6.2. INTERVIEWS WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY
6.2.1. Theme 1: From Housing to Human Settlements
The objective of this theme is to ascertain an integrated housing strategy used by the eThekwini Municipality in creating quality living environments. The study sought to assess the current strategy, employed by the municipality, to ascertain whether it creates quality living environments for communities in this municipality. Housing strategies are aimed at ensuring an improved quality of life of communities as beneficiaries of formal housing. The question that one needs to ask is: To what extent has the current strategy, employed by the municipality improved the quality of life of communities? In pursuing integrated human settlements, the municipality strives to meet the basic human rights of the people – that is having access to adequate housing. The aim of the Cornubia project was to create a comprehensive and habitable environment within a variety of economic and societal prospects under the banner of housing provision (eThekwini Municipality, 2011). Hence, the project was implemented to make the provision of the Constitution, which is the right to adequate housing for the poor, a reality.
132 6.2.1.1. Redressing imbalances of the past
Respondents that were interviewed all agreed that since 1994 the government, through the RDP, had to ensure that housing provision was based on mass production. The emphasis was on providing a house, and nothing else that completes a human being.
Provision of houses was just numbers, numbers, numbers, numbers soon after 1994. (4) But then they realised that “no man, we are almost creating the same apartheid mentality of monotonous low-density development”. Once houses have been built they are not homes. (4) It was clear from the responses given that housing policies were influenced by the RDP, which aimed at redressing the imbalances of the past – by mobilising the people of the country and the country’s resources. The goal with the RDP was to build “a non-racial and non-sexist future, representing the fundamental transformation of the South African society” (RSA, 1994). Some researchers further confirmed that the RDP policy was clear about addressing the imbalances of the past, as it was aimed at providing urban infrastructure, land and housing, which the disadvantaged in the country had been deprived of (Viljoen, 2014).
6.2.1.2. Achieving an integrated human settlement
Respondents indicated that the government realised that building houses in large numbers was not yielding the desired outcomes - that of improving the quality of life of communities. As informal settlements increased, the government was left with no choice but to develop strategies to deal with the housing backlog. It has been noted that the housing backlog is huge, more especially in the metropolitan cities, as the majority of people believe that life is better in cities.
... then what happened is that there had to be a paradigm shift by officials. … But if you’re going to count the settlement as being good for human habitation, you’re going to start addressing the issue of sustainability. (7)
Respondents contended that the move towards integrated human settlements was to ensure that houses were designed in a way that would reduce the environmental impact – and at the same time ensuring that the community needs are met without compromising the needs of future generations (see Goebel, 2012). Hence, government implemented projects such as Cornubia to moved away from the concept of building houses, but making sure that once a settlement is
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developed, all other amenities are provided for communities in order to improve their livelihood (see eThekwini Municipality, 2015).
… are people accessible to amenities, are people accessible to job creation, are we not keeping people on the periphery… (2).
Respondents indicated that the Cornubia project was conceived in order to address the concepts of human settlements that DHS introduced. The vision of the department in this regard, was to create self-sustaining units – the idea was to relocate people from different slums, located in the not-so-convenient places (see Sutherland et al., 2015). These are people living close to dumping areas, some of which are not habitable. People migrate to the city form whichever places in search of a better life – this is more of a socio-economic issue (see DHS, 2009).
Respondents further indicated that in addressing the housing backlog, the eThekwini Municipality embarked on in-situ and Greenfields strategies.
Cornubia is a Greenfield project where people are relocated to this new area and at the same time taking into account special needs. Cornubia was aimed at ensuring that all amenities are provided so that people do not travel long distances to their places of work. Cornubia is believed to have lessened the pressure in addressing socio economic issues at the same time ensuring that the quality of life is improved. (8)
However, in ensuring the quality of life of communities, the municipality, through the Housing Development Agency, has the responsibility to identify such land – which is very difficult to find. It is easy for the municipality to develop mega projects in Greenfields, because the municipality can build double storeyed units. In the Greenfields, integration is in terms of race, socio-economic, status and income (IDP, 2015/2016).
