Development planning peculiarities in the city of Tshwane, South Africa: A case study

The cooperative governance model espoused in the democratic South African Constitution requires the three spheres of the local, provincial and national governments to coordinate their service delivery strategies and institutional plans to strengthen efficiency, coherence and accountability toward improving performance efficacy and the quality of citizens’ life. However, political and ideological contestations in a situation where different political parties are in power at national, provincial and local government levels result in the lack of alignment between the Integrated Development Plan and the National Development Plan, which denies citizens access to good quality services. This study reviewed various literature sources, governance policies and strategies to analyse whether the Integrated Development Plan of the City of Tshwane Metro Council under the governance of the multi-party coalition led by the Democratic Alliance can align with the National Development Plan, which is a creation of the African National Congress-led national government. A Qualitative approach informed the study, guided by a literature review to collate data and arrive at findings. The findings revealed a lack of alignment between the Integrated Development Plan of the City of Tshwane and the National Development Plan during the Democratic Alliance’s control, which results in a disjointed approach to planning; poor implementation of local government services; and slow social-economic development that hamper the improvement of the quality of lives of citizens in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, perpetuating societal inequalities. It is recommended that institutional and political leaders in the three spheres of government in South Africa, and the citizenry, should put ‘all hands on deck’ and work together for the betterment of the country, despite differences in political strategies and policy approaches.