Browsing by Author "Lubisi, Vusi"
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- ItemIntroducing public private partnerships to implement natural resource management projects: a case study of the Land User Incentive, Groot Marico(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Lubisi, Vusi; Muller, Kobus; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The study examined the possible introduction of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the development, management and maintenance of ecological infrastructure assets and explores the Land User Incentive (LUI) program in South Africa (SA). PPPs are vehicles for cooperation between a public and private partner to collaborate formally to undertake a particular project or to provide a service. The focus was to explore the possibility to use LUI as a PPP model to provide and improve service delivery in the Natural Resource Management (NRM) sector. In SA and around the globe, the concept of PPPs has been widely used in the development and management of transport and health infrastructure. To date the opportunity and prospects presented by the PPP model in the NRM has not been fully explored. The use of PPP in the sustainability space gained traction following the United Nation’s World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) which took place in SA from 26th August to 4th September 2002 and this was 10 years later after the first Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2002. The 2002 conference put development partnerships on top of the development agenda and acknowledged their role in achieving environmental sustainability. The Partnerships for Sustainable Development were framed as voluntary and non-negotiated collaborations between government and different groups which include the private sector. At the United Nations Sustainable Summit on 25th September 2015 (Paris Climate Change Agreement), sustainable development goal (SDG) number 17 on ‘Partnerships for Goals, reinforced the need for partnerships in the environmental or sustainable development sector and government and private sectors are amongst key stakeholders. The Groot Marico LUI in the North West Province was used as a case study to explore how the LUI can be modelled along the principles, practices and framework of a PPP model. The result affirmed that LUI can be used in NRM to provide a public service through the use of PPP as a service delivery vehicle. The study concluded that some level of similarities exists in the way LUI and PPP are implemented and both can be used to improve service delivery which can best be delivered through partnerships. In order for PPPs to be successful, the regulatory framework should be focused on encouraging the participation of the private sector to contribute towards private sector participation in service delivery. The creation of a legal framework through participatory engagement is necessary so as to ensure needs of all key participants are taken into account and the process is well regulated. The findings of the study presented the observation that in its current form and structure, the LUI program does not exonerate NRM from the threat of implementing agent’s failure. The notion that substantial risk is transferred to the implementing agent is inconsistent with that of partnerships being forged with the land-owners. As a result, the risk still remains with NRM as the primary financier of the clearing projects. By using the private sector as the primary financier, the issue of operational risk would be addressed. Furthermore, NRM would be solely responsible to manage the performance of the implementing agent. It is safe to conclude that since access to ecosystem services is every citizens right as enshrined in the Constitution (RSA, 1996), attempts to implement the LUI as a Co-operative Arrangement type of PPP will require extensive public consultation. NRM should consult widely on this proposal to avoid a possible public uproar. When presenting the proposed model to the public, NRM should focus on the economic value the program will add, and on the environmental and social values. The study also revealed that the introduction and implementation of the LUI program can contributes towards the success of the government-wide program intervention to address the challenges of poverty and unemployment. The lessons from the case study can be applicable to the rest of the country because LUI is a national program targeted at unlocking opportunities in the NRM sector. Further studies should focus on the overall implications of the introduction of the LUI, as the NRM’s very own PPP initiative. Future studies may centre on the future role of both state-run and non-public organizations whose current role is to advocate and conserve ecological infrastructure assets for the benefit of all.