City hosts UN Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif: Improving lives and informality through service upgrades of R420 m

14 October 2022

The City of Cape Town was proud to be party and host on 14 October 2022 to a delegation led by the National Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, and the United Nations (UN) Habitat Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif. The visiting delegation is part of the UN’s South African launch of the Global Action Plan Framework for Informal Settlements and Slums taking place in provinces and cities across South Africa between 12 to 17 October 2022. The City got the opportunity to showcase some of the work it is doing to upgrade and improve the lives of residents in informality and innovations being undertaken by the City. A visit took place to its Bosasa Phase 2 Incremental Development Area which comprises improving informality through alternative technology. This year, some R420 million has been allocated by the City to enhance and mainstream basic services for residents in informal settlements, as well as backyard dwellers.

‘The City is committed to enhancing conditions of informality and making sure that those residents living in conditions of informality are included in basic and essential service delivery. At the same time, the City is working on progressively establishing tenure to change the living conditions of our most vulnerable residents. This year, about R420 million has been allocated to residents living in informality, and some R30 million of this is allocated to alternative technology. It is a recognition that informality is here to stay, that we need to look at how to include all residents in service provision and that innovation and greater partnerships are key for us to enable more decent living conditions for especially our most vulnerable residents.

‘The shift in focus to mainstreaming basic services, informal settlement upgrades and site and service offerings and improvement of tenure will continue over the next decades as many governments in urban centres deal with the pressure of increased urbanisation of residents with no to low financial and social resources. Through our various human settlements programmes, from formal housing, to social and affordable housing, to informal settlement upgrades and backyarder services, we are building a Cape Town for all, together. We are proud to be a participant and host of the UN visit, to show what we are doing as an administration, but also highlight that there is much work to be done to bring a more dignified existence to all our residents,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.

Overall human settlement highlights for 2022/23 include:

• R30 million: Alternative building technology

• R19 million: Backyarder service enhancement

• R370 million: Informal settlements upgrading projects

• R284,7 million: Public Housing Maintenance

• R818 million: Breaking New Ground, social housing and incremental development projects

For more information on the City’s Human Settlements Strategy visit:

http://bit.ly/CCT-HSStrategy

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office

informal areas Upgrade human settlements