@mlungisibusakwe

NelsoN MaNdela Bay

PeoPle aNd HouseHolds

social FaBric susTaiNaBiliTy

NelsoN MaNdela Bay – State of Cities Report 2016 Dashboard Indicators

588 people per km2

Population density in 2011

Informal

Formal

Traditional

sources of fuel 2011

Nelson Mandela Bay has the lowest proportion of informal households compared to the other cities, having significantly reduced numbers between 2001 and 2011.

Nelson Mandela Bay’s literacy level is comparable to the big metros. Life expectancy levels are the same as for Buffalo City.

Size of city

1 959 km2

Non revenue

water

Non revenue water is water that is “lost” before it reaches the customer, either physically (leaks) or apparently (e.g. theft, not billed).

32.8% 30.9%2007 2014

change in energy intensity 2007–2011

Units of energy in GJ

energy consumption

30.1 32.2 30.8

Electricity accounts for almost 45% of the energy used in the city, and the industrial sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

50

25

0GJ (m

illion

s) pe

r yea

r

2004 2007 2011

emissions: top three sectors in 2015

Transport

Industrial

Residential

100%81%

0%

20.5%

39.0%

21.5%

GrowthPopulation No. households Average number of

people per household

2011 1 152 116 324 292 3.55

2001 1 005 779 260 779 3.86

1996 959 299 225 677 4.25

dwelling types

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

2001

2011

levels of poverty

Matric level

19.7%

Higher education6.8%

Number of people living below the poverty line

of total population

2001

46%2011

29%

HDI is a composite of life expectancy, literacy and gross value added (GVA)

1996 2001 2011 2013

Life expectancy

Literacy

90%

53.759.3

GVA

R89.1 billions

0.8

0.7

0.6

vERy hIGh INEqUaLIty

Gini coefficient (inequality measure)

0.6

0.4

0.2

02011 2013

AgricultureGovernmentTransportIndustrialCommercialResidential

-223.6-1 472.1

-2 420.11 208.8

108.71 027.2

-2 000-2 500 -1 500 -1 000 -500 0 500 1 5001 000

Heavy furnace oil2.3%

Liquid petroleum/gas

0.1%Coal

2.0%

Paraffin1.3%

Electricity44.4%2011

Petrol23.4%

Diesel26.5%

Energy intensity: measures the amount of energy used to produce goods and services

Highest education level 2011

Human development index (Hdi)

Go to StepSA.org to see maps on how population density

changes across the city.

Urban safety is important for a city’s

social fabric; go to SCODA to access urban safety data

for Nelson Mandela Bay.

ecoNoMy

ciTy FiNaNce service delivery

iNFrasTrucTure

ciTizeN eNGaGeMeNT

Other transport modes

icT infrastructure 2011 Percentage of population

with connections

85.5%Mobile telephone

23.5%Fixed-landline telephone

34.8%Internet connections

repairs and maintenance% of operating expenditure

Mode of transport to work

voter registration/turnoutLocal election

2006 2011

National election

2014

cost of living (based on a bundle of goods)

R78.60 R92.50 R109.30

2008 2011 2014

Average unemployment rate

20112001 2011

Municipal revenue sources

affordability of municipal bills for type a households(municipal bill as % of benchmark income)

unemployment rate

In Nelson Mandela Bay, 8 out of 10 people use either a car or taxi to move around the city.

together with Cape town, Nelson Mandela Bay had the highest voter turnout at local elections in 2011 (65%).

type a is a household that lives in a property with an assessed value of R100 000, consumes 400 kWh of electricity and 20 kl of water per month, and has a 240 litre bin removed weekly. Its monthly income is R6 742.

10%2009

7.6%2014

National treasury recommends 8–10% of operating expenditure

Own revenue

Equitable share

Grants

Gross value added (Gva)

37.4%

Provincial average unemployment rate

46.4% 36.6%

average household incomeNelson Mandela Bay’s average household income and cost of living

are comparable to eThekwini, but its economy is much smaller.

Rands0 40 000 80 000 120 000 160 000 200 000

R105 6022011R53 9042001

2011 R103 204 National household income

25%20%15%10%5%0%

2010 2014

2008/09 2013/14

13.2% 14.1%

7.6% 9.1%25.8% 19.4%

affORDaBILIty

74%65%56%

Train Bus TAXI Taxi Car Walk

2003

2013

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

100%80%60%40%20%0%

R-bil

lions

100806040200

1996 2001 2011 2013

66.6% 71.5%

of households have refuse removed by municipality (weekly or less frequently)

of households have access to piped water inside

dwelling/yard

201386.9%

201086.6%

201391.6%

201091.5%

of households have access to sanitation services*

* includes access to flush toilets, vIPs and pit toilets

2013 94.2%

201092.4%

Nelson Mandela Bay has increased

access to basic services, especially access to sanitation and waste

removal.

