Z Mkhize: Closing of Local Economic Development conference

8 November 2006

Programme Director
Mrs Carol Coetzee, Head of the Department of Economic Development
All mayors present
Business representatives
Members of the European Union present
Government officials
Civil Society represented
Members of the media
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen

This LED Conference here at Sibaya, marks a milestone in our historic
mission to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. It is the beginning of a
long process to work proactively together in the interests of our people and
society. The purpose of the conference was to share information, strengthen
relationships, stimulate thought and prepare you for the upcoming district
growth and development summits. It is part of a process to assist you in
developing well-founded Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)and Local Economic
Development Plans.

Yesterday, during the conference proceedings, the Premier and the MEC talked
about the importance of working together to grasp the opportunities that are
there for the taking. We have heard about the national framework on LED from
the Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg). We heard about the
Department of Trade and Industry's (dti's) thinking and approach to regional
industrial development. We were informed of the provincial profile and the
provincial spatial economic development strategy. Today we have heard about the
Dube TradePort, the challenges posed by 2010 and the opportunities that can be
unlocked. From our Premier to the various speakers, the key questions that we
have to respond to is 'what do we fill those containers with' and how do we
provide all those services required in 2010? Many suggestions have been
made.

We have heard about the Agrarian Revolution, transport plans, economic
development programmes, tourism corridors and provincial investment strategies.
The mechanisms and instruments for development that exist at a provincial level
have been laid out for all to see. I urge you to grasp these opportunities and
make use of these instruments, as they will not be here forever. The challenge
is how your locality and the people within it derive maximum benefit from
it?

All the presentations on national and provincial strategy and planning
frameworks and on catalytic projects and programmes emphasised the importance
of the locality in local economic development. The identification of local
economic potential and the exploitation thereof emerges as a critical element
to creating a competitive advantage in localities. Good local planning and
budgeting together with creative, innovative and strong partnerships between
the private and public sector is required in implementation.

I have been impressed with the range of questions that have been raised,
many of which need to be answered in your district summits. It is evident that
there is a concern about skills and capacity both in government and the private
sector. This is not a new issue. In 1994, the Reconstruction and Development
Programme noted: "Human resource development must address the development of
human capabilities, abilities, and knowledge and know how to meet the people's
ever growing needs for goods and services, to improve their standard of living
and quality of life."

"It is a process in which the citizens of a nation acquire and develop the
knowledge and skill necessary for occupational tasks and for other social,
cultural, intellectual and political roles that are part and parcel of a
vibrant democratic society."

12 years later, we have again raised the same issue. This challenge must now
be tackled proactively. We would expect that local strategies that draw on
provincial and national skills and capacity development initiatives will
feature prominently in your Integrated Development Plans for 2007/08 and that
in the next annual LED conference we will be learning from your successes and
failures in implementing those strategies.

In this context I would want to bring to your attention that this entire
conference was organised by officials from my Ministry, my Department, Ithala,
the Dube TradePort, Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal and the Department of
Traditional and Local Government Affairs. There were no external event
organisers or consultants involved at any stage in the organisation of this
conference. I want to congratulate this team not only because of the effort you
put into it or the excellent organisation of this conference but because you
have demonstrated that we have the capacity and skills to organise such an
event. I would hope that the teams established to organise the district growth
and development summits would follow your example.

Some people had raised concerns about the sustainable use of natural
resources and the development of renewable energy sources in LED. This is an
important issue that should permeate your Integrated Development Plans. In a
similar vein, our Premier as well as other conference delegates have asked the
question 'Where are the women in LED?'

Indeed, holistic and integrated approaches are needed to address the
challenges posed by environmental sustainability, HIV and AIDS, the empowerment
of women, youth and Black people, the poor and marginalised of our society.
When we reconvene next year, we hope to hear of your successes and failures in
this regard. A concern was also raised about the implementation of IDPs and LED
Plans. It is true that some of the best plans crafted never see the light of
day due to non-implementation. Implementation appears as a daunting set of
activities where many are afraid to take the first step for fear of making
mistakes.

Let me assure you that it is 'better to have tried and failed than not to
have tried at all.' In many instances, success in development work is based on
mistakes and failures as long as we are able to learn from it and not repeat
those mistakes. Persistence is vital to achieving your goals. My message is
that once your plans are made, take the decisions required to implement them,
provide the support required for implementation and most importantly learn
through your actions.

The extent to which this conference could be deemed to be successful will
become evident in the discussions we will have at the next LED conference. If
we are still talking about alignment of planning between the spheres of
government and with our social partners then our efforts could be considered to
have been unsuccessful. If however, we are talking about practical
developmental issues, about our experiences and learning in implementing well
crafted IDPs, LED plans and spatial strategies, then, we would have made
significant progress.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This conference is a call to action. We are saying that there are many
opportunities out there waiting to be seized. We are saying that 'together, we
can accelerate local economic development.' In conclusion, I would like to
thank you for your attendance and participation, and wish you well in your
district summits and a safe journey back to your homes.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Finance and Economic Development, KwaZulu-Natal
Provincial Government
8 November 2006
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za)