SA News

Sustainable Human Settlements - Breaking new ground

By June 2011, the formalisation of 206 informal settlements had been completed. The number of informal settlements was reduced from 2 700 in 2009 to 2 450 in 2011.

Cabinet approved the Comprehensive Housing Plan (CHP) for the Development of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements (Breaking New Ground [BNG]) that aims, among other things, to eradicate informal settlements in South Africa in the shortest possible time.

The BNG incorporates principles such as:

• integrating subsidised, rental and bonded housing
• providing municipal engineering services at a higher level and being applied consistently throughout the township
• providing ancillary facilities such as schools clinics and commercial opportunities
• combining different housing densities and types,ranging from single-stand units to doublestorey units and row houses.

The CHP provides for programmes that promote the development of the entire residential property market, including the development of low-cost housing, medium-density accommodation and rental housing; stronger partnerships with the private sector; social infrastructure; and
amenities.

The plan also aims to change spatial settlement patterns by building spatially economical and socially integrated human settlements. The CHP is being implemented through informal settlement-upgrading pilot projects in each province. These projects provide for phased, areabased development, and emphasise community participation and social and economic development as an integral part of housing projects. The goal of upgrading all informal settlements by 2014/15 is aligned to the United Nation's (UN) millennium development goals (MDGs) to improve the lives of 100 million slum dwellers worldwide.

The CHP focuses on:

• accelerating housing delivery as a key strategy for poverty alleviation
• using housing provision as a major job-creation strategy
• ensuring that property can be accessed by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment
• leveraging growth in the economy, combating crime and promoting social cohesio
• using housing development to break down barriers between the First-Economy residential property boom and the Second-Economy slump
• using housing as an instrument for the development of sustainable human settlements in support of spatial restructuring
• diversifying housing products by emphasising rental stock.

As part of the CHP, government provides a 40-m² house with two bedrooms; a separate bathroom with a toilet, shower and hand basin; a combined living area and kitchen with wash basin; and a ready-board electrical installation where electricity supply is available in the township, to qualifying households earning less than R3 500 a month.

The department developed and launched a number of instruments to guide the implementation of the comprehensive plan in all three spheres of government. These include the monitoring, evaluation and impact-assessment policy and implementation guidelines, and the operating system for the policy and guidelines. The department has also initiated a project-monitoring process to measure the performance of provincial housing departments against targets set in their business plans, to identify constraints and assist with addressing them swiftly.

Phase One of the Housing Demand Database has been completed, resulting in an integrated national database.

Progress made during 2011 included:

• Development on the N2 Gateway Project in the Western Cape being at different stages in each of the project areas. Considerable progress was made in providing bulk infrastructure, constructing houses, installing service connections to individual units and the handover of 7 887 houses by the end of 2011.
• The Zanemvula Housing Project that entails the upgrading of informal and formal settlements in the Soweto-on-Sea and Veeplaas areas, as well as greenfields housing developments in the areas of Chatty and Joe Slovo West in the Eastern Cape.
• 4 300 sites and 800 units in Duncan Village in the Eastern Cape.
• The initiation of the Lerato Park Housing Project in the Northern Cape.
• 5 500 units in the Khutsong Resettlement Project in Gauteng.
• Infrastructure and housing in the Klarinet Housing Project in Mpumalanga.
• The Emnambithi Urban Renewal Project in KwaZulu-Natal.
• 6 776 units in Grassland in the Free State.
• 341 units of the Morgan's Village III Affordable Housing Project in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town.
• The Informal Settlement Upgrade Programme in Nelson Mandela, Joe Slovo, Phola Park and Chris Hani informal settlements and Ngangelizwe in the Eastern Cape. Phase One of this project will focus on the provision of interim services and planning for 6 600 units.
• Agreement to unblock eight housing development projects valued at over R85,7 million was reached between the North West Provincial Government and the Mahikeng Local Municipality for the construction of 2 481 housing units, including the building of 200 rental housing units.
• In total, 26 328 housing units have been completed, benefiting some 118 476 individuals in the Mabaso RHP, in KwaZulu-Natal.
• A housing project in Qolweni, Gaatjie, Bossiesgif and Pinetree in the southern Cape created denser settlement for people in the area. The high-density units are the first of their kind in the southern Cape. Higher-density settlements fulfil one of the department's strategic objectives of maximum use of resources and are important in creating integrated and sustainable settlements. The project will be developed in four phases, with Phase One (265 units) already completed. On completion it will consist of 1 420 units.
• Several mixed housing projects such as Lehae, Olieventhoutbosch, Lufhereng, Cosmos City, Chief Mogale and Chief Albert Luthuli, to relocate people from informal settlements, are being built in Gauteng.

