NEDLAC INVITES PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS ON THE GOVERNMENT OF
NATIONAL UNITY'S URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGIES
9 November 1995
On 12 October 1995, the Ministry in the Office of the President
tabled the Government of National Unity's urban and rural
development strategies in the Development Chamber of Nedlac. On the
same day, the ministry announced the strategies to the public and
media.
These two strategies represent government's 25-year vision for
sustainable development of South Africa's urban and rural centres.
The strategies aim to guide public and private investment in, and
define a new economic growth and development path for, urban and
rural areas.
The ministry has requested Nedlac to call for public submissions
and to hold public hearings on these two strategies. During the
last week Nedlac has placed advertisements calling for written
submissions in all major national and provincial newspapers, but
urgently needs the media to assist it with drawing the attention of
as wide a range of stakeholders as possible to the process to be
followed with these two extremely important strategies. The Nedlac
process can be summarised as follows:
- Written submissions to reach Nedlac not later than 4 December
1995.
- Public hearings to be held in January 1996 [the date(s) for
these hearings will be determined soon].
- On the basis of the information gathered, Nedlac will develop a
comprehensive report that will consider public opinion on the two
strategies.
- On the basis of this report, the constituencies in Nedlac -
business, labour, government and the community - will attempt to
reach consensus on their responses to the two strategies.
Once the Nedlac process has been completed, the report will be
submitted to the parliamentary portfolio committee on the
reconstruction and development programme. Thereafter Cabinet will
publish White Papers on urban and rural development.
It is important to note that the consultation process outlined
above will be definitive, and that a process for considering the
White Papers is not envisaged. The maximum participation by all
stakeholders in the submission process taking place now is,
therefore, a matter of the utmost urgency.
Submissions on the two strategies should be posted to:
Mr O. Zimande, Nedlac Development Chamber, P.O. Box 443,
Auckland Park 2006
or faxed to (011) 482-4650, or sent via electronic mail to
ruth@nedlac.org.za
If required, background information of and copies of the rural
and urban development strategies can be obtained from Lomin Saayman
on telephone (011) 482-2511.