View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
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Furthennore, Table 1.1 illustrates the weakness <strong>of</strong> the economy due to the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
diversification. Only the government and community services sector as wee as the agriculture,<br />
forestry, and fishing sectors contribute significantly to the GGP. This leaves the municipal<br />
area vulnerable to external economic and political influences such as commodity prices and<br />
political changes. Ulundi depends heavily on the government services however the current<br />
government policy does not support it as the provincial capital. Following the loss <strong>of</strong> its<br />
status as a provincial legislative capital, Ulundi faces potential economic decline. The sectors<br />
(manufacturing, electricity, water, construction, trade, transport, communications and<br />
finance/real estate) are underutilised. Based on the socio-economic challenge that faces the<br />
study area, the research question is: To what extent, can planning that takes into account the<br />
cultural, land use and physical landscape attributes, improve the possibility <strong>of</strong> developmental<br />
activities in the Ulundi Local Municipality?<br />
In an effort to answer the above-cited research question, the following secondary questions<br />
are pertinent:<br />
• What are the existing landscape and cultural attributes, and how knowledgeable and<br />
interested is the local community about their socio-economic capabilities?<br />
• How far have the local economic development (LED) processes within the framework<br />
<strong>of</strong> integrated development planning (lOP) accommodated the needs <strong>of</strong> the less<br />
privileged in tenns <strong>of</strong>sustainable development projects?<br />
• To what extent have stakeholders participated in the development agendas <strong>of</strong>the local<br />
municipality?<br />
• To what degree has an understanding <strong>of</strong> the effectiveness and efficiency <strong>of</strong> the<br />
existing structures and decision-making machinery in the Ulundi Local Municipality<br />
been established for better quality <strong>of</strong> life in Ulundi?<br />
1.3.1 Objectives <strong>of</strong>the studv<br />
Flowing from the fundamental research questions stated earlier, the study aims at realising the<br />
following objectives:<br />
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