Other housing programmes

• Community Residential Unit (CRU) Programme
• Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP)

SA News

NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Neighbourhood Development Programme (NDP) Unit was established in 2006 and is responsible for managing theNeighbourhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG). The NDPG is driven by the notion that public investment and funding can be used creatively to attract private and community investment to unlock the social and economic potential in targeted underserved neighbourhoods, generally townships. This in turn will not only improve the quality of life of residents but also contribute to South Africa’s economic performance. The purpose of the grant is to therefore fund, support and facilitate the planning and development of neighbourhood development programmes and projects that provide catalytic infrastructure to leverage third party public and private sector investment for future and more sustainable development. The NDP Unit is responsible for: The management of the NDPG, and includes a planning grant, for Technical Assistance (TA) and a Capital Grant (CG). The NDP Unit also performs support and knowledge management activities and is currently working on a programme referred to as the Sustainable Cities Collective (SCC) The NDP Unit recently joined the Inter-Governmental Relations (IGR) division at National Treasury to work in conjunction with the City Support Programme. The strategic role of urban centres in enabling the necessary conditions for achieving key government outcomes is well documented locally and internationally. During 2011/12 the NDP evaluated the performance of the NDP grant and as a result embarked on a process of strategic planning to deepen value for money and long term impact. The result was the formulation of a new strategy, known as the Urban Networks Strategy (UNS) which is a pro-poor/pro-growth investment approach. The strategy which is aimed at facilitating the eradication of spatial inequality to enable the creation of liveable, sustainable, resilient, efficient and integrated human settlements. The focus of this strategy is to shift infrastructure investments towards the creation of efficient and effective urban centres through an approach of spatial targeting of public investment, primarily infrastructure. The Urban Network is a city-wide interconnected hierarchy of strategic nodes and public transport links between and within nodes. It consists of primary and secondary networks that interconnect at strategic nodes known as urban hubs, which are located within marginalised areas, typically townships. The new strategy is reflected in the amendment of the 2014/2015 DORA NDPG Framework which states that future NDPG allocations will be focused on municipalities and projects that align with the NDPG’s prioritisation criteria. These for example include population densities, levels and diversity of economic activity, concentration of poverty and the presence of connectivity networks i.e. public transport. The application of these criteria across the NDPG portfolio of municipalities has resulted in the identification of 18 urban municipalities and include South Africa’s larger urban centres as well as key regional service centres. While the 18 NDPG funded urban municipalities are places of significant socio-economic development and growing populations they continue to suffer from severe inequality which is clearly represented in their spatial form. This perpetuates cities that are: Exclusionary (spatial patterns of access to services and opportunity) Inefficient (growing fiscal and economic costs in supporting the current spatial form and design) Unsustainable (due to severe environmental and social risks) The focus of this Urban Networks Strategy, as the name implies, is to shift infrastructure investments towards the creation of efficient and effective urban centres that will increase economic growth, create employment and increase access to urban amenities, especially for the poor located in marginalised settlement areas, such as townships. The NDP will work in partnership with other strategic spatial, transit orientated grants including the Public Transport Infrastructure and Systems (PTIS) Grant and Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG) to support the implementation of projects across the urban network. The balance of the municipalities in the NDPG portfolio has been classified as rural NDP municipalities.

ILO

South Africa Decent Work Country Programme

With the newly signed Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), South Africa has taken a decisive step to promote decent work as a key component of its national development. In support of the DWCP, South Africa is furthermore actively being assisted in implementing the Global Jobs Pact through a national jobs pact, which aligns its policies with the current four priorities of the DWCP: strengthening fundamental principles and rights at work; promoting employment creation; strengthening and broadening social protection coverage; and strengthening tripartism and social dialogue.

