Botswana and Zambia  set to launch national LED programmes 

The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) in partnership with the Local Economic Development Network for Africa (LEDNA) hosted a workshop on Local Economic Development in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa, from 20 – 21 August 2009.

The two-day event held at the UCLGA Interim Secretariat brought together representatives of UCLGA, LEDNA, the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA), the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).  

The workshop was convened to establish the needs and prerequisites for the launch of national LED programmes in Botswana and Zambia as part of the pilot phase of the UCLGA’s LED Project in partnership with the Local Economic Development Network for Africa (LEDNA). This is a sub-regional project targeting two other countries in East Africa, in addition to the two southern African countries represented at the event. The project forms part of the UCLGA’s Governance, Advocacy and Decentralised Development Programme for Africa (GADDEPA). The workshop also served to introduce LEDNA, the ECOLOC methodology and various LED experiences in West and Central Africa to participants. Presentations on the foregoing were made by LEDNA Coordinator, Dr François Yatta, who was also the technical facilitator of the workshop.

Participants also followed presentations from LGAZ and BALA on the state of decentralization, tiers of governments, types of local governments, donors programs in support of decentralization, national legislation on LED, and the main lines of a desired national LED program in their respective countries.

 It transpired during post-presentation discussions that there is an urgent need for adequate legal and institutional frameworks in the two countries to ensure the successful implementation of national LED programmes. The two country presentations revealed that national decentralisation policies remained ineffective in both cases. In addition, it came out clearly that the two national associations would require capacity enhancement support from UCLGA and LEDNA in order to effectively play their role in LED processes at national level. Particular emphasis was placed on information sharing among national association with particular focus on innovative practices. Participants adopted a number of concrete steps moving forward including field missions to participating countries, feasibility studies, capacity-building exercises, etc… to be implemented within the next six months.

Reflecting on the issue of decentralization in Africa generally, participants agreed that there is a need for a concerted, collective effort of African local governments for the development of a guiding decentralization framework appropriate for the African context.

 Addressing participants at the end of the workshop, UCLGA President, Cllr Smangaliso Mkhasthwa, who observed the proceedings, indicated that the state of a country’s economy determines the state of that country’s democracy. He added that everything that determines the happiness of a people can only happen within the context of sustainable economic development. He expressed the UCLGA’s particular interest in economic development and further indicated that, to that end, the UCLGA embarked on a programme called 2020 Economic Development Programme for Africa in 2007, and had also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2006 which was centred around partnership in addressing Africa’s development challenges in the areas of, amongst others, broadening good governance and ensuring sustainability; local economic development; promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts and identifying the challenges of NEPAD and developing a common strategy and priority initiatives for joint implementation.  Cllr Mkhatshwa urged that the UCLGA and LEDNA should ensure that this important partnership with NEPAD is brought into this LED process.  Cllr Mkhatshwa called for a paradigm shift in terms of the role and responsibilities of local government in economic development processes. He concluded by reiterating the UCLGA’s keenness to participate actively and co-own the programme.   

For more information on the UCLGA LED Project, kindly contact:

Mr. Charles Patsika
Email: ckpatsika@uclgafrica.org