Post-Apartheid National Spatial Development Planning in South Africa – A Brief History

Abstract

<jats:p>Since coming to power in 1994 successive ANC-governments have engaged in a series of attempts at national spatial development planning in South Africa. These engagements have received scant treatment in the planning literature. In this paper a broad overview of these initiatives is provided, with an emphasis on the different instruments; the context in which they were developed; the institutions that were proposed and/or created in support of the instruments; and the extent to which the instruments were implemented and what their levels of success were. The paper concludes with a call for comparative research, including South Africa, in this arena.</jats:p>

Re-Spatializing development: Reflections from South Africa’s recent re-engagement with planning for Special Economic Zones

“…In South Africa, spatial development planning is experiencing something of a revival after over two decades in which its potential was largely downplayed (Robbins, 2008;Oranje, 2010;Rogerson, 2014). As apartheid was based on the principle of spatial separation of people on racial grounds and associated differentiated spatial support, particularly for the various nominated black racial reserves, the post-apartheid government, understandably, was reluctant to continue a policy of spatial and regional development interventions which, de facto, may have been seen as supporting 'separate development' on racial grounds (Robbins, 2008).…”

National planning in South Africa: a critical review

“…The NSDP categorises the municipalities of South-Africa according to their economic potential and also their human need. According to Oranje [23] an 'unease' regarding the second version of the NSDP (2006) arose due to it being perceived as having a more unbalanced approach. Oranje states that the NSDP is often referred to as being 'ant-rural', stimulating growth only in urban areas of high potential and lower need, as opposed to rural areas mostly characterised by low potential and high need.…”

“…The 'framework', however, never got past the stage of initial mapping and died a still death. The NSDF came to abrupt end with the closure of the RDP offices in 1996 (Oranje [23]). …”

“…'In terms of the Cabinet's approval of the first NSDP (2003) it was not only meant to be an indicative tool for all spheres of government to guide development and expenditure, but also acted as a platform for discussion and debate regarding national planning (Oranje [23]). According to the NSDP, infrastructure investment should primarily support localities that will become major growth nodes in South Africa and the SADC region to create regional gateways to the global economy.…”

“…The SDI approach was developed based on the lessons learnt on regional development in the European Community (Oranje [23]). Robbins [25] affirms that the launch of the SDI 'heralded something of a shift in thinking towards some measure of recognition of the benefit of more spatially differentiated national policies and programmes'.…”