CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADERS
further development of housing
Spatial Planning and Land Use
in marginal places, increasing
Management Act of 2013 and
urban densities to reduce sprawl,
the IUDF that South Africa is now
not plan for urbanisation and fails
improving public transport and
approaching spatial planning
to manage it properly, “it can give
the coordination between trans-
guided by principles of social eq-
rise to a concentration of poverty.
port modes, and shifting jobs and
uity and economic efficiency.
It can give rise to huge sprawling
investment towards dense peripheral townships.
Fundamental change needed
the Deputy Minister. On the other hand, if a city does
informal settlements characterised
Fostering social cohesion
by unsanitary living conditions, by high rates of crime, huge social
Deputy Minister Nel echoed the
problems like drug addiction and
sentiments of the President, say-
gender-based violence.
During his recent reply to oral
ing addressing apartheid spatial
questions in the National Assem-
planning is a priority and can
tion properly, it can have dev-
bly, President Cyril Ramaphosa
work if the country approaches
astating consequences for the
said it was unacceptable that the
urbanisation – which has picked
environment. It can create huge
working class and poor, who are
up in South Africa and other coun-
vulnerability to natural and human
overwhelmingly black, are located
tries – at an accelerated pace.
disasters. So really, that then is
far from work opportunities and amenities. He said the urban spatial pat-
He said by 2012, when the NDP was adopted, 63 percent of South
one of our biggest national challenges.”
Africans were already living in
terns that government inherited
urban areas. By 2050, urbanisation
from apartheid, and which persist
will be up to 71 percent.
to this day, contribute to the repro-
“If you don’t manage urbanisa-
“We are looking at eight out of
Role of local government Deputy Minister Nel believes that
duction of poverty and inequal-
every 10 South Africans living in
spatial planning and efficient ur-
ity – and must be fundamentally
urban areas. On the one hand,
banisation need to be addressed
changed.
there are tremendous social and
at the municipal level, which
economic benefits to be derived
means that local government
from urbanisation.
needs to be strong and viable.
The President said government should make cities generators of wealth and reservoirs of productivity. He added there is a need to
“Cities give rise to a tremendous
“In CoGTA, our assessment is
amount of energy and creativity
that out of 250 municipalities, one-
and many people living together
third are doing well.”
eradicate the economic inefficien-
closely, and especially young
cies of transporting a workforce
people, fosters social cohesion
better performing municipalities
from dormitory townships into
because people from different
get many of their basics right, they
centres.
backgrounds come together and
face an array of challenges which,
they are forced to live together.
if not arrested, could allow them to
urban spaces is, therefore, both a
Cities can also, if urbanisation is
slide into dysfunctionality.
social and economic imperative.
managed correctly, be a lot more
The radical transformation of our
He also stressed that it was through instruments like the
12
However, he said that while these
“One-third of our municipalities
resource-efficient and environmen-
– about 87 – are either dysfunc-
tally sustainable,” added
tional or in distress,” the Deputy
Public Sector Manager • December 2018 / January 2019