ASSIGNMENT COVER

REGION: MATEBELELAND NORTH

PROGRAMME: POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES INTAKE: 3

FULL NAME OF STUDENT: NOMATHAMSANQA NDLOVU PIN: P1959422C

MAILING ADDRESS: nomahg718@gmail.com

CONTACT TELEPHONE/CELL: 0775129016 ID. NO.: 75-391691 P53

COURSE NAME: RURAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE CODE: MSDS511

ASSIGNMENT NO. : 1 DUE DATE: 31 DECEMBER 2020

ASSIGNMENT TITLE:

Using real life examples, create and motivate a clear rural industrial development strategy that
peak to rurality and the rural development needs of your country. Show clearly how your
programme can catalyse rural industrialisation that would spur sustainable rural socio-economic
development. In your strategy, identify eight focus areas that would constitute your strategy
thrust and FULLY demonstrate how the focus areas can be a game changer for rural
development. (100 marks)

MARKER’S COMMENTS:
______________________________________________________

OVERALL MARK: _____________ MARKER’S NAME:

________________________
MARKER’S SIGNATURE:_______________________________ DATE: ___________
Issue Date: 3 October 2013 Revision 0
ABSTRACT

Rural development is a fast growing topic in any countries from the developed world to the

developing countries. Governments have been torn apart with resultant civil wars due to

improper handling of the rural development topic. This write-up is a model of rural development

which is focused on creating a sustainable growth path that is centered on tertiary industry

development. The development strategy has eight pillars which are the focal points. These focal

points range from infrastructure to social and administrative issues. The implementation of this

draft plan encompasses many stakeholders from the Central government to humanitarian

organisations and most importantly the communities and community leaders.

Introduction and Background

Rural development has grown to be a topic of interest to many third world country governments

both in Africa and around the globe. The underdevelopment of many rural areas in third world

countries has resulted in retarded growth in these countries with resources being channeled to

these mainly marginalised areas with very little effect towards overall economic development.

The reorientation of industrialization focus from urban centered to rural centered models has

potential to spur development in many poor countries. This view is shared by Sen, (1981) who

concludes that multisectoral growth is the epitome of macroeconomic development and the

foundations are rooted in rural development.

The definition of rural differs from country to country, though it is usually used in contrast to

urban. For instance, this word is defined based on population density in Japan, indicating an area

other than an area with over 5,000 people, which consists of each district with a population

density of over 4,000 per square kilometer (JICA, 2000). However, this cannot simply be

applied to all countries. The use of rural including reliance on primary production as a relative

concept to urban, based on social, economical, and natural conditions in each country may be

most adequate. The term could also be used to describe areas where a majority of the residents

are engaged in agriculture in a broad sense including livestock farming, forestry, and fisheries,

according to (Hobo, 1996). The final beneficiaries of development assistance are local people in

rural areas. USAID, (2001) goes on to postulate that most rural residents in many developing

countries mainly in the least developed countries, are engaged in and depend on local agriculture,

forestry, and fishery resources to make a living. If the local people are final beneficiaries of

development assistance, the aim of rural development can be defined as the improvement of
sustainable livelihoods especially impoverished groups, with careful attention paid to local

characteristics.

Stakeholder Analysis

In creating a rural development strategy it is important to note that there are many stakeholders

who may play a crucial role albeit at different levels to make the strategy a successful reality.

Industrialization has been the force behind the growth of many economies since time

immemorial. From the first industrial revolution in Great Britain to the fourth industrial

revolution being witnessed in China, Singapore and many other fast growing countries,

industrialization takes the center stage, this calls for a sustainable rural industrialization strategy

in Zimbabwe. As this is a multisectoral plan which involves stakeholders such rural community

leaders, government, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the business community, therefore

wide consultations are needed in order to come up with a strategy that is well supported which

ultimately brings results. Traditional community leaders who include Chiefs and Headman's are

to be included in the initial stages of the planning as these stakeholders are the custodians of the

culture in rural communities. The involvement of the government and its institutions is crucial as

this determines the extent to which the strategy gets the nod in terms of political acceptance.

Businesses play an important role in facilitating development in any area, in this model

businesses are regarded as the catalysts in the creation of a highly industrialised and self-reliant

rural area system. These institutions include banks, construction houses and investors.

