Marginalised Areas
4.1 MARGINALISED AREAS PLANNING & PROGRESS
4.2.5 INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
4.2.5.2 A NEW APPROACH TO INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
There has been an acceptance that conventional approaches to upgrading, premised on BNG-type housing delivery and formalisation, are inadequate in addressing the informal settlement challenge in South Africa. There is general acceptance that the new approach to upgrading needs to be inclusive of all informal settlements, incremental, participative and partnership-orientated. This is consistent with both National Policy as well as international practice.
The new approach to upgrading needs to foster a different and more functional relationship between the state and the urban poor which is not premised solely on state service delivery but which also leverages the partnerships necessary for more effective social capital formation, collaboration and ‘self-help’. State investments (e.g. in basic services) need to ‘leverage’ this kind of shift. There also needs to be a focus on more than just basic services, functional tenure and incremental housing improvements. Key social services (e.g. ECD, schools, clinics etc.) are also important as is more effective access to public transport and economic opportunities. Upgrading needs to be seen as a sustained process of urban change over time rather than a once-off project-type intervention. It needs to be programmatic and area-based in orientation rather than just focused on delivering single/separate ‘projects. In general, the state needs to focus its efforts and finite resources mainly on enabling public realm investments (rather than the provision of free housing).
Fig 44 Well located informal Settlements and Municipal Response
In an attempt to work in a more integrated way, an internal collaborative forum comprising Heads of Infrastructure and/or identified champions from within their Units has been established to ensure that this program becomes a key focus area of incremental service delivery within informal settlements. The Incremental Services Technical Forum for instance brings together key internal stakeholders to discuss the projects and initiatives they are implementing and planning for in informal settlements, budgetary considerations, propose innovative solutions, overcome obstacles, as well as to create opportunities for aligning initiatives so as so have a more holistic affect and avoid duplication of efforts.
Current Initiatives towards the new approach to informal settlement upgrading
The Municipality is currently undertaking proactive steps to not only better understand the complexities that face informal settlements, but also to address this challenge via a number of initiatives that include various stakeholders as partners and as well as test the conventional models of housing delivery. Some of these initiatives have already been reported to Council and include but not limited to the following:
a) National Department of Human Settlement’s (NDHS) National Upgrading Support Programme (NUSP):
Participatory Planning, Sustainable Livelihoods and Facilitation Support to Informal Settlement Upgrading Projects
a MOA with Project Preparation Trust to assist with the implementation of the ECD centres.
d) Grassroots Approaches Towards Self-Reliance in South Africa: the Isulabantu Project (Informal Settlements Upgrading Led by the Community)
e) iQhaza Lethu - European Union (EU) funded Informal Settlement Incremental Upgrading and Integration Partnership Programme in collaboration with the Area Based Management (ABM) Unit. The City has a MOA in place for the implementation of the project.
f) Resilient City Strategy: Resilience Building Option 1: Collaborative Informal Settlement Action
g) Private Sector Social Responsibility: Blackburn Village Social Sustainability and Innovation Program (SSIP)
h) African Forum on Urban Safety (AFUS)
i) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into between City and member organizations of the South African Shack Dwellers International (SASDI) Alliance.
j) The City is also working with Open Cities Lab (through the UK Prosperity Fund) on a data management initiative for the city.
k) With specific reference to interactions with PRASA relating to the location of informal settlements in rail reserves, the following initiatives are in place. This is a matter of concern for both rail users as well as residents in the informal settlements. Some of the initiatives include:
a. An in-situ site visit with the political leadership of some of the sites that are affected. The largest concentrations were in the Umlazi Area with smaller levels being experienced in KwaMashu and Kenville areas
b. A dedicated session between the Human Settlements Officials and PRASA executives highlight the nature and extent of the challenge, where two stations in particular namely Umlazi Station and Thembalihle Station, were addressed directly with the Human Settlement Officials. The Umlazi station encroachment is of particular concern as there is an additional potential threat of shifting ground conditions. Both these stations are located with Human Settlement Catalytic projects namely Umlazi Regeneration and Bridge City.
c. The challenge has also been raised at the C2 Rail Working Group where both Human Settlements and Transport Authority are present.
d. The matter has also been tabled at the City’s Customer Relations Management of Operations Steering Committee.
e. The Thembalihle station is adjacent to Kwamashu A section where informal settlements are intertwined with hostels and older formal government stock. PRASA has been advised that while the city and human settlements unit will play a role in facilitating upgrading and / or relocation, the onus is also upon them to address and assist through the provision of resources, including land.
f. In the case of Umlazi station the city has identified parcels of land in and around the area.
Note that relocations to alternative parcels of land tends to trigger resistance especially in a different ward. The constant difficulty in Umlazi is that there is very little vacant and (relatively flat) parcels of land of significant size. Currently the Umlazi Part 6 programme is assessing land parcels to deliver roughly 12000 units in order to make SPLUMA applications
within the next 12-18 months. Ideally these sites will address encroaching informal settlements on PRASA assets and infrastructure.
g. The City has a good relationship with regional representatives of prasa. There is engagement between ETA and PRASA on technical and strategic planning levels. In the case of informal settlements encroaching on PRASA land we have advised them of our processes regarding upgrading and relocations and the city's prioritisation model.