Western Cape Provincial Department on Informal Settlements: briefing

Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
19 March 2003
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENT ON INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Ms Z Kota

Documents handed out:
Informal Settlements Handbook

SUMMARY
Caleb Consulting briefed the Committee on the manual produced by the Western Cape Department of Housing addressing issues related to the management and upgrading of informal settlements.

MINUTES 4
Mr K Boshof stressed the neglect of the informal settlements as no attention was being paid to upgrading, improvement and management. The book under discussion aimed to give users perspective through its background information and cover a wide range of aspects. He felt that there was incongruity between the plush surroundings of parliament and the poverty within the informal settlements.

Mr G Adlard (CALEB Consulting) addressed the Committee and stated that the book was initiated two years ago with its main goal being a resource manual for management. Twenty-five experts on informal settlements, from various fields compiled the book together. The project was managed as a team effort between province and the city of Cape Town. Copies of the manual had been distributed and workshops were being run to explain the manuals contents and how it should be implemented. It was aimed for use in the Western Cape, but could also be adapted by other provinces and on National level. He further emphasised that the manual was a technical and philosophical resource.

Mr G Adlard said that not withstanding the beauty and economic enterprise of the Western Cape that the area was not strong enough to support the almost 40 000 people who migrate to the area on an annual basis. The Western Cape was a largely urbanised area that supported almost 100 000 households in Informal settlements. He stressed that informal settlements were an integral part of our cities and that the manual ha been designed as a guide in dealing with the problems arising from the said settlements. He emphasised the constructive nature of the manual as it has been designed in such a way that it could be added to and changed over time.

Mr Adlard explained the structure of the manual:
Part A of the manual dealt with the contextualising the situation in the Western Cape. It has four goals and four guiding principles. The goals include incorporation, improvement, betterment and forward planning, whilst the guiding principles are aimed at integration, participation, communication and minimum relocation.

Part B was aimed at preparation with the first step being institutional arrangements being the implementation of a structure. The second step related to auditing, whilst the next step relates to the analysis of the data obtained in relation to the ten instruments promoted by the manual. The fourth and final step relates to objective setting. Mr G Adlard emphasised that it was about a process that had integrity.

Part C dealt with implementation. The emphasis was discouraging hasty problem solving and addresses the key questions of: how, where, and who. The first part of this section deals with the incorporation of informal settlements, with a special section dealing with land invasions and the different levels of infrastructure. Mr G Adlard pointed out that this section of the manual was very technical and technical as it was compiled by town planners, engineers and financial experts.

Mr Adlard cited Lusaka, Zambia as a prime example where the basic infrastructure of roads was introduced into the informal settlements. Roads were essential for infrastructure. They eased the movement of people and eased their access to clinics, markets and schools. Mr G Adlard drew the committee's attention to the community participation in this project and emphasised that if people were to be moved to spillover areas that their new accommodation must be completed before construction and restructuring commences.

The chair commended the book as a valuable tool to use in a systematic approach to the informal settlement issue.

Discussion
Mr K Boshof emphasised that the information was available to all provinces.

Ms Buthelezi-Oliphant (ANC) stated that they continuously revisit the same problem. The demand for houses further aggravated the informal settlement issue as those who squatted were in line to get government houses first. She further highlighted the problem of those people squatting in back yards.

Mr Skhosana (ANC) asked firstly whether community leaders were included in the group of experts and secondly whether the title of the book did not imply that Informal settlements were here to stay or whether it was proposing a humane solution.

Mr G Adlard stated that informal settlements were located on relatively prime land in locations positioned close to the resources provided by the city. Furthermore the relative isolation of the new settlements did not encourage residents to move from their current locations and impeded the improvement of the informal settlement environment.

Mr G Adlard emphasised that the book aimed not to be a strategy, but a resource book and stressed the involvement of community leaders. It aimed to address the issues surrounding informal settlements and not the housing problem in general. He acknowledged the problem of backyard shacks, but emphasised that the manual did not deal with this issue directly. He stressed that the book was a resource and not a proposal.

The Chair stated that the state's priority was the building of houses.

The meeting was adjourned.