This strategic industrial plan is centered on tourism as this is an investment area that has been

attracting attention in many countries due to its potential to attract a variety of investments. This

industrial strategy is centered on eight developmental pillars that all contains sustainable
development ethos. It is important for this research to call the strategy Kumusha Tourism

Development Plan.

Focus Area 1: Rural Tourism Development

Tourism is the biggest revenue generator for many fast growing economies in the world

including UAE, China, Mauritius and Finland. This excludes the growth of tourism and its

importance in the neighbouring South Africa. According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority

(ZTA), (2019), tourism has generated more than $3 billion for the country's fiscus in the year

2019 alone and this constitutes 6% of the gross domestic product. Zimbabwe's main tourism

focus is natural tourism and urban tourism, with little and/or no focus being given to rural

tourism. Kumusha Tourism Development Plan is going to create a series of tourism destinations

in the rural areas and open a new trajectory of growth in terms of tourism in the country. This

tourism model, copying from the growth model adopted by Dubai from early 80s to the current

status of the best tourism hub in the world. The government of Zimbabwe instituted a rural

development model which was focused on growth points early in the 80s (Mahunye, 2016). This

saw the development of growth points such as Gokwe Center, Mpandawana and Zvimba in

Mashonaland West. Although the model failed to have long lasting effect on decongesting urban

centers such as Harare, they were able to attract notable investments such as banks and large

rental supermarkets. This researcher has however shifted focus from hard industrial processes

which needs massive infrastructure before transformation to a more liberal approach where

minimum investment is needed initially with progressive growth guaranteed.

In the past, Japanese assistance focused not on rural development but on agricultural

development and the improvement of agricultural productivity (JICA, 2000). Further, Hobo,
(1996) reports that approaches centering on technical transfers such as construction of irrigation

facilities and introduction of farming techniques were utilized. However, the agricultural

approach alone was insufficient. As a result, multisectoral activities increased. This included

non-agricultural income generation, capacity building for farmers, health and hygiene,

infrastructure, education, environment, and capacity building. International trends in

comprehensive efforts also contributed to this change. Moreover, it is essential that governments

assist a variety of activities through a cross-sectional approach.

This tourism development strategy will see the transformation of rural homes into attraction

centers where tourists can come and experience the real life of being in Zimbabwe rather than

seeing this part of Zimbabwe through the screens. According to ZTA (2019), township tourism

has contributed a large chunk to the South African tourism purse with Soweto township leading

in revenue base. It is this idea that has led to the development of Kumusha Tourism

Development Strategy. Tourism is composed of the widely known five As which are: Attraction,

Activities, Amenities, Accommodation. It is the carpilary action in investment that will see

growth being felt in large rural communities and in the economy.

There also exists an opinion, which is increasingly becoming mainstream, that living standards

cannot be measured by income and consumption but require a wider view. (Hobo, 1996) says

that to those who support the argument, the satisfaction of basic human needs it is necessary to

improve living standards. Also, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been

using the Human Development Indicator (HDI), which is based on life expectancy, literacy rate,

gross enrollment ratio, and real GDP per capita in its Human Development Reports since 1990,

(OECD, 2002). This calls for a wider development plan which harness all the variables of HDI
and the tourism goal has the potential to attract a plethora of amenities such as schools, health

systems and leisure centers.

Focus Area 2: Infrastructure Development

Infrastructure follows where investment goes and investment follows where infrastructure is.

This was said by Mahunye, (2016) in his research on the cornerstones of development in

SubSaharan Africa. The growth in the importance of the tourism as an industry has attracted

much attention to the government which has seen many strides being made in recognising

tourism centers such as the Victoria Falls which recently was accorded a city status. In taking

tourism industry to the rural areas this takes along the associated infrastructure development

projects that complement the tertiary industry initiative in these rural areas. Infrastructure will

come in the form of roads, water reticulation and business growth areas. In creating these areas

of tourism growth massive investment effort must come from the government in terms of

developing good road infrastructure and other amenities. The growth in government investment

will attract many businesses that are associated with construction spurring employment growth in

rural areas and the associated multiplier effects.

