2013_14 IDP Review.pdf - KZN Development Planning

The key issue to consider from the age distribution of the people is theextent to which the lifecycle needs of the different age groups can be metthrough the spatial planning process.4.1 Gender distributionGender distribution is important since it provides an indicator of the extentof migrant labour in the municipal area. Male absenteeism indicates thatmen left the area to work elsewhere. The opposite is an indication of theavailability of jobs and job opportunities.There are substantially more females in all Msinga, Nqutu and Umvotiwhile Endumeni has a more “normal” distribution in terms of the nationalprofile. One can safely assume that there are large numbers of malesleaving the area to work elsewhere. From a social development point ofview, this leads to a range of challenges. From an economic point of view,it introduces the concept of a displaced economic base for the area. Itimplies that the areas real economic base is elsewhere and in planning forthe area one should recognise that national and even internationaleconomic trends and tendencies might have a bigger impact on thewellbeing of the local population than local economic factors itself. Forexample, if a large number of the migrants are working on the Free StateGoldfields a drop in the gold price that might cause the closure of a minein Welkom will increase poverty in Msinga.Figure 1: Gender ratiosDraft 2013/14 IDP Review Page 167Prepared by Umzinyathi District Municipality22 March 2013