Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning
1. PURPOSE OF TUTORIAL LETTER
National Diploma in Town and Regional Planning
Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning
Planning Law (PLL200S/PLL260)
(Tutorial Letter 3/2023)
Scope for the Test 1
Date: TBA
Time: TBA
Page 1 of 2
The purpose of this tutorial letter is to delineate the scope of the upcoming
September class test. The test will comprise of only short questions. These
questions will be similar to the questions provided below.
Best wishes with the upcoming test.
Please Note: The lecturer reserves himself the right to deviate from this
scope during the test/examination without prior notice or consultation with
students. To score excellent marks, students are always encouraged to
extend their preparation for the examination beyond the outlines provided in
this scope.
2. POSSIBLE SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS
STUDY UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING LAW
1. Describe the historical focus of planning. [4x1]
2. List the three most important developments of the [3x1]
Development Facilitation Act 67 of 1995 to planning.
3. Name FOUR statutory enactments typical of planning law. [4x1]
4. Define the term planning law proposed by Jeannie van Wyk [2x1]
(2020).
5. What are the most important inferences to be drawn from this [7x1]
definition of “planning law”, as suggested by Van Wyk?
6. List the two ways the Constitution contributes to planning in [2x1]
South Africa.
7. Section 7(2) of the Republic of South Africa Constitution is [8x1]
crucial to planning as it provides that the state, in the form of
the national, provincial and local government, must respect,
protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.
Explain the importance of this provision for the development of
planning legislation in South Africa.
8. Section 25 of the Constitution contains four topics that are [4x1]
important for the planner. List these topics.
9. Explain what is meant by the term “empowering provision”. [2x1]
10. Planning law as a discipline always involves different role- [3x1]
players. Name these.
PLL260S.06.2023.Test1_Scope.docx
 Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning

11. Botha JA alludes to such a scheme or structure in Knop v [5x1] 13. After considering the decision of the municipal planning [3x1]
Johannesburg City Council, which dealt with the question of tribunal or authorised official, the appeal authority may act in
whether a municipality was liable for negligence in the exercise any one of three ways. List these.
of its statutory functions where it had erroneously granted an
application for a subdivision to develop a cluster-housing
complex. What are the main lessons planners can learn from
the Knop case?
12. State the aims of SPLUMA. [1x1]
13. Why do we refer to SPLUMA as framework legislation? [1x1]

STUDY UNIT 2: THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLANNING LAW

SYSTEM IN SOUTH AFRICA

1. Explain how the English tradition of restrictive covenants [5x1]

became part of the South African planning system.
2. Describe the commencement of the first discriminatory [7x1]
legislative measures in urban South Africa. How were these
made obsolete?
3. “The first serious consideration given to regional planning in [3x1]
South Africa was by the Social and Economic Planning
Council in its Report of 1944.” What were the THREE most
important appeals made by the report?
4. In 1975 the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) was [2x1]
published by the Department of Planning and the Environment
attempting to eradicate two basic problems. List these
problems.
5. List the main criticisms levelled at the National Physical [6x1]
Development Plan (NPDP) of 1975.
6. Discuss guide plans as a planning tool for the following: (1) [12]
origin and development; and (2) the main criticisms levelled at
guide plans.
7. List three ways in which the White Paper on Land Reform seek [3x1]
to end the legacy of Apartheid.
8. Where did the Development Facilitation Act originate? [1x1]
9. What was the TWO main focus areas of the DFA? [2x1]
10. In June 2008, a version of the Draft Land Use Management [1x1]
Bill was published that provided some real hope that new
legislation to regulate planning would soon be promulgated.
Why was this Bill withdrawn?
11. What loophole did private developers discover in the DFA?
12. Explain why SPLUMA is referred to as framework legislation. [2x1]

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