To add on, community participation has been recognized as an essential asset in the promotion of

the independence of local people with many organizations implementing multi-sectoral activities

based on local conditions, such as activities in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries as well as in

non-agricultural income generation, education, health care and hygiene or infrastructure

improvement. This means community empowerment during infrastructure development is

needed through creating Private-Public-Partnerships (PPP) which has capacity to create

sustainable employment and rural incomes.

Focus Area 3: Income Generation Projects

The promotion of the development of human and physical resources in rural areas requires

recognizing the fact that local people themselves are the main implementors of development

projects. Hobo, (1996) concludes that if the people participate passively in projects, they become

inactive and will depend on external inputs. In order to avoid this situation, local decision-

making in project planning and implementation is important. In other words, a project that the

local people themselves plan and implement is given priority as local materials and human

resources are utilized effectively by the local people’s initiative and responsibility. Local

independence and sustainable development of project outcomes are enhanced by the effective

use of local resources.

The development of small and medium enterprises provides employment opportunities for

impoverished groups. The processing of primary products in rural areas increases income

generated and labor opportunities by adding value, although the prices of primary products from

agriculture products do tend to be lower. It is therefore a viable strategy to reorient growth

towards tertiary sector whose prices have considerably been stable. Also, non-agricultural

activities enable small-scale farmers to improve income, despite the limited income generation

from improvement of land productivity (Chambers, 2013). In cases where there is insufficient

land as a result of population growth, income generation from non-agricultural sources or work

away from home may be favorable. However, an excessive influx of migrant workers causes an

increase of poverty in cities due to the lack of labor opportunities. Thus, it is important to

improve income generation from non-agricultural activities in rural areas.

FOCUS AREA 4: General Health Improvement

One aspect of poverty in rural areas is the unsatisfactory health conditions of local people.

Unhealthy and ill people cannot perform to the best of their capabilities nor make efforts to

improve their living conditions. Therefore, the promotion of rural development necessitates the

improvement of health conditions for local people. Usually, impoverished people tend to have

insufficient nutrition, are not vaccinated, or live in unhealthy conditions. On top of this, suitable

medical treatment cannot be obtained in many rural areas due to a lack of sufficient public

medical services. These inadequate medical facilities and lack of treatment in turn leads to other

family members having to take care of the ill, lowering the productivity of the family as a whole.

Therefore, an expansion of public medical services and improvement of sanitary conditions are

essential.

In many developing countries, however, the benefits of advanced medical services centering on

modern hospitals rarely reach rural areas for economic and geographical reasons. The health and

medical reforms which many developing countries are promoting today as a result of severe

financial situations are increasing not only effective management, but also medical payments by

public medical services such as vaccinations (DFID, 2013). Regional medical institutions can be

categorized with hospitals where several doctors are always available at the top of the hierarchy,

and health centers and health posts that are run by health assistants underneath. In this pyramid,

development of a referral system becomes important in order to link regional medical

institutions, in addition to the construction of institutions suitable to the local population and

economy.

FOCUS AREA 5: Improvement of Educational Standards

The improvement of educational standards is a very important element for income generation.

Literacy skills enable local people to read manuals on agricultural techniques and equipment,
increasing agricultural productivity. Local people with literacy skills can acquire information

their society needs. Moreover, as educational background is an important factor for obtaining a

better job, highly educated emigrant workers tend to get jobs easier and earn a higher income.

The improvement of formal education for children and the expansion of non-formal education

for adults are important elements in rural development. There are two approaches in the

improvement of formal education for children: school construction and improvement of

educational quality. Many developing countries face a lack of school buildings and teachers due

to inadequate financial resources. In such cases, schools often employ persons without

certification as substitute teachers, resulting in low-quality teaching. For educational standards in

rural areas to be improved, training of substitute teachers and in-service training is necessary in

addition to the construction of school buildings.

Furthermore, in spite of a strong desire for education in developing countries, even the minimum

opportunities for education are neither guaranteed for all local people, nor are the people able to

appropriately utilize such opportunities. These situations show that there are not only educational

sector problems with educational services and teaching materials, but also economic problems,

restricting access to schools, and social problems stemming from customs and values, and health

and nutrition conditions among others. Therefore, it is important to create an environment where

children can attend school. Literacy education for adults and citizenship education such as

seminars for improvement of living conditions should also be considered in the future adult

education activities. Finally, the above-mentioned educational approaches should not be

implemented individually but combined to be most effective. For example, constructed school

buildings can be utilized for supplementary instruction and literacy education.

