March 7, 2007
By Emily van Rijswijck
A DIVERSE population is a strength, according to Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, the portfolio head for community development.
Speaking at the Inclusive Cities conference in Johannesburg on 6 March, she said: "It is my hope that we would enrich the global debate around creating inclusive cities in the face of increasing diversity and growth of urban areas on the continent.
"We need to recognise that a diverse population is a strength and opportunity in itself as this diversity can be harnessed to enhance people's choices."
Local government officials and academics from across Africa and South Africa are attending the two-day conference, which has as its focus social structures and diversity in contemporary African cities.
It hopes to explore issues surrounding inclusion and exclusion policies that affect the ever-growing, diverse inhabitants of African cities.
Referring to the concept of "strength in diversity", Mayathula-Khoza noted the special challenges faced by modern cities in the face of rapid urbanisation and migration. Increasing numbers of people in cities put huge demands on land, water, housing, transport, employment, health and environmental resources.
Sustainable development
Mentioning Johannesburg's policy on human development, Mayathula-Khoza said local government in South Africa was committed to sustainable development, which translated into a policy of "inclusive and equitable development for all people".
The term "inclusive city" meant many things and therefore required some clarification. "At face value the term implies a city in which residents and visitors feel welcome and can identify with its social and socio-economic fabric," Mayathula-Khoza said.
But she felt it was necessary to elaborate further on what the City of Johannesburg understood by the term. For Johannesburg, "inclusive cities" were cities where:
All people had access to basic services;
People had access to employment opportunities and could become economically productive;
Cultural differences and rights were acknowledged and public spaces were created for these activities;
Opportunities for creative expression in arts and heritage was encouraged;
People could participate freely in sport and recreational activities;
Human potential was recognised and avenues of expression existed;
Freedom of expression was protected;
Diversity was embraced and tolerated;
Human rights were engendered; and
There was a proactive environment in which future challenges were foreseen.
Mayathula-Khoza cautioned that creating an inclusive city was not only the responsibility of local government but it was "also the responsibility of citizens who are the agents of social interaction". Local government should be the key driver in an inclusive city programme, however, providing both the infrastructure and leadership for such an undertaking.
Challenges
Key challenges faced by Johannesburg were the legacy left by apartheid and, as in the case of many African countries, colonisation. Referring to these key challenges, the City had developed and begun implementing a Human Development Strategy aimed at dealing with poverty and inequality and building social cohesion.
The strategy rests on three key areas:
liSafeguarding and supporting poor and vulnerable households in their efforts to access social safety nets;
Championing the rights and opportunities of people who are economically marginalised or affected by gender, generational and spatial inequality; and
Building prospects for social inclusion of vulnerable groups by fostering social relationships and creating productive partnerships.
Mayathula-Khoza made special reference to the helpdesk for migrant communities that would be opened in the Johannesburg inner city as part of the Human Development Strategy. The Migrant Helpdesk is an information service to help migrants to access government services such as healthcare, accommodation and education and to obtain information on their rights.
Johannesburg identified the need to integrate migrants into the social fabric of the city in 2004 as part of its strategy for social cohesion and human development. Following the tremendous economic growth in South Africa and in Johannesburg particularly, there had been a huge influx of migrants into the city from around the globe.
Xenophobia
There had been a concomitant rise in xenophobic attacks.
"The City of Johannesburg is committed to working with relevant role players in addressing xenophobia, a critical issue in creating a more inclusive city," she affirmed. "Most of our African cities today are socially heterogeneous and are becoming more so in this age of globalisation."
Concluding by discussing the challenges faced because of the rapid urbanisation of African cities, Mayathula-Khoza said that if poverty, HIV/Aids and the breakdown of traditional family structures were not addressed, this would result in a "weakening of social cohesion in our cities".
Expressing the wish that the conference would yield tangible results, she asked delegates to discuss three critical questions:
How can we collectively and more effectively harness economic growth and build social cohesion in our cities?
What are some of the common challenges we face in harnessing this potential and how can we go about addressing these?
What are the lessons learned through some of your own interventions in promoting diversity yet addressing poverty and inequality in your cities?
The conference takes place on 6 and 7 March at the Wits Club, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It is co-hosted by the City of Johannesburg, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council, the South African Cities Network, Wits University and Urban Landmark.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
