Remarks by Mr Andries Nel, MP, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, during a panel discussion on: Municipal Demarcation: Challenges and Opportunities for Spatial Transformation at the Municipal Demarcation Board Conference
Moderator: Prof Mcebisi Ndletyana,
Panel Members:
Ms Nompumelelo Mpofu, MDB Board Member;
Amb Lemarron Kaanto, Embassy of Kenya,
Cllr Thabo Manyoni, hairperson of SALGA;
Mr Zamindlela Titus, Engcobo Development Initiative (EDI),
Prof Somadoda Fikeni.
IUDF and Demarcation
The Municipal Demarcation Board is holding this conference under the theme: "Demarcation & Spatial Transformation".
This underscores the growing recognition of the importance of spatial transformation and the transformation of the municipal space in particular. It is also emphasises the importance of managing the rapid and massive urbanisation that South Africa is undergoing.
Our starting point is the National Development Plan which highlights the legacy of apartheid spatial planning as one of the most formidable stumbling blocks to social transformation, economic development and social cohesion facing the state, labour, business and civil society.
The NDP recognises that: “Apartheid planning consigned the majority of South Africans to places far from work, where services could not be sustained, and where it was difficult to access the benefits of society and participate in the economy”.
So, generally the majority of South Africans:
Have to travel long distances at a huge cost to access work and economic opportunities - this means less disposable income as poor households spend on average more than 40% of their income on travel, also have less social time as they leave home very early and come back very late at night, or even worse are unable to stay at home full time (migrant workers).
It is costly to provide and maintain services in many areas due to spatial patterns characterised by sprawl. Poor access to social and economic infrastructure required to improve their quality of life.
The key challenge facing all of us is therefore to redress these imbalances, and ensure that we attain the vision of the NDP that:
“By 2030 South Africa should observe meaningful and measurable progress in reviving rural areas and in creating more functionally integrated, balanced and vibrant urban settlements. For this to happen the country must:
Clarify and relentlessly pursue a national vision for spatial development;
Sharpen the instruments for achieving this vision;
Build the required capabilities in the state and among citizens”.
Responding to the NDP, Cabinet approved the Integrated Urban Development Framework on 26 April 2016.
This policy framework takes further the goals of the Reconstruction and Development Programme of “breaking down apartheid geography through land reform, more compact cities, decent public transport and the development of industries and services that use local resources and/or meet local needs”.
In addition to the NDP, the IUDF responds to the post-2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular to Goal 11: Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
There is already great synergy between the IUDF principles and the demarcation objectives and factors outlined in Sections 24 and 25 of the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act No.27 of 1998. The proposals/questions being presented are meant to strengthen already well-conceptualised criteria.
The IUDF’s overall outcome – spatial transformation – marks a New Deal for South African cities and towns, by steering urban growth towards a sustainable growth model of compact, connected and coordinated cities and towns.
This outcome raises the following considerations for the demarcation process:
Compact: Boundaries should enable municipalities to retrofit existing patterns and accommodate new growth in a way that ensures compact development. Does the municipal boundary enable it to close the “gaps between functional urban spaces to create compact settlements that make service provision and public transport financially viable?
Connected: Will the boundaries enable/facilitate the provision of infrastructure such as transport, IT, energy, water, etc in a connected way? Does it facilitate the connection of various spaces/parts of the city or town to unlock the development potential of the area?
Co-ordinated: Policy coherence and integrated delivery is critical for integrated development. Some of the issues to be considered during a demarcation process include whether the boundaries will facilitate/enable collaboration and vertical and horizontal alignment of plans and infrastructure.
For example, the existence and emergence of city-regions (such as Tshwane-Joburg,-Ekhurhuleni or EThekwini-Msunduzi) mean that when boundaries are developed then governance implications of ensuring that functional geographic areas are not badly affected needs to be considered. Or even at another level, does this mean looking at a “new” category of municipalities to facilitate coherent regional development?
The IUDF introduces four overall strategic goals and policy levers to support the transformative vision as follows:
- Spatial integration: To forge new spatial forms in settlement, transport, social and economic areas.
- Inclusion and access: To ensure people have access to social and economic services, opportunities and choices.
- Growth: To harness urban dynamism for inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development.
- Governance: To enhance the capacity of the state and its citizens to work together to achieve spatial and social integration.
The four strategic goals introduce some principles/ questions to be asked or considered as we delineate municipal and ward boundaries:
Will this new boundary help form a new efficient or strengthen an existing spatial form that promotes integrated and sustainable human settlement?
Will it make it possible and cost effective for the municipality and other organs of state to provide and maintain social and economic services? Will the communities be able to access with ease the social and economic services, goods and opportunities?
Will the boundary enhance inclusive and sustainable growth? Does it enable functional geographic spaces to thrive, while also promoting inclusive growth particularly in the townships and other less developed areas?
The IUDF indicates that the urban system is diverse, and outlines different urban typologies. It could be important for both categorisation of municipalities and demarcation to provide for such a differentiation and demarcate in a way that ensures the functionality of each category.
Section 24(c) of the Municipal Demarcation Act, for example, indicates as one of the objectives the need to ensure effective local governance. A question to ponder on is how this can be achieved in a big area like a metropolitan municipality.
Another important principle introduced by the IUDF is the need to move away from the rural-urban dichotomy debate, but rather understand the rural and urban spaces as a continuum. To this effect, strengthening rural-urban linkages is one of the cross-cutting priorities identified by the IUDF.
The various policy levers identified in the framework such as integrated urban planning, land governance, integrated transport and mobility, integrated infrastructure and inclusive economic development should help strengthen the linkages between the rural and urban spaces.
Interventions identified by the IUDF for strengthening the linkages include:
- Linking functional geographical areas through strategic and sectoral (e.g. infrastructure, agriculture) initiatives;
- Creating synergies between enterprises in urban and rural areas;
- Developing value chains between various economic sectors; and
- Supporting the economic development of small towns and their regions.
This also provides some principles that could be considered in the demarcation process in pursuance of integrated and sustainable development. It means understanding the economic and social linkages between the various spaces, and ensuring that municipal boundaries provide a platform for facilitating the linkages.
Lastly, the IUDF aims to promote the following spatial principles as per the NDP and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA):
- Spatial Justice: ensuring the needs of the poor and the vulnerable are addressed first rather than last.
- Spatial Sustainability: protection to the environment.
- Spatial Resilience: reducing vulnerability to shocks.
- Spatial Quality: creating aesthetic and functional settlements.
- Spatial Efficiency: ensuring efficient communing patterns and circulation of goods and services.
A developmentally - oriented demarcation process will have to put this at the centre, and ensure that boundaries help attain these principles.
Enquiries:
Tsakani Baloyi
Cell: 082 052 0892
Email: sheilab@cogta.gov.za
