Document: The role of LED on Poverty eradication in South Africa’s rural municipalities : Greater Tubatse Municipality

The focus of this study is to find out the role of Local Economic Development on Poverty eradication in rural municipalities of South Africa. The paper gives a background of LED and practices in different countries. Poverty is a challenge that many South Africans are facing. The rural areas are also highly affected with this problem. LED has been practiced in many countries from way back. In South Africa the ANC led government also introduced LED in the municipalities to fight the rising poverty level. Since the ANC government took over in 1994 different interventions have been made to fight poverty which resulted from the apartheid government. Many rural areas seem not to have benefited from those interventions.

Research questions:
• How does LED assist in problems such as poverty eradication, employment generation, skills development and infrastructure development?
• To what extent does the local government implement LED?
• How does private business get involved in the LED?
• What is the major LED challenges facing the local government?
• How does the local community get involved in the LED process?
• What support system exists for LED?

In an attempt to answer all the questions an LED performance measurement model was used to assess the structural and agency factors which affect LED towards effectiveness and efficiency. The researcher used primary and secondary data and the data was drawn from 50 respondents from GTM. The data has been analysed, interpreted and related to the literature.