Twenty years after South Africa gained freedom and democracy, the question is whether this freedom is for the urban population only or is it for both rural and urban populations? Or does the urban population enjoy freedom at the expense of the rural poor?
Let’s give this grandchild a key to success by providing proper access to education. By so doing we will be giving him a skill which his father and grandfather never had and he can one day go out and seek skilled labour unlike his forefathers. In doing so he will change the standard of living of his family and subsequently the area.
If you change this mud/gravel road you will change the standard of living for the people of this area in a number of ways.
Firstly, temporarily because they will be queuing for the job opportunities created by upgrading this mud road. Road infrastructure goes a long way in education.
It gives one access to education and freedom to access knowledge.
As much as this won’t give the whole meaning of what it means to be free, it’s the first step to better things. Without it, anything else becomes impossible.
“Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits.
“Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty,” says Unesco.
Ntabankulu is the second poorest town in the country. Upgrading this road can be the first step in breaking the poverty cycle in this poverty stricken area.
From the spatial planning point of view, the current situation is a result of poor planning – how do you plan for school facilities without ensuring proper access? This elevates the importance of integration that spatial planning is done at local, regional and national levels.
No spatial planner can operate in silos – integration must take centre stage because so many plans make up a spatial plan, including transport and environment plans, land use schemes etc.
We need to manage space and development to create better places, responding to the needs of society, the economy and environment.
We also need to understand the nature of space economy and how urban and rural areas support or depend on each other.
In terms of spatial planning this route is the strategic corridor linking major nodes being Flagstaff and Ntabankulu and it has the potential to unlock tourism and economic opportunities in the area.
Andile Mbarane is a town planner for Ntabankulu Local Municipality
20 years on, bad roads keep rural poor shackled
Let’s give this grandchild a key to success by providing proper access to education. By so doing we will be giving him a skill which his father and grandfather never had and he can one day go out and seek skilled labour unlike his forefathers. In doing so he will change the standard of living of his family and subsequently the area.
If you change this mud/gravel road you will change the standard of living for the people of this area in a number of ways.
Firstly, temporarily because they will be queuing for the job opportunities created by upgrading this mud road. Road infrastructure goes a long way in education.
It gives one access to education and freedom to access knowledge.
As much as this won’t give the whole meaning of what it means to be free, it’s the first step to better things. Without it, anything else becomes impossible.
“Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits.
“Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty,” says Unesco.
Ntabankulu is the second poorest town in the country. Upgrading this road can be the first step in breaking the poverty cycle in this poverty stricken area.
From the spatial planning point of view, the current situation is a result of poor planning – how do you plan for school facilities without ensuring proper access? This elevates the importance of integration that spatial planning is done at local, regional and national levels.
No spatial planner can operate in silos – integration must take centre stage because so many plans make up a spatial plan, including transport and environment plans, land use schemes etc.
We need to manage space and development to create better places, responding to the needs of society, the economy and environment.
We also need to understand the nature of space economy and how urban and rural areas support or depend on each other.
In terms of spatial planning this route is the strategic corridor linking major nodes being Flagstaff and Ntabankulu and it has the potential to unlock tourism and economic opportunities in the area.
Andile Mbarane is a town planner for Ntabankulu Local Municipality
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