A critical analysis of IDP on achieving socio economic development of communities in South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the ability of Integrated Development Plan in achieving socio-economic development of communities in South Africa. The triumph of Integrated Development Plan is considered vital in improving the socio-economic development of communities in South Africa. South Africa has a reasonably new democratic arrangement that focuses on promoting an enhancement of communities, over projects which should be affiliated with the Integrated Development Plans of local municipalities. Nevertheless, local municipalities continue to perform inadequately which results in local communities’ unhappiness with the poor quality of services provided to them. The paper gathers information in respect of various scholars’ notions on IDP and achieving socio-economic development in integrated development planning from related articles, journals, and books. The paper is based on the literature review. The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is a cornerstone of local governance in South Africa, designed to foster socio-economic development and enhance service delivery across municipalities. The IDP aligns municipal planning with national development priorities, offering a comprehensive framework to address local needs through participatory planning and decision-making. However, despite its objectives, the effectiveness of the IDP in achieving socio-economic development has been questioned, with implementation challenges hindering its success in many areas. A high number of populations in the upcoming years will be in developing countries, whose schemes are ill-prepared to deliver services to their local communities, and therefore more emphasis needs to be placed on municipal development projects .The study recommends that local governments shift towards a commercial line, to smooth socio-economic development. This is because the contemporary commercial tactic has moved from concentration on generating revenue to a concentration on making of worth and reimbursements for diverse sponsors, and, as such, administrative lineups and ventures must be established to accomplish this objective. Key Words:Integrated Development Plan, Municipalities, Socio-economic Development, Poverty, Development Projects