Multi-purpose community centres : a local economic development strategy towards sustainable community empowerment and poverty alleviation in the Dwars River region

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:In South Africa, Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) have been identifiedas the primary approach for the implementation of development communicationand information as they potentially offer a wide range of services thatcommunities can utilise for their own empowerment. This affords the communityan opportunity to become more self-reliant. The new Local EconomicDevelopment (LED) policy paper (2002) highlights the mobilisation of internalresources, capacities and skills consistent with the sustainable developmentobjectives that government is now more aggressively pursuing.Community participation and empowerment play a significant role in anycommunity, therefore, municipalities need to create the conditions for greaterpublic participation and empowerment. It should be done with regards to thedisadvantaged or marginalised groups in accordance with the conditions andcapacities in a municipality. In the Dwars River region, various services are beingplanned ranging from skills development to tourism, but these depend onsufficient financial aid.The nature and location of the MPCCs in South Africa makes financialsustainability difficult because the majority of them largely serve historicallydisadvantaged communities with limited financial resources to pay for services. Itis also important to note that economic growth does not necessarily imply povertyalleviation and/or skills development as components of the government'scommunication and information approach. MPCCs can transform communitiesbut will be time consuming and requires participation from all spheres ofgovernment and civil society.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University