Between 2001 and 2011, Nelson Mandela Bay’s

economy and average household incomes grew slower than any

of the other cities.

370 S tat E O f S O U t h a f R I C a N C I t I E S R E P O R t 2016

Safety and Peace through urban uPgrading

Introduction Urban regeneration aims to reverse the economic, social and physical decay of an area. Research has found it is important to consider not only the physical but also the social and economic regeneration of the area (Kitchin and Ovens, 2008). Partnerships between the public and private sector, community and civil society organisations, and involving the affected community leadership are critical to successful regeneration. In most countries, regeneration focuses on declining inner city areas. However, in South Africa, disadvantaged areas are usually on the city’s periphery.

In 2003, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality established the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) as a special purpose development company responsible for urban regeneration in the metro. In 2007, the MBDA extended its focus beyond the inner city to include areas such as New Brighton, Uitenhage and Helenvale. Situated in the northern suburbs of Port Elizabeth, Helenvale is a township established in the 1950s as a result of the Group Areas Act. It is home to approximately 21 000 people and has high levels of density and informality, and a poor quality of life. Over half of the population is unemployed (MBDA, 2014a) and nearly 70% (69.6%) of people living in the area are under the age of 35, of which 40% are unemployed.

Map of Helenvale

Source: SPUU Helenvale: Inception Report and Master Plan

In 2006, Helenvale was declared an urban renewal area and became part of the National Urban Renewal Programme. In 2011, the Helenvale Urban Regeneration Programme (HURP) was moved to the MBDA, following approval of R70-million funding from the German Development Bank (KfW) for the Safety and Peace through Urban Upgrading (SPUU) programme. This programme’s interventions are aimed at creating a safer Helenvale through implementing both physical and social infrastructure.

N E L S O N M a N D E L a B ay: S a f E t y a N D P E aC E t h R O U G h U R B a N U P G R a D I N G 371

NELSON M

aNDELa Bay

Overview of flagship programmeThe urban upgrading in Helenvale consists of various projects. The first HURP project focused on upgrading and improving the Helenvale Precinct (widening streets, constructing sidewalks, improving storm water drainage, and installing street furniture such as benches and trees). Two community parks were also constructed. National Treasury funded the project through the Neighbourhood Development Programme Grant (NDPG), for a total cost of R21.5-million. Local labour and small businesses were employed on the project (MBDA, 2014b). However, the upgrades do not appear to have reduced conflict, with the vandalism of street lighting of concern because it renders passive surveillance impossible (SPUU Helenvale).

The Helenvale Resource Centre was the single biggest investment (almost R43-million, funded by national government) in the area in 50 years and involved demolishing the original centre and replacing it with a state-of-the-art one-stop facility (MBDA, 2013). In 2013, the centre was awarded the Eastern Cape Institute of Architects Award for Architecture (ibid). The MBDA operates the centre.

Helenvale resource centre

Source: SPUU Helenvale: Inception Report and Master Plan

The SPUU programme’s objective is to contribute to increased safety and a better quality of life in Helenvale. It focuses on five components:1

• Improved safety of public spaces and community facilities • Safer schools, in partnership with the community • Prevention of domestic violence • Improved housing (in consultation with the municipality)• Improved employment opportunities for youth.

The programme commenced on 3 February 2014 and is expected to end on 31 January 2018. Prioritised projects include pedestrian walkways and public sports fields, refurbishment of school facilities and sports grounds, and “soft” measures for peace and safety promotion in schools, reduction of domestic violence and victim care, and the establishment of youth employment projects.

A housing strategy for Helenvale has been completed in order to address the current housing challenges. This includes rectification of existing 1994 small units, de-densification of approximately 450 families from overcrowded units, preferably to sites within Helenvale and surrounds (some on state-owned land in Algoa Park and/or Parsonsvlei and Westering), as well as the in-situ upgrading of approximately 200 informal settlements integrated with the Helenvale SPUU Programme (NMBM, 2014). The proposed Helenvale project, which has been approved by Council, will yield approximately 4200 units at a total cost of R885-million. The SPUU programme also includes a pilot housing project, which aims to demonstrate practical, scalable solutions that can be scaled up and to provide skills training and employment in the process (SPUU Helenvale).