… Some of the beneficiaries relocated are from Blackburn which is a mixture in terms of race (4)
Respondents alluded to the fact that the Cornubia project aimed at promoting self-sustaining communities by relocating people from slums and informal settlements. These places are not conducive for the health and wellbeing of the people and for building houses. Also, most of these informal settlements are far from places of work – and this gives rise to a socio-economic issue (see Habitat, 2011).
There is an informal settlement in Isipingo which is closed to the river banks and every time there are floods those people are to be taken to safer areas. (6)
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The challenges with these new developments is that people don’t seem to stay in such areas for long. Respondents further acknowledged that people move back to informal settlements, because these ensure more livelihoods (HABITAT, 2011). Cornubia does not boost shops and places of work because it is still being developed – hence people go back to informal settlements (see www.cornubia.co.za).
There is livelihood in informal settlements, thus people prefer to live there than in these new houses. (3)
This researcher established that in addressing the housing backlog, government revisited its approach by moving from housing to human settlements. Through human settlements, government aims at ensuring adequate access to social amenities, economic opportunities, convenience and affordability. It is important to note that quality of life is measured by access to such facilities that improve the well-being of individuals (Mhodi, 2015). As a result, Cornubia development was established to address human settlement problems. Urbanisation as a global challenge has also affected metropolitan cities because people are moving in numbers to cities, with the hope of finding a better life. The BNG was based on the principles of the 1994 White Paper on Housing, whose emphasis is on transforming and stabilising the environment – to transform the environment, which was exceptionally fragmented, difficult, and racially-based financial and institutional frameworks. In addition to stabilising the environment the BNG was to address the backlog by ensuring housing delivery (see DHS, 2014). The IRDP makes provision for the acquisition and serving of land, as well as land used for commercial and recreational buildings, and schools for both low- and middle-income groups (see DHS, 2009; IDP 2016/2017).
6.2.1.3. Household formations
Respondents also acknowledged that the municipality was encountering problems in meeting the targets, because of rapid urbanisation. The housing backlog has increased because of people migrating from rural areas to urban centres – and this numbers changes every year. The increasing number of household formations has result is the increasing demand for settlements in the City. This has led to a number of people resorting to living in informal settlements. The problem is, however, that they tend to occupy vacant land, which is owned privately. The HDA has to facilitate the acquisition of land for the municipality so that development can take place.
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The DHS should be assisted in securing town planning approvals. The planning department is again expected to check if the development integrates with the development of the entire city.
We are not dealing with the new household formations per se but where we come in is that there will be a backlog analysis and then a demand for human settlements will arise either because there is an informal settlements or there is just a need for development. However, we find that the land is not already owned by the government and so that’s where we come in to secure the land for a municipality or for a government department, in order for them to come in and develop houses. (3)
Respondents indicated that the housing sector plan gives guidelines on how to deal with household formation. This plan must be aligned with the IDP. The municipality is guided by the housing plan – as well as the national legislation. Those implementing the plan must first begin by profile communities. Within the plan, therefore, the focus is on the RDP, free standing houses, and rental housing that promote social housing (partnership with NGO). The municipality is only accredited to deal with such a strategy. The housing sector plan indicates that it will take 30 years to deal with the housing backlog because of migration which is a global phenomenon (see DHS, 2009).
6.2.1.4. Recognising backyard houses
Respondents indicated that there was another strategy that the municipality has begun to recognise – that is the backyard housing – and whether it will contribute to the increasing number of people flocking to township (Huchezermeyer, 2001). But the municipality is committed to ensuring that people do have access to housing, because if they are confined to informal settlements their quality of life will not be improved.
… This strategy focuses on all townships whether black or white in this way the municipality is trying to make sure that no one is excluded. Landlords are given a choice whether to agree with this arrangement or not. (7)
The findings of the household formations theme revealed that some of the people who come to cities do not do so with the aim of settling, but are coming to work. The municipality does have a strategy in place for such communities. Thus, the municipality has been compelled to ensure that informal settlements are built on suitable land – and that the land has been acquired. In this way, the municipality has to make sure that the people who live in the informal settlements have access to clean water, electricity and sanitation. This is done through the in situ upgrades
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advocated in the BNG, as discussed in the previous section. In this way, the municipality is trying to make informal settlements habitable (see SAHRC, 2015).
