Cape Town is on a development path that will never solve the city’s problems, but will make many social, economic and environmental problems worse.
It can either continue on its path of economic growth that benefits a few, or it can radically alter its development agenda towards shared growth.
This was the finding of the State of Cape Town 2006 report released by the city of Cape Town’s strategic and planning directorate on Tuesday…
Regarding the city’s economy, major problems are “jobless growth”, a gross geographic product that has been below four percent for the past four years and a mismatch between skills available and skills needed.
Unemployment in Cape Town had grown from 13 percent in 1997, to 23 percent in 2004, with a drop last year to 20.7 percent The city needs a growth rate of seven percent, or the creation of over 40 000 formal jobs, to absorb the new entrants to the labour market.
Cape Town faces particularly acute pressure on key environmental resources: water is under severe pressure, levels of air and water pollution are increasing, seawater quality is declining and the generation of waste had reached an alarming 60 percent per capita increase since 1999.
The city must “mainstream sustainability”, which will include drawing up a comprehensive energy plan, fast-tracking the introduction of sustainable technologies. It must support a green economy and introduce financial incentives to encourage this.
It is critical social development strategies are integrated with economic development, and existing social development structures in civil society are formalised and linked with one another.
While the average prevalence of HIV/Aids (16 percent) is well below the national average of 30 percent, in Nyanga and Khayelitsha its prevalence is as high or higher than the South African average.
Because of the complex factors underlying the epidemic, a multi-sectoral approach to the disease is needed.
It is critical that the council forms partnerships with other authorities, business and civil society to create an “integrated leadership”. - Cape Times
It can either continue on its path of economic growth that benefits a few, or it can radically alter its development agenda towards shared growth.
This was the finding of the State of Cape Town 2006 report released by the city of Cape Town’s strategic and planning directorate on Tuesday…
Mother City on the road to disasterTo reduce urban sprawl, Cape Town needs more dense settlements. This would also reduce the cost of providing piped water, sewers, drains and roads.
Regarding the city’s economy, major problems are “jobless growth”, a gross geographic product that has been below four percent for the past four years and a mismatch between skills available and skills needed.
Unemployment in Cape Town had grown from 13 percent in 1997, to 23 percent in 2004, with a drop last year to 20.7 percent The city needs a growth rate of seven percent, or the creation of over 40 000 formal jobs, to absorb the new entrants to the labour market.
Cape Town faces particularly acute pressure on key environmental resources: water is under severe pressure, levels of air and water pollution are increasing, seawater quality is declining and the generation of waste had reached an alarming 60 percent per capita increase since 1999.
The city must “mainstream sustainability”, which will include drawing up a comprehensive energy plan, fast-tracking the introduction of sustainable technologies. It must support a green economy and introduce financial incentives to encourage this.
It is critical social development strategies are integrated with economic development, and existing social development structures in civil society are formalised and linked with one another.
While the average prevalence of HIV/Aids (16 percent) is well below the national average of 30 percent, in Nyanga and Khayelitsha its prevalence is as high or higher than the South African average.
Because of the complex factors underlying the epidemic, a multi-sectoral approach to the disease is needed.
It is critical that the council forms partnerships with other authorities, business and civil society to create an “integrated leadership”. - Cape Times
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