President Thabo Mbeki announced the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (isrdp) and the Urban Renewal Programme (urp) in February 2001, during the State of the Nation Address. 

The aim of these programmes was articulated as being:

“To conduct a sustained campaign against rural and urban poverty and underdevelopment, bringing in the resources of all three spheres of government in a coordinated manner”.

Cabinet mandated the Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg) as the national coordinating institution for the ISRDP/URP, but the successful implementation of the programmes relies on the involvement of all the stakeholders.

Twenty-One (21) Rural and Urban nodes were pronounced, representing the largest concentrations of poverty in South Africa. It is estimated that these nodes (urban and rural) are home to more than 10million people. The common features of these nodes are that they are areas of severe neglect, where poverty is at it most endemic. The programmes have a ten-year life span. 

Province	ISRDP Nodes	URP Nodes
Eastern Cape	OR Tambo	Mdantsane
	** Alfred Nzo	Motherwell
	Chris Hani
	Ukhahlamba
Gauteng		Alexandra
KZN	Ugu	KwaMashu
	Umzinyathi	Inanda
	Umkhanyakude
	Zululand
Western Cape	Central Karoo	Khayelitsha
		Mitchell's Plain
Free State	Maluti-A-Phofung
Northern Cape	Kgalagadi	Galeshewe
Limpopo	Sekhukhune
Mpumalanga	* Bohlabela

* With Effect from 1 March 2006: * Bohlabela District Municipality was disestablished. * Mopani District Municipality inherited Maruleng Local Municipality that was part of Bohlabela District Municipality. * Ehlanzeni District Municipality inherited Bushbuckridge Local Municipality that was part of Bohlabela District Municipality. ** Sisonke District Municipality inherited Umzimkhulu Local Municipality that was part of Alfred Nzo District Municipality. ** Alfred Nzo District Municipality inherited Matatiele Local Municipality that was part of Sisonke District Municipality