Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says localising the New Urban Agenda will require buy in and engagement from all organisations that play a role in urban development, spatial transformation and human settlements.
Addressing the plenary of the National Urban Forum held in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Thursday, Kubayi said the forum offers government an opportunity to engage in conversations to refine and improve its own policies and programmes.
“We have an opportunity here to enhance the human settlements and urban development trajectory of the country, and develop concrete programmes and projects that result in real outcomes. We have made a commitment that our approach to human settlements delivery will be guided by the principle of continuous improvement,” Kubayi said.
The New Urban Agenda -- adopted by United Nations members in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016 -- is a global commitment to address urbanisation over the next 20 years.
“South Africa actively shaped the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III, through a collaborative effort of sector stakeholders. Then, after the adoption of the New Urban Agenda by the United Nations, we developed the discussion document for the localisation of the New Urban Agenda in South Africa in 2018,” Kubayi said.
READ | Kubayi launches plan for informal settlements
Housing demand in urban centres outstrips supply
The Minister warned that South Africa’s growing population, coupled with rapidly rising urbanisation, is a reality that the human settlements sector will grapple with for the near future.
She said the current demand for human settlements in the country’s urban centres far outstrips supply.
“We have seen the rise of informal settlements and urban inner-city slums, which not only place the lives of many families at risk of disaster but have also become a major source of social ills. I say this to emphasise the point that conversations such as this one, which bring together all the stakeholders, are long overdue,” Kubayi said.
Kubayi said the National Development Plan (NDP) calls on South Africa to start a national conversation about cities, towns and villages. ,
“South Africa would benefit from greater public awareness, mutual understanding and discussion of the future of its villages, towns and cities.
She said municipalities, including provinces and national departments, will facilitate and engage on the debate, and incorporate the emerging ideas and suggestions into their strategic plans.
Human Settlements White Paper
The review of the 1994 White Paper on Human Settlements and the development of the new paper has given the department an opportunity to reflect on the journey travelled in the human settlements sector since the dawn of democracy.
According to the 2022 Census Report, 88.5% of households lived in formal dwellings in 2022, compared to 77.6% in 2011. Only 7.9% of households lived in informal dwellings in 2022, compared to 13.6% in 2011.
While acknowledging the great strides government has made in the housing sector, which has seen the provision of about 4.8 million houses and housing opportunities, Kubayi said the sector still faces many challenges.
She said the department’s review revealed numerous shortcomings related to gaps in policy and programme implementation, noting that these demonstrate significant shifts in society, which demands an updated and responsive policy.
These shifts include population growth, rapid urbanisation, migration patterns, the emergence of innovative technology, climate change and changing human settlements demand patterns.
Kubayi said these shifts require the development of new ways of doing things, better ways of planning, change of pace of delivery, and adoption of innovative processes and technologies.
The National Urban Forum is a precursor to the 12th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) convened by the UN Habitat. It will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from 4 - 8 November 2024.
Kubayi is scheduled to participate in the forum, which is returning to the African continent over 20 years after its inception in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2002. – SAnews.gov.za
