Comprehensive Rural Development Programme
CRDP background
In July 2009, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) was approved by Cabinet. The CRDP aims to mobilise and empower rural communities to take initiatives aimed at control of their own destiny - with the support of government. The goal of the CRDP is to achieve social cohesion and development by ensuring improved access to b
asic services, enterprise development and village industrialisation. The CRDP implements broad based-agrarian transformation focussing on community organisation and mobilisation as well as strategic investment in economic and social infrastructure. The CRDP proposes an approach that addresses the needs of the person, household, community and space. It is built on the premise that rural areas in the country have the potential to be developed in a way that generates jobs and economic opportunities, thus providing an alternative to the urban centres, and contributing to the reduction in ruralurban migration. Furthermore, although agriculture plays a significant role in rural development, the CRDP proposes diversification of the rural economy, according to conditions prevailing in different areas. The CRDP consists of three phases:
Meeting basic needs
Enterprise development
Establishment of village industries and creation of access to credit facilities. Although it has been just over two years since the (August 2009) introduction of the CRDP in Muyexe, Limpopo, great strides have since been made to create an enabling environment for people in rural areas to take charge of their lives. In his 2009 State-of-the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma stressed the importance of improving the lives of rural dwellers when he said ‘for as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent living from the land on which they live… we shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty’. The success of CRDP relies heavily on the participation of other departments in all three tiers of government and the involvement of relevant stakeholders, not least the villagers themselves. This in turn will ensure that the vision of creating vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities is realised, and the bleak image that haunts rural areas will finally be eradicated. In all the villages where the CRDP is currently being implemented, a sense of vibrancy is evident. Villagers are now fostering a spirit of unity and togetherness. Moral fibre, for too long dormant, is in the process of remerging and establishing optimism. Recreational centres are being built to encourage the youth the join this emerging spirit, and to foreswear drugs, alcohol and other temptations debilitating to morality. The creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods lies at the heart of the CRDP. The programme commits itself to ensuring that at least one person in each rural household where the CRDP is being implemented is employed, for a minimum period of two years. Job creation at phase one is driven mostly by construction of basic services infrastructure and food security initiatives. The department together with other sector departments and social partners has made significant progress in the implementation of phase one, but the transition to the second phase, enterprise development, has progressed more slowly. This is a critical area that will ensure sustainability of the programme. To ensure sustainability, communal ownership, and effective contribution towards the overall objectives of developing rural areas, the department enters into social compacts with the community, as well as contractual relationships with unemployed community members. To address the issue of food security, the department has crafted its plans around ensuring sustainable land reform. This is aligned with the CRDP, thereby making a substantive contribution to the availability of food for all, providing access to job opportunities and regular incomes
