Mid Term Report - Gauteng Online

on a revised Gauteng Environmental ImplementationPlan and the Gauteng Strategy for SustainableDevelopment (GSSD). These strategies seek anintegrated approach to land use, developmentplanning and the sustainable use of resources,including managing the environmental impacton non-renewable resources. This led to thedevelopment of the GSSD that is consistent with theGrowth and Development Strategy.The Gauteng Strategy forSustainable DevelopmentThe GSSD, which is expected to be approvedin 2007, provides a framework to ensure that allstrategic policy planning and other initiatives withinthe province are informed by international andnational sustainable development guidelines. Theframework ensures that priority interventions arecontextualized and developed within Gauteng’ssustainable development needs. The priorities of thisframework address capacity building and humanresource development for sustainable development;managing good intergovernmental and societalrelations to promote plans that deal with, amongstothers, pollution, water, sanitation, municipalplanning, building regulations, municipal healthservices, electricity and gas reticulation; findingsolutions to economic development for sustainabledevelopment and building sustainable humansettlements.Environmental managementIn 2005, an increase in cases of non-compliancehighlighted the need to expand the provincialgovernment’s capacity to ensure compliance andenforcement of environmental laws. To this endan Environmental Management Inspectorate waslaunched in 2006. In addition, sophisticated satellitetechniques, together with formal policing methods,will be utilized to track illegal developments anddamage caused to the environment.Social developmentAlongside strategies to stimulate shared economicgrowth and job creation, the provincial governmentdeveloped a comprehensive Gauteng SocialDevelopment Strategy which was adopted in 2006following consultation with stakeholders. Thisprovides an integrated multi-facetted approach totackle poverty, marginalisation and social exclusionfocused on the poorest and most vulnerablecommunities, families, households and individuals.The strategy aims to counter tendencies towardsthe urbanization of poverty, social exclusion,inequality, the disruption of social support systemsand dysfunctional families in global city regions. Itmoves away from a welfarist approach to socialdevelopment and instead adopts a developmentalapproach.In addition to providing a social safety net, theaim is to empower the vulnerable and build strongand caring communities in which the efforts of civilsociety, families and other social institutions aregeared towards supporting those in need. Efforts willbe directed towards enabling increasing numbers ofpeople to move beyond poverty and dependencyto development, dignity and self-reliance. The socialdevelopment strategy should contribute towardsenabling more people to become active participantsin the economy, resulting in sustainable livelihoodsand sustainable communities.It prioritises the needs of those who have weakfinancial and social support, placing vulnerablechildren, youth, women, the disabled and theelderly at the core of development efforts. The multisectoralapproach ensures that a range of provincialdepartments collaborate with each other to enablehouseholds to access a comprehensive set ofservices, including shelter, nutrition, child and youthdevelopment, education and health care.Midterm Report - 2004/06 • 27