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MUNICIPAL OVERVIEW
www.kzncogta.gov.za
ENSURING DEVELOPMENT Provide services where local municipalities do not
have the capacity to do so
Under the South African system of representative
democracy, the local sphere of government has District Development Agencies
evolved to consist of 257 municipalities who have At a KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Cabinet Lekgotla
the right to govern their own communities, subject to held on 11 -13 September 2012, a resolution was
national and provincial legislation. These municipalities taken to establish District Development Agencies
comprise eight metropolitan, 44 district and 205 local (DDAs) to provide effective business and investor
municipalities. facilitation and support to reduce regulatory
Local government in KwaZulu-Natal is organised burden. This concept is intended to serve as future
into the eThekwini Metropolitan Council, and ten local economic growth drivers of all the district and
district municipalities, namely: Amajuba; iLembe; local municipalities in KZN. A key aspect of this
Harry Gwala; Ugu; uMgungundlovu; uMkhanyakude; programme is to promote the active involvement
uMzinyathi; uThukela; King Cetshwayo and Zululand. of the private sector in the planning and
Each district is further divided into a varying number implementation of catalytic commercial economic
of local municipalities. The KZN Department of Co- development initiatives at the local level.
operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)
is responsible for performing oversight and support to The agencies will create an enabling environment in
its municipalities. which local people, institutions and businesses can
take realistic and practical decisions to strengthen
The district municipalities have important roles to play the local economies, create more jobs at local level
to support municipalities to perform responsibilities and promote new enterprises.
for which they possess neither the finances nor human
resources. The role of districts, according to the The following agencies have been established:
Municipal Structures Act, is to ensure the, “integrated, Enterprise iLembe:
sustainable, and equitable social and economic www.enterpriseilembe.co.za
development of its area as a whole”. Harry Gwala Development Agency:
www.thesda.co.za
Essentially, the role of district municipalities is to: Umhlosinga Development Agency:
Ensure integrated development planning for the
www.umda.org.za
district as a whole uThukela Economic Development Agency
Promote bulk infrastructure and services
Build the capacity of weaker local municipalities Hibiscus Coast Development Agency:
Facilitate economies of scale www.hcda.co.za
Encourage a measure of redistribution of Midlands Economic Development Agency
resources between municipalities and more Okhahlamba Development Agency:
equitable services www.okhahlamba.com
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