of young people.  

Government has devised some strategies and policies such as the ambitious Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) at national government level and the Limpopo Development Plan at provincial government level (LDP) in an effort to develop rural areas. The CRDP is aimed at the development of rural areas and is intended to be different from past government rural strategies in that it is premised on proactive participatory community-based planning approach rather than an interventionist approach to rural development. The LPD is aimed at providing a strategic framework on Limpopo’s contribution to the National Development Plan. However, these rural development strategies have not had the desired impact or outcome. Government has normalized developing elaborate strategics and policies without a plan on implementation. The CRDP and LDP have met the same fate. This is often attributed to of the lack of intentional and strategic community involvement in creating these strategies which inevitably results in a lack of adaptation by the people on the ground.

However, government’s failure in realization of its strategic objectives should also be attributed to lack of competency by those tasked with implanting government policies, government’s inability to monitor and evaluate progress and the lack of political will to hold government officials accountable. Too often we are left with more questions than answers pertaining to the impact of these policies on improving conditions in rural areas.

The migration of young people out of Limpopo in search of better opportunities can only be slowed through government interventions that are geared towards providing quality jobs and increased income. This does not require more policies; it requires effective implementation of the policies that are already in place. However, effective implementation of these policies requires the participation of young people, competent government officials, and a system of monitoring and evaluating progress in order to hold those responsibility for implementation accountable.

Significant economic opportunities lie in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism in creating quality jobs and increased income for young people in Limpopo. The CRDP and the LPD recognize these opportunities, however, the foundation to realizing the full potential of these economic opportunities lies in improved access to infrastructure development for better access to education, health care, water and sanitation and internet connectivity. Although, each rural community is different with unique challenges and opportunities, providing improved access to basic socio-economic services is the first step in addressing these challenges. Sustainable rural development simply does not happen without long term investment in these basic services.

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