1. http://www.saferspaces.org.za/be-inspired/entry/safety-and-peace-through-urban-upgrading

372 S tat E O f S O U t h a f R I C a N C I t I E S R E P O R t 2016

A number of other projects have taken place in Helenvale, including training people in business skills, life skills and issues relating to HIV/AIDS, a street soccer programme (in collaboration with the SAPS), a training programme for 20 child and youth workers, and a youth training camp for leaders. The Helenvale Cleaning Cooperative (HEMCO), which is fully Helenvale-owned, was awarded a tender to clean out all the illegal dumping sites in Helenvale, to be followed by weekly servicing of the sites for a further two months. This created employment for approximately 150 people, and the MBDA also entered into discussions with the Northern Areas People’s Development Initiative (NAPDI) on their Helenvale Recycling Initiative (HERI).

If we can provide people with skills at the same time so that they are able to find employment afterwards that will be a significant achievement and mean that the renewal project will have a lasting legacy. We want to avoid implementing a renewal project that still leaves the majority of people living in poverty and unemployed.

(MBDA CEO)

The MBDA engages with communities using a “C2C” approach (from concept to completion). A Programme Advisory Committee, elected by the community, was set up as a non-partisan entity to work with the MBDA. This committee consists of five people from each of the four voting districts in Helenvale (i.e. 20 community members), as well as the councillor, officials from MBDA and GIZ (German development agency) and two ward committee members. The community members forming the core component of this committee have been capacitated through formal training in community leadership, project management and specific themes. The committee meets twice a month and the chair is rotated monthly i.e. co-leadership. The MBDA also established a process of “dialogues” consisting of youth and women caucuses (SPUU Helenvale).

An economic impact assessment of the MBDA investment projects found that the redevelopment generated the following benefits (MBDA, 2014a): • R170.3-million in new business sales (constant 2011 prices) • 312 new job opportunities • R 55.8-million in additional regional gross domestic product

In addition, in 2012, the South African Police Service (SAPS) indicated that crime had massively reduced in the Helenvale area since the advent of the various HURP programmes.

ReflectionsVarious strategies have been developed in different South African cities since 1994 to develop townships and integrate them more effectively into the economic and social fabric of the city, trying to undo apartheid’s strategies of spatial marginalisation. The MBDA’s work in Helenvale provides some lessons for township renewal:• Community involvement and engagement must go beyond merely informing to ensuring ongoing

“feedback loops” with the community, involving them as equal participants. In this way, communities become owners of both the process and the infrastructure. However, communities have seldom taken ownership as hoped.

• Party politics must not become bigger voices than those of the community. This links to the quality of leadership that communities have to depend on and the need to build better structures in communities.

• Such projects provide an opportunity to empower youth at a community level, which is desperately needed.

N E L S O N M a N D E L a B ay: S a f E t y a N D P E aC E t h R O U G h U R B a N U P G R a D I N G 373

NELSON M

aNDELa Bay

The experience of MBDA and SPUU in linking urban upgrading and safety and peace is one that should be of interest to most cities and towns in South Africa.

Looking forwardWithin Helenvale, the SPUU programme’s various projects and programmes are being rolled out with the support of the community. Helenvale Precinct Phase 3 is underway, focusing on the “Gaat” area of Helenvale. In addition, the housing programme will be implemented once the municipality has obtaining housing accreditation. The KfW has appointed a consultant to assist the municipality to extend the SPUU project in Helenvale into the next phase, i.e. from 2018 onwards.

The MBDA will continue rolling out its urban regeneration programmes, focusing both on the inner city and residential suburbs outside of the CBD. The success of the Helenvale project has led to the development of a masterplan for Schaderville Korsten, a residential area that faces similar challenges to those of Helenvale, i.e. high levels of drugs, crime and unemployment. Areas of focus include precinct and housing development, a multipurpose sport centre and a community centre (MBDA, 2015).

ReferencesKitchin f and Ovens W. 2008. Case Studies of area-based Regeneration Internationally. Research conducted for Johannesburg Development agencyMBDa (Mandela Bay Development agency). 2013. 2012/13 annual Report. Port Elizabeth: MBDa.MBDa. 2014a. 2009–2013 Economic Barometer. Port Elizabeth: MBDa.MBDa. 2014b. helenvale Resource Centre Close-out Report. Port Elizabeth: MBDa.MBDa. 2015. Schauderville Korsten Masterplan. Port Elizabeth: MBDaNMBM (Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality). 2014. Built Environment and Performance Plan 2014/15. Port Elizabeth: NMBM.SPUU helenvale: Inception Report and Master Planwww.mbda.co.za