TTPod 2.9: "Executive Orders": In Conversation with Jacqui Samson ED Planning and Development: Drakenstein Municipality

This 75th published episode of the Talking Transformation Podcast explores a theme I am wanting to emphasise and develop in coming episodes: the importance of “leadership with integrity” as a foundation for South Africa’s transformation journey. In this episode we look at one of the young leaders in a position of executive authority within a rapidly growing municipality here in the Western Cape.

Jacqui Samson recently celebrated a year as the Executive Director of Planning and Development within the Drakenstein municipality. I’ve been wanting to interview Jacqui since we met when she was working within the Western Cape Government: Department of Human Settlements. She would head up that department prior to taking up the municipal challenge across in Paarl.

I wanted to understand how that first year has been, what the challenges have been in an election year and what the future holds for spatial planning and economic development in Drakenstein. It’ll also be interesting to see how the transition from Provincial government into municipal government has been – for the first time in almost 30 years! 

She talks passionately about the processes and institutional frameworks that have supported her including:

• an experienced and co-operative management team;
• a post-Covid Integrated Development Plan process and the value of face-to-face engagements; 
• a Drakenstein developers' forum and steering committee; and
• the value of a strong private and public experience in understanding the needs and motivations of those sectors.

Jacqui’s journey is an inspiring one and I hope you’ll enjoy her insights and reflections. There’s something for everybody in this episode and I hope you'll find some inspiration and lessons in search of that leadership with integrity mantra going forward.

Recorded August 3rd 2022