Local News
Chris Hani District Unveils 2050 Plan to Tackle Poverty, Fix Services
Public comment on the ambitious ‘One Plan’ is invited before the 30 October deadline.
KOMANI, Eastern Cape – The Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) has published its draft District Development Model (DDM) One Plan, a comprehensive new strategy designed to guide the region’s growth and tackle deep-seated challenges over the next 25 years.
Download: Chris-Hani-District-DDM-One-Plan-2025-UPDATED-
The plan, dated 17 October 2025, sets a new 2050 Vision for the district: “A viable district that enables vibrant and eco-friendly socio-economic development through capable and active citizenry guided by consistent and accountable leadership by 2050.”
This “One Plan” is part of a new government approach aimed at improving integrated planning, budgeting, and service delivery across all three spheres of government—national, provincial, and local.
The municipality is now formally asking the public to review the draft and submit comments by 30 October 2025.
A Plan to Change the “Unacceptable Norm”
The document’s executive summary states that the plan is a “radical departure from the current unacceptable norm,” which must be changed. It aims to move the district from its “current problematic situation” by focusing on six key transformations:
- People Development and Demographics
- Economic Positioning
- Spatial Restructuring and Environmental Sustainability
- Infrastructure Engineering
- Integrated Services Provisioning
- Governance and Finance
A Sobering Diagnosis of the District
The plan is informed by a detailed diagnostic summary of the district’s current state.
According to Census 2022 data, the Chris Hani District has a population of 828,387 , accounting for 12% of the Eastern Cape’s total population. However, the district is predominantly rural, with 63.8% of its people living in rural areas.
Key challenges identified in the plan include:
- Underdeveloped rural communities with high levels of poverty.
- Low economic growth and high unemployment.
- Underfunded and ineffective local municipalities.
- Inadequate government services and spatial patterns still “inherent of the apartheid government”.
- A lack of effective communication between municipalities and communities.
Economically, the district’s GVA (Gross Value Added) is heavily concentrated in the community services sector (which includes government services), accounting for 48.9% of the local economy in 2024. The economy has struggled, posting a negative growth rate of -0.22% in 2024, lagging behind both the provincial (0.82%) and national (0.53%) growth rates.
Governance and financial management are also highlighted as critical areas of concern. The plan notes that for the 2021/22 financial year, the CHDM itself, along with Enoch Mgijima and Sakhisizwe local municipalities, adopted “unfunded” budgets. Audit outcomes across the district remain varied, with the CHDM receiving a Disclaimer opinion. Furthermore, the Auditor-General (AG) found material findings in Supply Chain Management (SCM) in all municipalities within the district.
Eight Focus Areas for Implementation
To address these issues, the One Plan will target eight specific focus areas:
- Economically self-sustained rural villages.
- Infrastructure development linked to economic growth opportunities.
- Transformed land use and ownership.
- Revived Small Towns.
- Revitalised industries.
- Effective and efficient municipalities.
- Active and able citizenry.
- Entrepreneurial and skills development linked to key sectors.
The plan includes implementation commitments from various national and provincial departments, including projects from Eskom for electrification , the Department of Human Settlements for numerous housing projects , and the Department of Transport for road upgrades.
Public Call for Comment: What This Is
The Chris Hani District Municipality is now in a formal public participation phase. This means the draft “One Plan” is available for all residents, community groups, businesses, and other stakeholders to read and provide feedback on.
This is an opportunity for the public to influence the district’s long-term strategy, question its goals, identify gaps, or support its proposed interventions. All comments received will be considered in the review of the draft plan, which is scheduled for 30 October 2025.
How to Submit Your Comments:
Members of the public are invited to submit their written comments or enquiries to:
- Contact Person: Mr. T Tafane
- Email: ttafane@chrishanidm.co.za
- Phone: 045 808 4600
Deadline for all submissions: 30 October 2025
