October 9, 2007
By Emily Visser
NKOSINATHI Mthethwa is not one for desktop models. The regional director of Region F prefers to walk the inner city streets himself to see first-hand what goes on.
Dressed casually and wearing a lime-green urban inspector jacket, Mthethwa has just returned from such a walkabout, during which he inspected the hostel clean-up taking place.
Working with the Gauteng provincial government, over the next four months Region F will spruce up the George Gogh, Jeppe and Denver hostels and a one-kilometre radius around them as part of inner city regeneration. "The interventions are community based and work from an inside-out approach," he says.
It is three months since the Inner City Regeneration Charter was approved and the region has become a hive of activity, with the first deliverables due – and met - in July. The first major thrust came with the ongoing clean-up blitzes that started in September.
And from now on, the dust will not be allowed to settle in the inner city. The underground waste bin system will be officially launched in October; the Ellis Park precinct upgrades have started; the Better Buildings Programme is ongoing – these are just some of the massive changes that will be taking place over the next five years.
The inner city's director, Nkosinathi Mthethwa (on the right), likes to walk the inner city streets to see first-hand what goes on
Mthethwa takes a long-term perspective on charter outcomes, noting that they will not be achieved "tomorrow". "I want to see results, no matter how small."
However, too much is based on hearsay and assumptions, he feels. Proper research needs to back up actions.
Walkabout
He does his research: this executive admits that he likes to get his hands dirty, and favours a management-by-walkabout style. Mthethwa tries to escape the confines of his office in Plein Street regularly to experience his area first-hand.
"Once a week I walk the inner city. I drive back at night to see the difference." And over weekends he "pops in" to see what image it portrays while relaxing.
"If you are an eight-to-four person, you won't survive in Region F; the inner city is a 24-hour city," he says.
About his background, Mthethwa says he has always had an interest in local government, and he started working in the sector at a young age. He grew up in Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal, where he was troubled by the dichotomy in services of the previous political system.
The bucket system, gravel roads and lack of facilities were the norm in townships, yet the town of Mooi River had a different system. "I became a development activist. I wanted to change conditions of that time."
Mthethwa honed his skills as regional director first in Region B and then in Region G, both diversely opposite and vastly different from his current assignment. And working in diverse local government sectors has given him a cutting edge, he feels.
Yet development is not his only interest; Mthethwa also describes himself as an environmental activist, favouring a balanced approach, protecting natural resources, parks and open spaces.
Human and business development should not be favoured over environmental protection, he stresses. "We need these things [parks and open spaces] yet we continue to destroy them."
Success stories
There have been a number of inner city success stories over the last five years. Newtown, the fashion district, Gandhi Square, the Constitutional Court area and other such places have taken on new appearances and are frequented by residents and tourists alike.
It has all the elements to be the vibrant city it once was, Mthethwa believes. The work of the Johannesburg Development Agency has contributed greatly to the regeneration. And in the first three months after the charter's approval, the focus will be on the structural arrangements necessary to get the inner city regeneration going.
The idea is to "[create] capacity first".
However, a people-centred approach is still lacking and Mthethwa will only be happy when a strong interface exists between inner city programme drivers and the people who stay in the area.
Regeneration projects should not be seen as wanting to take the poor out of the city, he cautions. Instead, it is about putting people in a safe environment. What is needed is to drive home a message of participation, a message saying, "Take pride in your inner city."
"Community ambassadors – that's what I want to create."
Work will be done on a block-by-block basis, with sequential interventions by task teams of no less than 50 members consisting of all key entities and urban management department representatives. Although timelines on regeneration projects are long, Region F will continue to keep a close eye on them. "We don't want to chase the problem away to another area. We are closing the net."
And don't forget the small parts in the big picture, he stresses - leaders need to thank those who work and do small things in the inner city. Not enough positive messages get out - "It cripples people's morale."
Once all structures are in place, "my expectation is for us to give an everyday outlook on [developments] in the inner city", he confirms.
Team work
The inner city programme needs the co-ordinated efforts of every department and entity, Mthethwa feels. "A paradigm shift is needed in how we operate as a city. We are still working in silos."
The failure of one department or City company will overshadow all the good work done by the others.
Mthethwa wants to break the silo culture by inculcating an ethos of city first and foremost, departmental interests second. "All of us, all departments, political and administrative leadership, must take ownership of the [inner city regeneration] programme."
All the elements necessary for success are there; it is just a question of putting them to work in a "well-oiled, collective effort".
By-laws
When it comes to by-law enforcement, Mthethwa admits that the city is like a snake without poison. Indeed, the lack of by-law enforcement has been identified as a disease.
Two initiatives will counter this: in the first, a law enforcement workshop, offered by the public prosecutor, will take place on 11 October, to be attended by all departments and City companies mandated with enforcement.
"The workshop will identify grey areas, by-law limitations [and] strengthen the relationship between the various [enforcement] groups, giving each other more weight."
In turn, the public prosecutor will guide officials in the correct procedure for submissions and how the high number of cases being thrown out of court can be alleviated. "We will look at the whole law enforcement value chain."
The intention is to develop an integrated approach to law enforcement.
The second initiative will ensure that all law enforcement is co-ordinated with the newly appointed manager for law enforcement, Gabi Dlamini, who will be based in the urban management department.
Mthethwa also feels strongly that fines for breaking by-laws should be increased. "We must make it hurt."
Unusual challenges
This is needed - in some areas, regeneration is far from smooth sailing. The inner city brings unusual challenges not encountered in other regions. Taking on organised crime and illegal operations is part of the job; receiving death threats is not unusual.
The safety of employees is a serious concern, he says, and often, urban inspection teams have to go into dangerous situations without protection.
Underground waste bins
"We hope that as we strengthen our partnership with owners, property developers and residents, they will become our eyes and ears."
The role of municipal-owned entities cannot be stressed strongly enough - and they are doing a very good job, he emphasises.
Another crucial aspect of regeneration is city improvement districts (CIDs). There are about 13 in the region already, some voluntary, some statutory. "We are working very hard to strengthen public-private partnerships," Mthethwa says.
The City is looking at a framework in which start-up capital for CIDs will be provided, along with funding and helping to set up more inner city CIDs.
A partnership forum, consisting of various interest groups, as stipulated in the inner city charter, is also ready to be launched. Region F activities will dovetail into this forum, says Mthethwa.
Extremes
But the inner city remains a place of contrasts, giving a disjointed and lopsided look of extremes – in Joubert Park one finds the world-class Johannesburg Art Gallery, next to it the congestion of street traders and an informal taxi rank; the manicured banking district at the bottom of Simmonds Street rubs shoulders with the more dishevelled Bree Street taxi rank.
And at End Street you know that you are truly in a cosmopolitan hub – you have walked past the street stalls of Ethiopians and Senegalese and the local street traders with their bananas and sweets; you have hop-scotched the dirt and given the "fresh" meat street stall a wide berth – all these elements contribute to the staining of the inner city fabric.
There is a need to explore other African countries for answers, Mthethwa says; he speaks of the philosophy of the African Renaissance – doing things for ourselves. "Sometimes we focus too much on North American and European models."
Over and above all the challenges, inroads are being made and progress is taking place, he adds. And his message is that turning around the inner city "is achievable". Yet it is not an event, it is a process.
"I will only be happy when the inner city is clean, safe and functional and every person coming here feels safe and experiences the vibrancy."
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