Development planning in South Africa: Legacies and current trends in public health

This article discusses current trends in development planning in South Afri ca. It is argued that it is important to review the institutional framework , in particular legal and constitutional factors, to understand the problem s being faced and the progress made. Public health is analysed as a case st udy, but there is also a focus on local government. The other feature of th e argument is that poverty is widespread, especially in rural communities, and planning has to develop the capacity to respond to this challenge. Desp ite all sorts of initiatives and some rhetoric, there remains a great deal to do. An alternative approach is offered in which there is a more radical shift away from past paradigms which are not appropriate to a development p lanning geared to poverty alleviation. Then an a number of dimensions to co nsider, including technical effectiveness, participation (including private sector involvement and community action) and institutional capacity buildi ng. Some implications for training and research are also identified. Copyri ght (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.