Local Economic development (LED) has become the "new" development model after impasse of the traditional forms of development. While the wave of a 'new development paradigm' seems to drive processes and goals of all levels of governments, it appears that development requires a particular system for successful implementation. It is currently unclear as to whether public bureaucratic system which has almost become a synonym to government is a capable vehicle to implement local development which is participatory, relevant and sustainable.
In this case, it still remains to be proven that democratization has really taken place in many governments, not the least developing countries. The discussions and debates around bureaucratization and democratization-how they should be conceptualized implemented - have not been given adequate attention in public conversation. The kind of forces that are intrinsic in each of these systems need to be made explicit, and related to sustainable livelihoods kind of development. This is a gap that seem to exist in the "new" development model, LED.
In South Africa LED has become a contested space, with tensions and pressures between the government and intended beneficiaries. service delivery related protests between 2004 and 2005 financial year South Africa's ministry of safety and security reported 5085 legal protests (averaging 16 per day) and 881 illegal protests ( (Atkinson in 2007 State of the Nation, 2006:58, Bond and Chitonge, 2007:1). These protests fly over performance awards to municipalities. The question then becomes, whose development, how, by who and with who...
In Kenya the concept of decentralization of both governance and development seem to apparently translate to tribalism, nepotism, and other ugly faces of a bureaucratic system.
Thus questions and problems exist in LED conceptualization and implementation. My Masters dissertation focuses on South Africa's eThekwini (Metro) municipality, investigating how LED is operationalised. Whether outcome indicators exist, and if so, who sets these indicators on basis of what. The themes that recur in my research will be sustainable livelihoods, LED, Integrated Development Plans (IDP), and outcomes. Indispensable themes that cushion the project will be participatory methodology of economic development.
Jason-School of Development Studies, UKZN South Africa
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