The programme, to be carried throughout 2010-2014, has four priorities and nine concrete outcomes.

Priorities

Strengthening Fundamental Principles and Rights at work

Strengthening fundamental principles and rights at work through the ratification and implementation of International Labour Standards; and improved labour administration for effective employment services

Promotion of Employment

Promotion of employment creation through an enabling environment for job rich growth, sustainable enterprises, including formalization of the informal sector and skills development

Strengthening and Broadening Social Protection Coverage

Strengthening and broadening social protection coverage through better managed and more equitable access to social security and health benefits, occupational safety and health, and improved workplace responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Strengthening Tripartism and Social dialogue

Strengthening tripartism-plus and social dialogue through the improved capacity of the tripartite plus social dialogue institution (and its constituent members), labour market institutions for effective social dialogue and sound industrial relations

Outcomes

1. Up-to-date International Labour Standards are ratified, complied with and reported on

Indicator(s):

- Government and social partners apply international labour standards, and in accordance with issues raised by the supervisory bodies
- Up to-date conventions are ratified including those regarded as significant from the pointof view of governance

2. Labour administrations apply up to-date labour legislation and provide effective services

Indicator(s):

- Labour administration institutions apply up to-date labour legislation and provide effective services
- Labour inspection system is strengthened in line with international labour standards

3. More women and men, especially youth and persons with disabilities, have access to productive and decent employment through inclusive job-rich growth

Indicator(s):

- Macro-economic policies establish a conducive environment for job-rich economic growth
- Labour market information and analyses systems generate and disseminate decent work related labour market data
- National capacity for employment intensive programmes that integrate aspects of decent work is increased for local development
- Labour market is reviewed to address decent work deficits in any forms of employment where there are decent work deficits
- Legislation, regulations or policies are adopted that improve minimum wage regulations (national or sectoral) whether established via statute or through collective bargaining
- Improved institutional capacity to develop and implement sound wage policies

4. Sustainable and competitive enterprises (including cooperatives) create productive and decent jobs especially among women, youth and persons with disabilities

Indicator(s):

- Enabling policy and regulatory reforms exist for sustainable enterprises and a conducive environment for sustainable enterprises
- Programmes that foster the adoption of responsible and sustainable enterprise level practices are implemented
- Government and the social partners undertake initiatives in policy areas that facilitate transition of informal activities to formality

5. Skills development increases the employability of workers and the inclusiveness of growth

Indicator(s):

- The Government of South Africa in consultation with workers and employers make skills development policies and programmes responsive to the labour market
- Capacitated skills development institutions

6. More people have access to better managed and more gender equitable social security and health benefits

Indicator(s):

- Existence of policy reform to improve and extend social security coverage, including the informal sector
- Legislation exists to improve performance, management and governance for extended social security system coverage

7. Workers and enterprises benefit from improved safety and healthy conditions at work

Indicator(s):

- Policies and programmes are adopted to promote improved safety and health at work
- Tripartite constituents implement programmes to promote improved safety and health at work

8. The world of work responds effectively to the HIV&AIDS epidemic

Indicator(s):

- Tripartite constituents take significant action to implement HIV&AIDS programmes at the workplace
- HIV/AIDS monitoring and evaluation systems are in place

9. Strengthened labour market institutions and capacitated social partners (tripartite-plus) contribute to effective social dialogue and sound industrial relations

Indicator(s):

- Social dialogue and labour market institutions strengthened and mechanisms function in line with international labour standards
- Machinery for collective bargaining, and labour dispute settlements are strengthened
- Employers and Workers’ Organizations extend services to respond to the needs of existing and potential members
- The capacity of social partners (tripartite plus) is enhanced to participate effectively in the development of socio-economic policy

SA News

Home-based community based care (HBCBC) 

The Department provides funding and support to organizations that offer a range of services to individuals and families infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. These organizations provide Home-based/Community-based care services to ensure that the basic needs of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) are met. 

