Political interference, red tape, and legislation are slowing the City of Cape Town's housing projects, Mayor Helen Zille said on Wednesday.
"Political interference on the ground is stalling projects," she told the last full council meeting of 2007.
"This is an unfortunate trend that we are seeing in some of the informal settlements of Cape Town."
Citing Enkanini as an example, Zille said it was recently reported that 17 000 people were using only one toilet, but when she visited the settlement there were a number of damaged or destroyed toilets.
The ratio of families to toilets was 8:1. However, there were many vandalised toilets, deliberately destroyed.
Even toilets made of concrete designed to resist vandalism had been broken with what must have been an industrial hammer.
"I have to ask, why do people do this?"
In some cases, the city was even struggling to get bidders for housing tenders in informal areas because conditions were so unfavourable -contractors increasingly would not work there.
Zille said implementation of housing was also being slowed down by bureaucratic delay of major projects.
The Scottsdene Show Village, for example, was delayed from November 2006 until November 15, 2007 while the city waited for province to provide permission to subdivide existing even on correctly zoned land, following only one objection.
"The fact is, bureaucratic processes can either be used to facilitate delivery, or used to block delivery for political purposes.
A major project in Pelican Park, which should yield around 5,500 housing units, was being held up by a combination of environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation and bureaucratic delays.
Phase 1 of the project, comprising 3,500 houses, had already received EIA approval many years ago.
However, this approval lapsed under the former city administration, and no houses were built.
"Now we have had to re-apply for an EIA, and we were required to obtain approval for all three phases of the 420 hectare site," she said.
This resulted in about six months of delays at provincial level, before it was decided that phase 1 could be de-linked so that it could be started.
"The new EIA legislation may help to speed up approvals for small pieces of land, however, it is no less of a burden for large projects than the laws it replaced."
A shortage of project managers in the housing department was also a major factor.
Although these posts were being filled, it still took time for the administrative process to be completed, Zille said. - Sapa
"Political interference on the ground is stalling projects," she told the last full council meeting of 2007.
"This is an unfortunate trend that we are seeing in some of the informal settlements of Cape Town."
Citing Enkanini as an example, Zille said it was recently reported that 17 000 people were using only one toilet, but when she visited the settlement there were a number of damaged or destroyed toilets.
The ratio of families to toilets was 8:1. However, there were many vandalised toilets, deliberately destroyed.
Even toilets made of concrete designed to resist vandalism had been broken with what must have been an industrial hammer.
"I have to ask, why do people do this?"
In some cases, the city was even struggling to get bidders for housing tenders in informal areas because conditions were so unfavourable -contractors increasingly would not work there.
Zille said implementation of housing was also being slowed down by bureaucratic delay of major projects.
The Scottsdene Show Village, for example, was delayed from November 2006 until November 15, 2007 while the city waited for province to provide permission to subdivide existing even on correctly zoned land, following only one objection.
"The fact is, bureaucratic processes can either be used to facilitate delivery, or used to block delivery for political purposes.
"Compare the example of Scottsdene to the provincial government's willingness to fast track approvals for the Green Point Stadium.Legislation also hindered housing delivery.
"Compare, also, the speed at which the provincial government moved when it wanted to take over the city's municipal public transport functions through a public transport operating entity, to their foot-dragging around granting the City of Cape Town housing accreditation," Zille said.
A major project in Pelican Park, which should yield around 5,500 housing units, was being held up by a combination of environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation and bureaucratic delays.
Phase 1 of the project, comprising 3,500 houses, had already received EIA approval many years ago.
However, this approval lapsed under the former city administration, and no houses were built.
"Now we have had to re-apply for an EIA, and we were required to obtain approval for all three phases of the 420 hectare site," she said.
This resulted in about six months of delays at provincial level, before it was decided that phase 1 could be de-linked so that it could be started.
"The new EIA legislation may help to speed up approvals for small pieces of land, however, it is no less of a burden for large projects than the laws it replaced."
A shortage of project managers in the housing department was also a major factor.
Although these posts were being filled, it still took time for the administrative process to be completed, Zille said. - Sapa
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