Inclusive Cities

1. Inclusive Cities

2. Presentation Outline • Context: Our Inherited City Form • Understanding Inclusive Cities • Our Strategic Approach • eThekwini’s Inclusivity Program • Social Inclusion • Economic Inclusion • Political Inclusion • Cultural Inclusion • Concluding Comments

3. 2300 Sq km • 14% of the Area of the Province • 60 % economic activity of KZN • Population of approx 5 million people • Unemployment rate 24% • Port Based Economy • Manufacturing sector dominant • Diverse population • Significant rural areas • Sprawling suburbs – topography • Large a private car transport system • 47% depend on taxi (minibus) • 33 % on Bus • 20% on Rail

4. Context: Inherited City Form Social Inequality Exclusivity Biased Apartheid City Fragmented Segregated Unsustainable Our Challenge: BRIDGING THIS DIVIDE Social Inclusion Cultural Inclusion Political Inclusion Inclusive City Economic Inclusion

5. Understanding Inclusive Cities • In an inclusive city citizens take an active part in the decision making that affect their daily lives, and are the cornerstone of city-making • Our developmental local government mandate is premised on being inclusive, democratic and empowering sphere of government that continually creates opportunities for its citizenry. • More specifically, our role is to ensure that we: • promote access to decent housing and basic services • create an interconnected transportation infrastructure & allows access to effective public transport • facilitate access to communication technology and forums for communication • expand and maintains economic infrastructure thereby increasing employment opportunities • supports the expression of culture and religion • enables all residents to develop and achieve their full potential

6. City’s Developmental Approach is underpinned by the inclusivity principle Vision Values, challenges and choices 8 Point Plan Strategic focus areas Programmes Projects

7. eThekwini Municipality’s Inclusive City Program • The municipal response to Inclusivity is largely driven through the Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) • The IDP is the strategic 5 year development plan that has its roots in the Long Term Development Framework • The IDP covers the 4 key issues of inclusion namely: • Social Inclusion (Plan 3: Quality Living Environments) • Economic Inclusion (Plan2: Economic Development and Job Creation) • Political Inclusion (Plan 7: Good Governance) • Cultural Inclusion ( Plan 6: Embracing our Cultural Diversity)

8. Social Inclusion • Delivery of Social Facilities and Basic Service by: • Providing access to housing (Even though it is Provincial /National government mandate): an average of 13 000 units a year • Provision of descent basic services, access to social amenities and opportunities for all citizens • Provision of a effective public transport system • Accessing health and educational opportunities • Developing skills level of both the employees and citizens • Facilitating a learning environment, through establishing a Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) • Thinking about how we can actively make engage children by making our city more CHILD-FRIENDLY (soon to embark on a UNICEF project) • Provision of interim services to informal settlement • Water, sanitation, electricity, refuse removal, fire and emergency service, footpaths and access etc

9. Economic Inclusion • Developing Economic Inclusivity through: • Access to economic activities in the city • Promoting tourism and community based tourism projects • Providing opportunities for networking and expanding businesses • Rates Life-Line to households with a value of less than R120 000 (USD 15 600) exempt from rates and services • Pensioners (both spouses over 60 years) first R400 000 (USD 52 200) of property value is exempt from rates • Exemption for child headed households R280 000 (USD 36 500) • Using an expanded public works programme to create Jobs • Using catalytic projects eg Stadium development and 2010 programmes as learnerships opportunity

10. Inclusive Governance • “Political” inclusion by: • Decentralised management of the city ( Regional Centres and Regional Offices) • Developing skills of the ward committee • Public participation at ward levels through ward mobilisers • Providing opportunities for the citizenry to participate in council process eg Budget Hearings, IDP hearing and Performance Management • Facilitating dialogue and exchange with civil society through Imagine Durban’s OPEN FORUMS • Building learning networks on the continent and beyond: SACN, PLUS Network, UCLG,ICLEI, and have 3 sister city agreements with over 50 active projects!

11. Cultural inclusion • Cultural inclusion developing by: • Promoting a diverse range of culture and heritage activities and events • Fostering development of cultural and heritage through the promotion of tourism related projects • Developing an arts and culture policy • Acknowledging the importance and value of arts and culture

19. Concluding Comments • We acknowledge that whilst we have come a long way in building an inclusive city, we agree that we still have a long way to go • In our city, there have been some voices from civil society that have expressed their anger and disappointment at our municipality • We have encouraged these voices of protests, and allowed them to express themselves, for we believe that this too is part of being an inclusive city