Housing challenge: Maimane says prevention is better than cure

‘When China needs new places for people to live, they just build a new city. They’ve built 600 of them since 1949,” wrote Nathan J Robinson last month in the Current Affairs magazine, of which he is the editor-in-chief.

The article put forward suggested solutions to solve California’s housing and homelessness crisis that has overwhelmed the state over the past two decades.

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There shouldn’t be a housing crisis in California, he states. “It’s not like California is full – the state’s land is vast and mostly sparsely populated. There are enough homeless people in California [160 000] to populate an entire [new] city of their own.”

I found this article both apt and comparable to the South African experience.

Though the causes and the intricacies of each differ, the problem is the same and thus the solution can be the same.

Tragic events occur frequently that bring into light the question of spatial planning in SA. The country is plagued by systemic governance challenges in both urban and rural development and planning.

And these are not mutually exclusive. Instead, the success of one depends on the success of the other. There is a pattern within government whereby action is only taken in response to consequences, the converse of the adage, “prevention is better is better than cure”.

Net migration into cities is out of control, driven by two factors. One, almost nonexistent rural development – economically and socially – and two, the absence of new, functional cities. Cities cannot provide enough adequate basic services to a moving target in total number of residents.

This results in too many people living on the periphery of cities as a sort of nonresident or quasi resident of that city.

Like California, our high concentration of people within a few cities affects every resident, but disproportionally affects poor residents.

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So, what to do? In his 2019 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said SA has not built a new city since the dawn of democracy and the time has arrived to think about building a “smart city”.

He was partially correct. But his solution falls short of what is required. We don’t need just one. Innovation-driven thinking about the future requires building many new cities.

In the next 10 years, we should be doubling the number of metros from eight to 16. I can suggest eight across the seven provinces: George, Kimberley, Mahikeng, Polokwane, Mbombela, Pietermaritzburg, Welkom and Mthatha.

In doing this, you de-densify current cities, alleviate pressure, create new economic opportunities and pave the way for changes to the economy and the world of work. Take, for example, Mbombela in Mpumalanga.

The province’s economy is dependent on coal production, which currently provides many thousands of jobs.

As we move away from coal towards a greener, more sustainable energy mix, forward thinking needs to consider how new jobs – with transferable skills – can be created in the province.

A move from linear to lateral thinking is required. In addition, focus needs to be redirected to getting the basics right in both urban and rural development as it stands.

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Firstly, more concise, bespoke urbanisation plans for existing cities are required. A national department of cities should be established to oversee this process.

Secondly, a rethink of spatial planning in existing cities to build smart cities that are work, live and play areas.

There are pockets that have got this right, and we should learn from best practice how to reproduce this success.

Thirdly, a more conscious approach is needed for rural development. Not every South African will live in a city.

However, there often is no choice – the invisible hand of the economy pushes them into cities to find work.

Meaningful rural development can address this. Finally, law enforcement needs to apply the law without fear or favour.

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The moving target phenomenon will continue so long as land invasions are allowed and densely populated informal settlements are built in contravention of by-laws.

If we get the basics right, coupled with aggressive focus on building new cities and rural development, we will avoid the tragedies, like last year’s Johannesburg fire. In seeking solutions, emphasis ought to be on prevention instead of cure.

This approach will develop and grow the economy, will respect and uphold the dignity of citizens and will help break down the walls of ignorance that still exist between the haves and the have nots in major cities.

• Maimane is the leader of Bosa.