the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 119
According to Municipal Systems Act of 2000, all municipalities are required to
produce an Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The following steps must be
followed in the IDP process:
(1) Proper Public Participation to raise awareness in communities about the IDP
process and how they get the opportunity to identify their needs.
(2) Investigation of the natural, human and economic potential of the area’s
resources to fulfil the above-mentioned IDP vision.
(3) Annual monitoring and evaluation of the performance measures and
changing circumstances.
The Richtersveld Municipality has an excellent record of producing useful and
comprehensive IDPs. The IDP is an important process in the region, because of the
history of marginalisation of the people and the municipality’s ambition to provide
better lives for the Richtersveld people. The first IDP was produced under the
auspices of the old Richtersveld Transitional Council (RTC) when the Vision was
coined that was later adopted by the entire municipal area. The amalgamated
municipality produced its first IDP in 2002. Every year the IDP has been reviewed
and several awareness meetings of the IDP process have been held in
Eksteenfontein, Kuboes, Sandrift, Lekkersing, Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay.
The 2002 IDP identified four priority areas for the Richtersveld:
• Infrastructure and services
• Livelihood and job creation
• Conservation of natural and cultural resources
• Normalising access and opportunity
Some specific sectors identified as requiring further suitable development were:
• Tourism
• Infrastructure
• Agriculture and Stockfarming