November 14, 2006
By Lucille Davie
AN inner city summit planned for April 2007 will produce an inner city charter to guide further renewal in the area.
This is according to Executive Mayor Amos Masondo, who made the announcement on Monday, 13 November, at the launch of the Johannesburg Development Agency's annual survey of progress report on inner city renewal, a major tenet of the agency's mandate.
He acknowledged that a lot of work had been done, but that much more work still needed to be done.
"It is quite clear to me that while we must celebrate all the progress made thus far, we must redouble our efforts going forward."
He acknowledged, as revealed in the survey, that over the past year there had been improvements in security and cleanliness in the inner city, while the relocation of informal traders to designated areas was having a positive impact.
On crime, he said: "It is my view that although crime remains a serious challenge in the northern suburbs and elsewhere, as well as at both the poorest areas in the city and the townships of the south, there is a sense that the inner city interventions are yielding some results."
On housing, Masondo indicated that progress had been made in building and that "we are making strides towards achieving sustainable human settlements".
He invited the guests at the launch - property developers, and non-governmental organisation and community stakeholders - to participate in one or more of six different multi-stakeholder working groups: economic infrastructure; residential development; social infrastructure; public and leisure space development; transportation; and urban management, safety and security.
The role players were encouraged to raise all critical issues of concern and, in so doing, influence the City's policy-making processes. "The Inner City Summit will, among others, seek to develop a draft Inner City Regeneration Charter. This document will state in bold and visionary terms where we want to take the inner city over the next decade."
Like the Financial Services Sector Charter, this charter would set out in clear and measurable terms the commitments of both the City and the various role players. This was particularly important in the build up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The mayor disputed claims that because he had incorporated the previous inner city portfolio into the new development planning and urban management portfolio, that he had abandoned the inner city.
"Allow me to state that we believe that the inner city is the face of Johannesburg and we have no intention of abandoning our approach on urban renewal and regeneration."
In order to realise the goal of building Joburg into a world-class African city, a Growth and Development Summit was held in May this year. Out of the summit came the Growth and Development Strategy and a five-year Integrated Development Plan.
"Through these strategy documents, we are seeking to address the challenges of urbanisation and migration, economic development and job creation, service delivery, poverty, urban renewal and regeneration, globalisation, information technology [digital divide] and other related challenges."
Masondo acknowledged all the role players who had played a role in the positive results obtained in the Johannesburg Development Agency's progress report: the former councillor for the inner city, Sol Cowan, the Inner City Task Force, the departments and municipal entities, the provincial government, various parastatals, faith-based organisations, property investors and other businesses who had shown commitment to the inner city.
"And lastly, to salute all the extraordinary individuals who have volunteered their time, energy and effort by participating in projects that have added value in this important work," he said.
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