Even though Africa is one of the least urbanized regions in the world it is also the region in which cities grow the fastest, resulting in urban areas experiencing a wide spectrum of problems while rural areas are left drained. It is widely acknowledged that the vast majority of rural inhabitants in developing countries live below the poverty line, but what is not so widely known is the extent to which the livelihoods and well-being of these rural areas are linked to their urban counterparts.It has become increasingly difficult to separate communities into rural or urban entities/areas due to many households relying on both urban and rural based resources, this is especially true in South Africa where the Apartheid legacy has had a lingering effect on urban-rural linkages. In South Africa the interdependence between rural communities and distant cities are higher than elsewhere with many rural residents living in urban domains while maintaining family, social and financial ties in rural areas.Rural areas in South Africa have been experiencing economic and social decay over the past decades due to urban migration and this in turn has reduced the provision of services, facilities and employment opportunities in rural areas. It is due to these factors that the concept of sustainable rural community development is of particular relevance to South Africa. Sustainable rural community development is necessary in order to achieve more integrated and sustainable rural areas with a better environment and a higher quality of life and an understanding of the complex linkages between urban and rural areas in required for the The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 1 453 successful planning of rural sustainable development. This paper examines how these multifaceted linkages impacts on sustainable community development in the unique case of the Vaalharts area.
Sustainable community development is needed in order to create more integrated and sustainably developed towns and cities with an improved urban environment and to ensure higher quality of life. Such a development approach is therefore of particular relevance to South Africa. Although policies and legislation regarding sustainable development exists at international, national and local level, there is a lack of planning instruments to guide sustainable community development. In this paper Tlokwe Local Municipality is researched as study area to test and develop planning instruments for sustainable community development. A Goal Assessment Matrix (GAM) approach is applied to score and prioritise municipal projects, plans and strategies according to sustainable community development fundamentals. The top scoring projects are indicative of the achievement of sustainable community development goals and objectives. Subsequent to the GAM assessment a lack of alignment between the sectoral plans was identified as well as the duplication of projects. The projects, plans and strategies of the municipality are not formulated and integrated with the sustainable community development framework as a guiding goal or main focus. An approach is developed for municipalities to apply the assessment matrix methodology to determine its level of sustainability when formulating its sectoral plans (Spatial Development Frameworks, Integrated Transport Plans, Environmental Management Frameworks and Integrated Development Plans). Areas in which there is a lack of sustainability are highlighted and can consequently be addressed through intervention strategies. Prioritising municipal projects, plans and strategies through the application of the GAM methodology enables municipalities to identify crucial projects that need special attention to ensure its successful implementation. This will largely assist and promote
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