Drive’s on to give rural villages a boost

IN AN ideal world, no villager or citizen of a small town should feel the need to migrate. Every one of them should be confident to not only earn their livelihood in their villages and small towns, but also to make economic progress.

Unfortunately, irrespective of the national income levels, poverty is consistently higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The truth is, the economic growth of a country isn't possible unless there is a positive change in the livelihood of rural people.

Rural towns and villages are largely unable to compete economically, prompting migration, mainly to the urban areas and big cities. The rural towns and villages tend to rely more on agricultural production as a main driver of economic activity, subjecting them to the price swings of national and global markets and exposure to the weather risks inherent to farming.

In order for small communities to continue to survive, it is important that they become more connected to the global marketplace, and that we continue to build and support these communities. This requires investments in infrastructure and equally important, growing small town economies require careful planning that capitalises on regional and provincial strategies.

The drive to provide for the future is inherent in the provincial government’s value system. That is why my executive team and I have adopted the implementation of an Integrated Small Town Revitalisation Strategy (ISTRS).

The ISTRS aims to motivate the poor to work out ways and means to allocate something out of scarcity which in turn would strengthen their capacities to provide beyond their present needs. This includes developing incomegenerating skills.

The ISTRS ensures the provincial and national departments work as a collective to develop the socioeconomic infrastructure of towns, coordinate their economic development and anti-poverty initiatives.

Here are a few examples of ISTRS projects:

Ngqushwa: Development of the Peddie Tourism and Recreational Park; construction of an amphitheatre, planting of grass, paving and installation of park furniture.

Nkonkobe: Paving of sidewalks in Alice Central Business District (CBD).

Mbhashe: Developing the Dutywa Tourism and Recreational Park through fencing, planting of grass and installation of children’s play equipment.

Engcobo: Upgrading the Transido Industrial Zone and facilities through fencing and renovations.

Ikwezi: Paving of Main Street and sidewalks in Jansenville CBD.

Port St Johns: Upgrading of tourism facilities through the installation of traffic and dumping signage and road markings.

Sundays River Valley: Development of bankable business plan for resource mobilisation.

Through the ISTRS, we want to take the resources found in the rural areas and use them to generate income for the rural folk.

The availability of basic amenities and certain infrastructure, such as electricity and drinking water, adequate street lighting, proper drainage, waste recycling, good education and health facilities, are naturally imbibed in the concept of a model village.

Although extensive improvements have been made to infrastructure in recent years, agriculture still remains the mainstay of the economy in the rural provinces. However, it does not provide sufficient employment and income-generating opportunities for the people living in these regions.

The processing of agricultural produce locally and, by extension, the on-site creation of value, offer considerable potential for addressing these issues, yet such activities are currently taking place only on a very small scale.

The vast distance separating these rural areas from the economic centres also reduces the potential for sales.

Sometimes the prospects of economic development in rural areas are seriously affected by access to water-supply resources.

Figuring out how much supply is available, how it should be allocated, and how the supply infrastructure should be paid for, needs to become an important priority for municipal, provincial and community leaders.

Phumulo Masualle is premier of the Eastern Cape