WHAT IS OFFERED

The services provided include:

1. Care, counselling and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

2. Provision and distribution of condoms.

3. Addressing the needs of child-headed households.

4. Linking families and caregivers with programmes that address poverty

5. Providing food parcels and food supplements.

6. Establishing support groups and promoting information sharing.

7. Providing trauma and therapeutic counselling.

8. Encouraging PLWAs to maintain memory books, family stories and personal articles,    as well as to draw up wills

9. Providing information to improve access to social, educational, housing, material and    healthcare services.

10. Encouraging young people, women and men to become involved in the fight against     HIV/AIDS.

11. Identifying and treating Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

12. Voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV.

13. Comprehensive mother to child prevention (MTCT), including short course antiretroviral therapy and breast milk substitutes.

14. Identifying and managing opportunistic infections, including TB.

15. Providing effective anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs)

16. Providing palliative care including home based care (HBC) programmes. 

WHO QUALIFIES

• Children, youth, women, older persons and people with disability.
• HIV/AIDS-infected and affected groups
• People living with HIV/AIDS and their families
• Child-headed and adolescent-headed households
• Households headed by older persons and orphans 

SA News

Expanded Public Works Programme

The Expanded Public Works Programme is one of government's array of programmes aimed at providing poverty and income relief through temporary work for the unemployed.

The Department of Public Works provide the lead into the implementation of Phase 3 of the programme towards achieving its target of creating 6 million work opportunities by 2019. R150 billion have been allocated to the implementation of the EPWP over the next 5 years (2014/15-2018/19).

The key approach for Phase 3 is to drive Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) through community participation to ensure that poor people become actively involved in government programmes within their communities.

Government has committed to ensuring 6 million public employment work opportunities by 2019. This target is in line with that set in the National Development Plan.

By the end of March2015 1,24 million work opportunities had been created, against a target of 1,04 million. In other words, a 119% achievement.

In April 2015 StatsSA released data from its 2014 Labour Market Dynamics survey. It found that: “In 2014, seven out of ten of those who participated in the EPWP and other government job creation programmes were employed.”  This was up from 56,9% in 2011. The survey also found that 4 out of every 5 participants who were employed had a formal sector job.

Measuring the outputs of PEPs

DPW monitorsg and evaluates what the work in these programmes actually produces.

DPW has now started to record outputs more systematically, and these indicators are for the first three quarters of the 2014/15:

• By the end of December in the infrastructure sector 33 070 km fencing had been erected; 109 923 km pipelines laid down;  450 km storm water drains constructed;  64 632 kms, roads maintained
• In the environment and culture sector 1 366 ha had been treated for invasive alien vegetation; 92 677 households had been serviced through waste collection; 20 045 trees planted; nearly 4 000 square metres of dumping sites cleaned; and 6 860 cemeteries cleaned.
• In the social sector  – nearly 20 000 home based care practitioners were deployed and trained; 1 542 830 learners were benefiting from the National School Nutrition Programme which employed significant numbers of EPWP participants; and 184 321 learners were supported through the Teacher Assistant EPWP Programme.

History of the EPWP

Government launched the Programme in April 2004 to promote economic growth and create sustainable development.

During Phase 1, the Programme surpassed its Cabinet mandated target of 1 million work opportunities a year ahead of schedule, with 1.6 million work opportunities created at the end of the scheduled initial five year period (2004-2009).

The programme aims to achieve its objectives and targets through the delivery of public and community services. Public bodies from the national, provincial and local spheres of government are expected to collaborate with the national Department of Public Works (DPW).

EPWP Phase 2, which covers the period 2009/10 – 2013/14 aims to create 4.5 million work opportunities for poor and unemployed people of South Africa, thereby contributing to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving unemployment by 2014. 

Beneficiaries' stories

The programme made a positive change in many people's lives. These are some of their stories:

• Ntombi Dlamini: Sustainability is key
• Sifiso Shandu: Fighting fire
• When she opened her first–ever bank account, 31 year old Happiness Notwane from North West was over the moon to have got an opportunity as an EPWP beneficiary in 2010.  She was employed by the EPWP Non State Sector to clean pavements and eradicate alien plants around the communities. “I was very happy when we got our bank cards from FNB, with the help of EPWP. The stipend made sure I could take of my child”.
• ‘Partners in Development’ was established to empower the people of Stedham  to re-cultivate their land so that in the long-term the beneficiaries can farm their own maize fields and sustain themselves through selling of maize. The project employs 150 EPWP Non-State Sector (NSS) beneficiaries.

