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National Development Plan and State Capacity Conference

Stronger Societal Bonds Needed in the Next Decades
of the NDP

KwaZulu-Natal Premier - Nomusa Dube-Ncube

In this edited version of the keynote sessment of our journey in implementing the NDP is
speech delivered at the National appropriate. Also, focusing on Chapter 13 of the NDP,
the capacity of the ethical developmental state is es-
Development Plan and State Capacity sential because of its location within the middle of our
Conference in mid-November 2022, five-year strategic term, which ends once the 2024
KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube- national elections are held.
Ncube, reflects on the first decade in As a discipline, public planning is an evolving sci-
the implementation of the NDP through ence which depends to a large extent on the polit-
the prism of lived experiences in the ical and socio-economic environment in which it is
implemented. The role of the state remains crucial.
province. Central to attaining our development objectives is the
quality of core capacity that resides in the state, its
Introduction proper deployment, and the measurement, monitor-
The National Development Plan (NDP) in 2012 was a ing and evaluation of its performance. Our experience
seminal moment in our country’s history. It ushered over the past ten years shows how key outcomes can
us into a novel planned developmental pathway by be undermined by the fluid relationship between the
setting critical steps to follow for the first time to at- state, capital, labour and other stakeholders, includ-
tain a better future by 2030. The NDP committed all ing international investors. The fact remains that we
national, provincial and municipal stakeholders to a will not be able to achieve the ideals of the NDP with-
number of targets to be achieved within an 18-year out all the relevant parties working together towards
timeframe. Ten years later, performing a public as- one single plan for the country.

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15. No. 3 of 2023 23