The Limpopo LED Resource Centre (LLEDRC) is a non-profit Association incorporated under Section 21 of the Companies Act and formally registered with CIPRO. As stated in its Memorandum of Association: “The main business of the company is to contribute to the reduction of poverty, unemployment and marginalisation in South Africa and in Limpopo Province in particular, and to contribute to the attaining of the Millennium Goals, by stimulating job creation and the development of local economies, small businesses and co-operatives, through community participation and empowerment.” Its Board of Directors reflects the basic stakeholder alliance behind the LLEDRC, and consists of senior officials and representatives in Limpopo Province from Government, the University and SALGA.
The work of the LLEDRC is carried out through four interlinked supporting Units, each headed by an experienced Adviser in his or her particular field, and in the overall area of developing local economies. The four Units are:
1. Training & Capacity Building
2. Policy & Research
3. Knowledge & Information
4. Project Development & Implementation.
The Resource Centre therefore both undertakes and disseminates evidence-based policy-making research on pro-poor local economic growth, and manages and implements national and donor-funded programmes dealing with many aspects of pro-poor local economic development of a mainly rural nature. At the same time, it trains and capacitates office-bearers, councillors and officials, in government, municipal structures, co-operatives, and community property institutions to enable them better to develop their local economies.
The LLEDRC was originally established as the Limpopo Centre for Local Economic Development through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements & Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) and the University of Limpopo. Finance and oversight for the LED Centre came from the European Union-funded LED Programme in Limpopo Province. In the first period following its establishment useful research and subsequent publication was done by the Centre into local economic opportunities in the Province.