Ms Buyisile Zulu, a beneficiary of the project said “I’m happy that I’m working for something that will sustain all of us. We are removing alien plants and roots so that we can farm our own fields. We have been working on this land for two years and are looking forward to fencing the fields in preparation for planting season”.

For more beneficiary stories, go to the EPWP website.

Achievements

• The Programme has achieved over 5 million work opportunities in the past 10 years.
• Since its inception in 2004, the EPWP has alleviated the social and economic living conditions of struggling families by creating over 5 million  work opportunities for  poor and unemployed South Africans.
• In the first Phase (2004/05 to 2008/09) the Programme created 1.6 million work opportunities, surpassing the 1 million Cabinet-mandated target a year ahead of schedule.
• During the implementation of the EPWP Phase 2, (2009/10 to 2013/14) the EPWP created 4 069 640 work opportunities.
• The EPWP is implemented by all spheres of government and civil society organisations across four sectors, namely Infrastructure, Non-State, Environment & Culture and Social Sectors.
• Some highlights of the EPWP Phase 2:
  • The incentive grant model was revised to give rural municipalities easier access to grants in order to increase labour intensive work opportunities through the EPWP projects.
  • The Programme reached its target for women and youth participating, with 60% of the participants being women and 50% being youth, compared to the targets of 55% women and 40% youth.
  • All 278 municipalities across the country have signed protocol agreements, committing them to achieve their EPWP targets.
  • The government has collaborated with civil society organisations to create work opportunities and provide services at grass roots level.

Related links

Expanded Public Works Programme

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Know your councillor

Written by Albert Pule

It’s important for all South Africans to know their ward councillor because they are the link between the municipality and the community they serve. People can also take their problems to the ward councillor and he/she should deal with these in an appropriate way

What is a local councillor?

A local councillor is a person who provides political leadership in a ward of a municipality. It can be a metropolitan municipality, district municipality or local municipality.

A local councillor can be elected as an independent candidate or represent a political party. They occupy an office for a period of five years in line with the local government elections.

The ward councillor is elected by citizens living in the ward where he/she is standing for elections.

What is the role of a councillor?

A ward councillor is expected to make sure that the concerns raised by people in his/her ward are represented in council.

He/she must also ensure that the ward committee exists and that people in the ward participate in local government.

The councillor must report back regularly through ward meetings and help the community in identifying needs and priority areas of development, which will help the municipality’s planning processes.

Types of councillors

• A ward councillor ensures that the interests of people in a specific ward are represented in council. He/she reports on council activities on a regular basis to the ward to strengthen the relationship with community.
• A proportional representative councillor is a member of a political party and is elected through the party lists. He/she is accountable to the party.
• An independent councillor does not belong to a political party and is accountable to the people who have elected him/her to represent their interests.

Issues you can raise with your councillor:

• Water supply
• Illegal electricity connections
• Housing
• Refuse collection
• Faulty traffic lights
• Dilapidated infrastructure
• Grass that needs cutting
• Any other services offered by the municipality.

Complaints against your councillor

When you have a complaint against your councillor, you can approach the chief whip’s office of the political party he or she belongs to. If it is an independent councillor, you can approach or send a petition to the council’s office. 

How can I find out who my councillor is?

If you want to know who your local councillor is, SMS your ID number to 32245. The SMS will cost you R1.

Source: Government Communications

Cogta News

Community Work Programme

Posted in Programmes

The CWP is an innovative offering from government to provide a job safety net for unemployed people of working age. It provides a bridging opportunity for unemployed youth and others who are actively looking for employment opportunities.

The programme provides them with extra cash to support them in their search for full-time or part-time employment. Programme participants do community work thereby contributing to improvements that benefit all community members.

Purpose of the CWP

• To provide an employment safety net. The CWP recognises that sustainable employment solutions will take time, particularly in reaching marginal economic areas.
• To contribute to the development of public assets and services in poor communities.
• To strengthen community development approaches.
• To improve the quality of life for people in marginalised economic areas by providing work experience, enhancing dignity and promoting social and economic inclusion.