The Free State Office of the Premier are finalizing plans to implement the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS) through the Free State Department of Corporate Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements (COGTA & HS). Over the next 11 months, all wards across the Free State will be involved in an intensive wall-to-wall ward planning initiative that will cover training of in-house trainers, production of over 300 Ward Plans, generating household profiles and identifying local economic development plans – as required by the Turnaround Strategy.

Operation Hlasela

The proposal was originally presented as a stand-alone initiative to the Free State COGTA & HS, was escalated to the Office of the Premier and has been incorporated into the Premier's Operation Hlasela Campaign. This Campaign informs the Provincial Government's Programme of Action (2009/2010).  The Premier's Office has delegated the responsibility for implementing the Turnaround Strategy to the Free State COGTA & HS.  The initiative has also been able to garner additional support for its implementation from DBSA and other key stakeholders.

Identifying Community Needs

Community based planning, often referred to as CBP, aims to engage communities in bottom-up planning through creating a platform where they can participate meaningfully in local government planning – because their needs ought to inform municipal planning around service delivery. “This intervention will provide a methodology to promote public participation in development” noted Dr. Vincent Hungwe, who is the Director of Programmes at Khanya-aicdd. “Key to this, will be promoting local government to plan and deliver services with communities’ needs being located squarely at the centre of the development process” he added. Khanya-aicdd will be supporting Free State COGTA & HS  to roll out this programme.

Community based Planning

The Community based planning (CBP) methodology was developed by Khanya-aicdd and tested in South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Ghana for use by municipalities and communities in South Africa. It has been designed to promote community action and make the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of a municipal area more people-centred.

Given the support towards implementing the Local Government Turnaround Strategy in the Free State, the Province is poised to give true meaning and form to the notion of the new social compact and people-centered development.

Contact Us

For more information about Community based planning or to discuss how we can assist you please go to our website, or call Masebotsa Lesoli or Sam Chimbuya on 051 430 0712, fax 051 430 8322 or send an email to capdev@khanya-aicdd.org requesting for more information.