Question NW279 to the Minister of Human Settlements
11 May 2016 - NW279
Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
Whether her department has transformed any of the apartheid established townships in order to ensure that the specified townships conform to the full definition of a human settlement in keeping with its own designation as the Department of Human Settlements; if not, why not; if so, which townships are now fully functional human settlements?
Reply:
Indeed Honourable member, we have taken considerable strides in transforming apartheid established townships and we are determined to do more still in order to reverse the apartheid spatial planning and its legacy. For instance, in Soweto we have provided sports facilities, built malls, and paved roads. I invite the Honourable member to visit Cosmo City, which is one amongst our success stories. Evidence of our projects can be seen in many apartheid established townships nationally, places like Kwa-Mashu, Umlazi, Langa, Khayelitsha, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville are a few examples where our footprint can be seen.
We have managed to transform approximately 98% of all our projects to be representative of a human settlement, which includes access to amenities like schools, medical facilities, shopping centres, places of worship, points of transportation and access to roads.
The table below indicates the Human Settlements’ footprint.
|
Number of projects reflecting characteristics of a Human Settlements |
||||||
|
|
Number of projects being implemented (2014/15) |
Amenities: |
Access to roads |
|||
|
Province |
1 km |
5km Radius |
10km Radius |
1km Radius |
5km Radius |
|
|
EC |
977 |
829 |
941 |
942 |
904 |
942 |
|
FS |
1538 |
1282 |
1507 |
1521 |
1476 |
1521 |
|
GP |
1276 |
1156 |
1274 |
1274 |
1266 |
1274 |
|
KZN |
942 |
735 |
924 |
925 |
877 |
925 |
|
LP |
1251 |
882 |
1198 |
1224 |
1070 |
1224 |
|
MP |
1666 |
1208 |
1563 |
1581 |
1499 |
1583 |
|
NC |
573 |
354 |
433 |
448 |
430 |
467 |
|
NW |
473 |
436 |
544 |
555 |
542 |
560 |
|
WC |
1540 |
1438 |
1511 |
1516 |
1494 |
1516 |
|
Total |
10236 |
8320 |
9895 |
9986 |
9558 |
10012 |
|
% of projects within specific distances from the project, with characteristics of a human settlement |
|
81% |
97% |
98% |
93% |
98% |
It is further important to note that out of a total of 10 236 projects, only 70 projects (0.68%), fall outside a designated town boundary. That is due to the fact that they are projects that focus on rural communities and self-help projects (PHP).
Additionally, we have referenced and profiled a few of the largest towns in the country in relation to the above analysis (Annexure A). From this list there are none of these large towns that cannot be classified as a human settlement based on the definition of a human settlement.