By Nontlantla Skenjana

Having assessed the manifestos presented for the 2009 Elections, one notes with concern that through the years, there are limited changes regarding rural development.

The 1994 RDP document and the current manifestos hardly reflect any changes. These are the same as reflected on Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP), which has not resulted in any significant changes to poverty and development levels, despite having identified key issues and four nodal points in the Eastern Cape.

It may be argued that, urban development and rural development should not be isolated but should be addressed concurrently. However, due to the fragile nature of rural livelihoods, it is a high calling and requires a specific and holistic engagement of all the development sectors, allocating specialised tasks and working together. Here it may be useful to briefly identify the key considerations of what is critical in rural development.

There have been visible changes in a number of communities in bringing infrastructure closer to the people. However, a positive capital environment (with water, sanitation and electricity) must be supported by both social and economic development. Infrastructure development remains crucial in sustaining rural economies as most rural production is dependent on urban markets, but there still needs to be economic and social opportunities. Roads and provision of farming implements still need to be improved, but with no plans on how to make these beneficial to the rural poor, very little development will be achieved. A favourable political environment and infrastructure have a direct bearing on social and economic development, but the reverse also applies.

Water access is a key social problem as the resource is a basic need. Most rural communities do not have access to clean water and have to walk long distances to access water whether in community taps, rivers, dams or springs. This results in water related illnesses like cholera and takes time away from economic activities. The ability to store water when in abundance is also important as without these capabilities, rural farmers depend on rain to water crops, which is mostly unreliable.

The introduction of democratically elected local government councillors in rural areas created duplicity of roles whereby the councillor and the chief find themselves sharing the same role, leading to conflicts. Traditional authorities are adamant they must be viewed as a significant part of municipal council. In the Eastern Cape, which is largely rural, and where traditional authorities enjoy legitimacy in many areas, this presents serious challenges to the efficacy of local government and the land reform process.

Traditional authorities believe they are the rightful custodians of communal land as they are permanent unlike democratically elected leaders that change every five years or sooner depending on political dynamics. They claim that the poor could be taken advantage of by the wealthy who will rent the land from them at minimal rates if land was placed in private hands.  Consequently, they view communal ownership of land as a control mechanism for the sustenance of rural populations.  Some academics and traditional authorities have advocated for the establishment of communal land associations/trusts to deal with land tenure concerns.

Obviously these power struggles tend to hinder service-delivery and development in general in the rural areas, areas where the impact can be life-threatening due to lack of services, infrastructure, geographical distances between households/support networks and clinics and hospitals. This means that it takes greater effort in rural areas to co-ordinate developmental programmes.

One of the characteristics of rural areas is that they are far from delivery centres and from access to quality civic services. Also, research has shown the majority of the rural population is dependent on social grants from the state. On one level, there are those who abuse the social grant system, but many rural households are headed by women as a result of the migrant labour system or better work opportunities in towns and cities.

In the absence of  adequate primary health care in the form of clinics and hospitals in rural areas, many people resort to traditional medicine, which is not inherently bad, but there are a lost of charlatans out there with little regard for basic hygiene.

While agriculture was a mainstay of the rural economy in the past, this is no longer the case with recent research showing that as little as 1.5% of rural households make their primary living off the land (Fort Hare Institute of Social and Economic Research, FHISER, 2007, Clara Report). This is exacerbated by land degradation due to erosion, overgrazing, alien species invasion and poverty rendering adequate land management practises impossible.

Although it is cheaper to live in rural areas, more value is placed on capital assets than on spending capacity (disposable income). For example, for many rural dwellers the priority would be to own land, a home, fields and livestock before considering other need such as education.

Rural communities often find ways of dealing with crime through the traditional leadership system while waiting for the justice system to intervene. This sometimes leads to unconstitutional penalties and sometimes mob justice. These forums need to be formalised so that the members are held accountable to the community and all legislative bodies and that the community members and leaders must be educated on the constitution and the responsibilities of the forums.

For the rural areas to be able to succeed in any industry whether it is agrarian or eco-tourism, it must have sufficient skilled labour. Therefore low education levels in rural areas have a negative impact on the achievement of any rural development goals due to the sustainability of rural projects. This challenge is more evident where there is a necessity for financial management skills and basic accounting. Projects often fail due to high expectations and lack of management skills. General education curricula need to take cognisance of this need and basic accounting is a skill which everybody could benefit from.

Rural development cannot be achieved through economic development alone but through concurrent and holistic programmes, which will change the direction of rural development in a positive manner. Moreover, it will take an understanding of all parties involved, that no stakeholder can do it alone. It needs a concerted effort by all.

Hopefully, after elections, parties will remember their commitments and promises listed in their manifestoes and they will attend to development challenges specific to rural areas.

REFERENCES
1. ANC, 1994: The Reconstruction and Development Programme, Umanyano: Johannessburg.
2. Kaplan A, 1996: The Development Practitioners’ Handbook, Pluto Press: London.
3. Lynch K., 2005: Rural-Urban Interaction in the Developing World, Routledge: Oxon.
4. Coetzee JK, Graaff J, Hendricks F & Wood G., 2004: Development – theory, policy & Practice, Oxford: South Africa
5. Greenberg, S., Where to for Rural Development after Polokwane? SACSIS: Abahlali 3.
6. www.anc.org.za
7. www.udm.org.za
8. www.congressofthepeople.org.za

The Transformer Vol. 15 No. 1 / February - March 2009