6.2.1.5. Policy challenges
The respondents indicated that there was no law in South Africa that legitimizes the eviction of households once there is a new owner. As a result, the municipality is finding it extremely difficult to deal with these cases, as beneficiaries begin to sell their units. Access to housing is a constitutional mandate given to DHS, and the department should, through municipalities, fulfil this mandate (see RSA, 1996). The Housing White Paper on Housing of 1994, reaffirms the concept of adequate housing in its vision as providing a viable, socially and integrated communities which are suited in convenient areas (see Huchzermeyer, 2001; Bradlow et al., 2011).
The purchase price for each unit is R248 000.00, government provide R110 000 which is the subsidy quantum and the municipality is expected to top up for the infrastructure. (8)
No evictions can take place because one is contravening the South African law. (1)
The findings of this study addressed the objective of ascertaining the current integrated housing strategy employed by the eThekwini Municipality in creating quality living environments. The theme acknowledges that integrated human settlement as a new concept followed the birth of the BNG. The initial housing programmes were aimed at the mass production of houses, as government was trying to redress the imbalances of the past. However, this strategy failed to address other issues, including the increasing number of city dwellers. Providing housing on a large scale was not considered to be a solution in redressing the imbalances of the past.
The officials also asserted that people were living in houses which were not suitable – both in terms of the location and the size. Reference was made to the apartheid era, where townships were built in the urban peripheries. Thus, the RDP was implemented to deal with this problem – but could not address it adequately (see DHS, 2015). The sprawling of informal settlements has continued to be a challenge to municipalities in addressing issues of housing shortages.
Furthermore, gaps in housing policies have been found to be a contributing factor to municipalities in failing to deal with land invasions. The upgrading of informal settlements has not been found to be the solution to housing shortages in South Africa as some communities resort to revert to their original areas of abode. With reference to Cornubia, the integration that DHS, through its policies, intends to achieve, has been witnessed. For instance, beneficiaries
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have been relocated to these new BNG units, which are phases 1 A, & B. In Phase 1A, the municipality was able to handover units to beneficiaries, with the expected services such as water, sanitation and electricity. Cornubia has an advantage of getting the USDG, which is received by all metros, which assists in meeting the city standards. The USDG comes tops on the city standards in ensuring that proper services are provided (see eThekwini Municipality, 2015).
… In Phase 1B some units where handed over to the beneficiaries without electricity. Because of the demand of houses problems arise with the supply of meter boxes. (8)
Some respondents indicated that assessment risks were conducted, where the municipality felt that access to water is more important than electricity. This is also the reason the municipality decide to hand over the units – because there were threats of invasions, similar to those that happened in Phase 1A. To avoid threats of invasion, the municipality, in some cases, provided interim services up until services were made available. The findings indicate that keeping houses vacant for a long period, is costly for the municipality – because it has to pay for the security. This places pressure on the municipality, as it is expected to deal with the challenges that comes with the allocation of other units. Integrated human settlements speak to accessing all other amenities, and with the case of Cornubia, there are no community halls, churches, there is only a primary school, as well other amenities, which completes the integration.
Communities when interviewed alluded to the fact that the majority of the people who were relocated to new areas were not working – and that bringing them close to economic opportunities did not help, because there were no jobs. Projects such as Cornubia were aimed at bringing people from lower socio-economic classes and the jobless to locations where they would have access to economic opportunities but this did not happen in reality as communities are still struggling even today.
The findings further indicated that an attempt should be made to deal with the minimum threshold, discussions should be centred on increasing the minimum requirement of R3 500.
The department should also consider engaging on discussions on the minimum wages, and other aspects such as access to better jobs, which improves the quality of life of the people.
This again, can reduce cases where houses are extended without authority from the municipality – and where people sell houses, where conveyancers are involved in the transactions. The municipality, in dealing with these problems, should think along the lines of regularising the process – and access whether the current occupants should be the ones to be
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identified when the process for registrations is being fast tracked. Communities were also aware of original beneficiaries selling houses but no action has been taken. Communities have acknowledged that there is better life