FOCUS AREA 6: Ensure environmental sustainability in rural areas

In creating this rural development plan it is important to keep in mind that the sustainance of

rural tourism is gained from being environmentally friendly. Many tourists are becoming more

conscious about the treatment of the environment and the environment resources. Therefore it

can be outlined to encourage the use of land resources in a sustainable manner to prevent land

degradation that is caused by unsustainable exploitation of land resources. Encourage the use of

environmentally friendly practices. Promote sustainable natural resources use and management,

including ecosystem conservation through community-based programmes. There have been

programs all around the country aiming at natural resources preservation for example The

CAMPFIRE programs that are initiated in Matebeleland North provinces which are meant to

promote the conservation of both wildlife and forests (Mahunye, 2016). This goes a long way in

promoting rural development through tourism.

The development plan must include strategies to promote safe and environmentally sound waste

management practices. In the development of any area of tourism there is a group of tourism that

come en-mass and these kind of tourism albeit very important in bringing the much needed

incomes can leave a trail of wastes. These wastes can be in the form of both hard material that

are not biodegradable as well as materials that are biodegradable. The communities must develop

wastes treatment plans to ensure there is sustainability in the development plan. This can be

achieved through recycling materials such as plastics.

In promoting sustainable use of resources, keeping gender balance in check is important. This

can be attained through promoting women's empowerment and gender equality. Involve women

in decision-making in all activities related to rural development. Take measures that promote
access to and ownership of means of production, including land, capital, and entrepreneurship by

women. Promote gender equality as well as take measures to achieve equal opportunities for

women and men in all aspects of rural development. Carry out extensive education, and

awareness-raising on the rights of women and the concept of empowerment and gender equality

in rural areas.

FOCUS AREA 7: Improvement of Administrative Capabilities

As many developing countries are currently in the process of decentralization, it is important for

local administrative officers to acquire know-how on policy-making in multi-sectoral local

development and on industrial development including tourism agriculture, and light industry

development, in order to increase local government revenues. World Bank report 2015, (2016)

says that capacity building of local administrative officers is a highly relevant field to rural

development and is implemented through mutual cooperation with governments. As the

development process is highly dependent on the community, therefore dispatches of policy

advisors to the central government is highly relevant because sending people to numerous local

governments becomes a heavy burden on the donor agencies.

FOCUS AREA 8: Improvement of Political Capabilities

According to the DAC Guidelines on poverty reduction, political capabilities are defined as

enabling participation in policy-making and to make decisions independently in situations where

human rights are guaranteed (JICA, 2000). This focal point concentrate on decentralization in

rural development. Rural development approaches are to make development plans corresponding

to the various special conditions of rural areas and to implement the projects through community

participation. Development assistance, which quickly responds to local needs, requires

cooperation with local governments. For this reason, decentralization is an important factor in

rural community development.

However, Hobo, (1996) concludes that despite the fact that decentralization is an adopted policy

in many countries, it has progressed slowly. For example, there are cases in Zimbabwe where

local governments lack policy-making capabilities or human resources since the central

government still have the decision-making. On the other hand, decentralization can cause further

regional inequalities and differences (CIDA, 2001). This leads to the conclusion that appropriate

decentralization measures are required in rural development activities, including the capacity

building of the central governments, and improvement of laws and financial management for

decentralization.

Conclusion

As rural development encompasses various sectors, it is difficult to clarify which activities are

categorised as priority areas in rural development. This Kumusha Tourism Development Concept

has a list of projects that can be implemented in rural areas in order to create a rural

development. The relevant projects on rural development may not cover all projects related to

rural development, but tries to depict an image of rural development in an advanced world

concept.
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African Development Bank (AFDB) (2001) Growth and Change in Sub-Sahara Africa and the

Pacific Key Indicators 2001

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (2001) Results-Based Management and

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(http://apps.fao.org/page/collections)

Freedom House, website (http://www.freedomhouse.org)

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