Mbhashe Municipality has formulated this Integrated Development Plan in partnership with all stakeholders in an effort to achieve a coordinated and efficient development plan, which will meet the priority needs expressed by Mbhashe’s communities.  The process involved extensive participatory planning and was completed during the period from September 2001 to April 2002.

Subsequent to the completion of the IDP, a review and amendment phase of the Mbhashe IDP took place from July 2002.  This was supported by the Rural Livelihoods Programme, which has a number of development programmes initiated in Mbhashe, including an institutional support role to the Municipality.

Consistent with the provisions of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 (section 34) the Municipality initiated the review of the IDP in March 2003, March 2004 and March 2005. This version of the IDP is the outcome of the January 2006 review process.

Refer Plan 1 – Study Area

Mbhashe is a Category B Municipal area and is comprised of 24 administrative wards.  Three main urban centres, namely Dutywa, Willowvale and Elliotdale, serve Mbhashe.  The majority of the population lives in the surrounding rural areas. Many of Mbhashe’s inhabitants live in poverty.  A poverty not only reflected in financial terms where approximately 80% of the population survives on household incomes of less than R 800 per month, but is also reflected in the fact that jost of the population (more than 80% of the population) have no access to basic infrastructure such as water , sanitation, and electricity. The entire road system in Mbhashe comprised of approximately 1621 kms of road. Of this the tarred roads (comprising the N2, District Road DR08257 (Dutywa to Engcobo) and Main road DR08045 (Dutywa to Willowvale)) make up a small percentage.  Although the tarred roads are in a good condition, jost of the gravel roads are in need of repair and maintenance.  Many of the jost poverty stricken areas in Mbhashe can be attributed to the lack of access to these areas due to poor road conditions.

However, Mbhashe boasts many development potentials within the region.  The community demonstrates keenness to develop themselves socially and economically through their many locally based community initiatives and local agrarian practices.  Mbhashe’s strategic location along the Coast makes it a significant area within the Eastern Cape and South Africa for tourism and is accordingly recognized as a key national spatial development area (part of the Wild Coast SDI).

The agricultural potential of the area is vast and includes potential for fruit and vegetable farming, maize farming, forestry, mariculture, stock farming, irrigation farming etc.  These potentials have been recognized through the Rural Livelihoods Programme and the Department of Agriculture who have ongoing initiatives in the area.

Various planning initiatives and other development programmes are also active in the area, providing the momentum for continued physical, social and economic development to the area. 

Social and economic development is to a large extent held back by the lack of formal tenure arrangements in Mbhashe.  Land reform and planning is necessary for promoting development in Mbhashe.

On the basis of technical studies and through the IDP consultative planning process the key development priorities of Mbhashe are as follows:

 (At a district wide level agreement was reached on clustering the priority issues within four (4) strategic clusters as follows: -

Local Economic Development  & Environment

To foster economic development through SMMEs, agriculture and tourism in order to reduce unemployment and achieve wealth creation and growth.

The priority issues dealt with in this cluster include exploitation of LED opportunities, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism-related initiatives, and the management of natural resources.

Social Needs

To address the backlog in the total range of health care facilities from hospitals, clinics to mobile emergency services.

HIV/AIDS: Focused attention on the HIV/AIDS pandemic through welfare support, social development and coordination of the District effort.

Other priority issues dealt with in this cluster include education, public amenities, sports and recreation, safety and security, public transport, housing and land reform.

Infrastructure

To address the huge backlog in infrastructure:  The priority issues dealt with in this cluster include water and sanitation, roads, electricity and street lighting, housing and solid waste disposal.

Roads:  Maintenance, refurbishment and extension of the road network and transport system in order to provide integrated movement of people, goods and services, thereby enabling economic development.

Institutional and Financial

Human Resource development:  Training and capacity building required in the institutional structures of the municipality.

The priority issues dealt with in this cluster include institutional skills and capacity building, municipal buildings, communication, ward committees and related institutions, disaster management, networks and partnerships, and the financial plan.

It is important to identify and highlight important links between these clusters e.g. roads leading to clinics although being infrastructural have an impact on the social need relating to health.  In the development of the cluster programmes these links remained of primary importance.

Guidance was sought from the Development Facilitation Act, the Eastern Cape Provincial Spatial Development Plan and the Amatole District Municipalities Spatial Development Framework in formulating development policies and the Spatial Development Framework Plan for Mbhashe.  As an outcome of this Spatial Development Framework Plan, twelve (12) Development Precincts were identified within the Mbhashe area, which provides spatial guidance as to where what type of development should focus in the short to medium term.  These areas have been defined on the basis of their potential for varying levels of investment (i.e. basic needs, capacity building and strategic investment) in support of a holistic and sustainable approach to development (refer to Plan 6 – Spatial Development Framework - Precincts).

The Mbhashe Municipality has identified projects to an estimated value of R 161 930 000 for five years (this includes capital and operational cost estimates).

The document is structured as follows:

Chapter 1:      Executive Summary

Chapter 2:      Introduction and Planning Process

Chapter 3:      Situation Analysis

Chapter 4:      Priority Issues, Objectives and Strategies

Chapter 5:      Performance Management Framework

Chapter 6:      Cluster Project Programmes

Chapter 7:      Sector Plans and Programmes

Chapter 8:      Financial Plan