Local economic development (LED) should be adopted as an approach to development and mainstreamed into the work of local government, according to delegates at a CLGF regional event in Southern Africa which was held on 17-18 March. (Read statement) Participants at the event, including ministers with responsibility for local government, ministry officials, council leaders and town clerks, local government association presidents and secretary-generals and representatives of development and other partners in the region, emphasised the need for a common understanding of LED and an enabling framework. They agreed that economic growth is central to reducing poverty and  boosting prosperity and local government has a key role in creating an enabling environment to promote economic growth.

The conference took place on 17-18 March in Lilongwe, Malawi hosted by the Malawi Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Hon Rachel Mazombwe Zulu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development opened the event and gave the opening address. Components of what makes successful local economic development (LED) was the focus of a regional conference run by CLGF, UNDP and other partners in Southern Africa.

Participants also called on SADC Local Government Ministers’ Forum to endorse the conference's recommendations on adopting LED as an approach to development and mainstreaming into the work of local government in the region, by encouraging central governments to ensure an enabling framework and developing a regional action plan to implement the recommendations.

CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright, addressing the opening session said, “Local government has a developmental role in creating an enabling environment to promote local economic growth and improve the quality of life for our citizens. We are calling on ministers of local government in the SADC region to back our recommendations and ensure that local government and LED is on their agenda, and to use 2014 as the Year of Developmental Local Government to promote developmental local government, share good practice and galvanise action on LED in the region.” 

The conference was part of a series of meetings in Malawi being hosted by the Hon Mrs Rachel Mazombwe Zulu MP, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Malawi and run by CLGF, UNDP and its partners in the region, including meetings of  SADC Ministers of Local Government who were presented with the outcomes.

CLGF’s programme in Southern Africa is funded by the UK Department for International Development. It builds on earlier work by CLGF and its partners, including UNDP and UNCDF, on LED in the region and CLGF’s Cardiff consensus for local economic development, the outcomes of the 2011 Commonwealth Local Government Conference endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government.

The outcomes from the regional event have now been endorsed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers of local government.

CLGF Southern Africa