The Cape Metro is home to more than 270 000 informal households. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And with the state of poverty in the country, the rise of new settlements such as Covid-19 in Mfuleni has quickly grown to be one of the biggest in the city. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City of Cape Town’s spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo says there are around 4 000 informal settlements in the country, with just under 700 in the Cape Metro. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“According to our dataset, the oldest (informal settlements) are Freedom Park in the Airport precinct and Sixth Avenue in Kensington. The largest are newly formed and flow into one another, Covid-19 in Mfuleni and New Monwabisi Park 1 in Khayelitsha,” he says.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The vulnerability and scale of informal residents across the metro has increased tremendously since Covid-19 and the large-scale unlawful occupation that took place while the emergency regulations were in effect that prevented the prevention of unlawful occupation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Some of the most populated, most vulnerable Covid-19 created settlements have been as a direct result of political instigation, and also organised syndicates. There are also many incidents of individual need, especially when people lost their jobs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the large-scale unlawful occupations during the national lockdown created 186 new informal settlements \u2013 bringing the total to 683 settlements. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tyhalibongo says: “More than 60% of these new settlements are considered high risk \u2013 situated under power lines, in wetlands, retention ponds, dams, low-lying inappropriate land, and biodiversity protected areas. We’d need about 500 ha of land for these new occupants, identified to be at risk due to their physical location.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the aid offered to informal residents, such as the electrification and sanitation, the City only manages settlements on its own land using public funds from national and provincial government or rates income from ratepayers. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This means all spend must be done in terms of the City’s budget cycles which is a supreme legislative requirement,” says Tyhalibongo.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The budget pays for what is in the City’s Integrated Development Plan. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If new informal settlements are established, they are not planned and not budgeted for. Importantly, the management of existing informal settlements, day to day cleaning toilets, or rubbish removal or other feasible services, ultimately is paid for by ratepayers. And the resources are not limitless, as there are not large or growing numbers of ratepayers. For upgrading of informal settlements programmes, national government grant transfers are used,” he says. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Settlements that have been planned and budgeted for, must get priority. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The more informal settlements are established, the greater the pressure. The new ones are assessed to see where they are established (for instance the City has limitations where they are established on private land or nature reserve land); how dangerous the conditions are; the numbers of people; whether they qualify for any type of housing assistance in terms of the law; and whether any services can be provided at all, such as rubbish removal. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City offers services where possible on informal settlements on its land, however some of the land is not suitable for human habitation and therefore cannot be connected to underground water or electricity. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“All types of informality are recorded on the City’s database,” he says. While the dwellings are informal, residents in settlements are not considered homeless and if eligible can apply for formal housing on the Housing Needs Register.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Where it can, it will roll out water and sanitation and electrical services as well as rubbish collection,” says Tyhalibongo.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Informal settlements on private land or other government land are tricky as the City may not provide services without permission in terms of the law. Often the City will, where feasible, provide services such as water standpipes, and rubbish removal on the peripheries of such land. The local land conditions as well as how densely populated a settlement is, as well as the budget conditions, are key factors.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the mentioned day-to-day running of budgeted informal settlements, the City also upgrades existing settlements with grants where feasible. “In recognition that informality is something that will remain with all cities in South Africa, a large focus has been and continues to be the upgrading of informal settlements and mainstreaming basic service provision,” says Tyhalibongo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In 2024, R390 million was earmarked for informal settlements upgrading projects. The City’s Human Settlements Directorate has spent approximately 99% of its entire budget on human settlements, showing strong commitment and that the money allocated to its human settlements projects and programmes are going where it is earmarked to go.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Cape Metro is home to more than 270 000 informal households. And with the state of poverty in the country, the rise of new settlements such as Covid-19 in Mfuleni has quickly grown to be one of the biggest in the 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