Poor implemetation of local economic development policies: The district development model impact on the national and regional free trade market

Abstract

Post 1994, SA had several strategies aimed at unlocking the economy's potential and correcting the uneven distribution of wealth in the country. However, 25 years later, the country still needs to achieve those goals. It is as if all the efforts and money spent on producing strategic documents end up only on paper and are not implemented. This has led the rest of the country, including the residents of the North-West Province, to have little confidence in the Government’s capability to deliver on all that has been planned and promised to the communities, irrespective of the increased government expenditure post-1994. The aim is to examine the challenges relating to the LED implementation Strategy in the North-West and its effects on the regional and national free trade market and develop recommendations to be included in the district development model in the North-West. The study was done through a literature review, and it took a positivism approach where quantitative techniques were used to analyse data. The challenges are that the LED strategy implementation is not costed, and the funding model within the strategy is not transparent. Not all participants within the province inputted the strategy, making it challenging to implement. Furthermore, the regional policies do not include free trade, which will impact Africa. In conclusion, all the variables set in the national strategy should be considered in the desired framework of the region. It is recommended that stakeholder engagement should be explored. There should be an action plan that goes with a strategy. The funding model should be crafted and included in the multiyear budget for the entire time until the strategy is fully implemented. Monitoring and evaluation of each project and phase within the strategy should be done. Consequence management for non-performance should be introduced. Policies should not only be inward-based, but the considerations of the impact and benefits of the whole region should be considered.