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Est 2009 Issue 35 - 2015 Tel : 011 023-7588 / 011 402 - 1977
3 - 10 September 2015 Fax: 086 609 8601
Inner-City Gazette
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Call for increased
city investments Delegates also heard that cities faced a 30% annual population growth as a result of rapid urbanisation, resulting in increased demand for municipal services
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan
Johannesburg - Delegates at the recent Urban Investment Partnership Conference agreed that cities were critical centres of economic activity. They observed that government needs to fast track a legislative environment to promote investment targeting urban spaces that advanced inclusive growth in line with the National Development Plan. The conference, organised by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the National Treasury in collaboration with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, also agreed that there needed to be closer links between cities, government and investors involved in urban development. The two-day conference, the first
of its kind in South Africa, was held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand last Friday. It was attended by more than 200 delegates representing a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including South Africa’s eight major municipalities, commercial banks, pension fund managers, insurance companies and academics. The City of Joburg was among the eight major municipalities represented at the conference. Also in attendance were Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan and Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, who both addressed the conference. Two guest speakers from the German Federal Government gave an international perspective on effective urban investment partnerships.
The conference heard that whereas it took a person in Moscow 7.7km to travel to work, local residents had to travel an average of 25km to reach their workplace. Minister Gordhan emphasised the point that townships must be physically integrated into the mainstream of urban economic and social life. “We cannot continue to place poor people on the outskirts of our cities,” he said. Delegates also heard that cities faced a 30% annual population growth as a result of rapid urbanisation, resulting in increased demand for municipal services. But as much as the cities needed new investment, they also had to pay attention to the renewal of ageing infrastructure, they also heard.