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The implementation of economic development policies seems to be a persistent problem hindering local economic development (LED) in South Africa. The main aim of this article was to assess the implementation and sustainability of pro‐poor LED in the King Cetshwayo District municipality. The need to address poverty and unemployment is one of the most critical issues in this municipality. A qualitative approach was adopted in this article whereby eight in‐depth interviews were conducted among municipal officials in uMhlathuze and uMfolozi local municipalities. The researchers further conducted 14 focus group discussions with community members, which included cooperatives. The findings show that LED in the King Cetshwayo District municipality was conceptualised generally as a form of partnership or coalition undertaken between the key players in a local municipality and involves the development of partnerships between the private sector, government and civil society. Moreover, the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) together with other stakeholders, including the municipality, has put measures in place to assist small and medium business enterprises (SMMEs) to benefit from the RBIDZ activities. The article recommends that partnership with young people, businesses and community organisations must be strengthened in order to address the problem of unemployment. This will open a space for more stable job opportunities for the residents. A certain percentage of outsourced work must be given to the youth who are qualified to do the job, and youth must be able to access funding when they try to establish cooperatives, SMEs and non‐profitable organisations (NPOs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current crisis (COVID-19) is the recent pandemic to hit all countries in the world. The crisis this time is certainly different, as it is an event suddenly emerging from the health sector, and spreading throughout the entire world, irrespective of geography and social structure. It is threatening all of mankind. Households who lose their income directly or indirectly because of containment measures will need government support. This requires the formulation of policies to address such a crisis and pandemic. In many parts of the world, leaders are forced to take extreme measures like declaration of a national emergency, leading to lockdown of all activities except essential services, apart from social distancing. If policy space is not created at the earliest opportunity, responding to the crisis may be difficult. A crisis like this one is affecting rural and urban areas and can simultaneously take over large metropolitans and small urban centres. It can cause devastation in neighbourhoods as well as in all districts, and can spread over the most diverse geographies. The participation of local governments in combating the crisis seems natural and uncontrolversial as a sphere closer to communities. This paper investigates the role of local governance in crisis-stricken areas, through a qualitative approach by analysing and synthesising literature in terms of a desktop study methodology. Local governments are the best positioned to address crises because of their proximity, legitimacy, and durable presence in their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overwhelming finding is that after more than a decade of democracy, the Eastern Cape (EC) province remains trapped in structural poverty. This shows in all aspects of its demographic, health and socio-economic profiles. Methods, measurements and statistics vary, but from the various studies and data sets one can attest that the majority of the population still lives in poverty. Despite the democratic transformation that began in South Africa in 1994, poverty, unemployment and inequality exist today along with the food insecurity that is symptomatic of them. Food insecurity in South Africa varies across its nine provinces, with the EC province frequently measured as the poorest province in the country. This article examines the extent to which the EC can be defined as vulnerable to food insecurity by using a review of current literature. These vulnerabilities are compounded by the environmental vulnerability factors of climate change and drought, which affect households' ability to grow food. The elderly and children are affected by life cycle vulnerability factors, with children prone to malnutrition and the elderly unable to work to produce food. Race and gender are associated with vulnerability to food insecurity. Most of the people in the EC who are poor and are African, and a high percentage of women-headed households is poor. The vulnerability factors identified suggest that job creation and agricultural productivity may be useful ways of targeting food insecurity. Interventions need to take local contexts into account and focus on particular communities and their unique needs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (© 2020. The Authors.)