Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...

Conclusion
Nearly fifteen years ago, a new democratic government took the head of South Africa
with its heavy legacy on the spatial and notably urban level. The public policies that have
been conducted until now to provide urban solutions for disadvantaged populations
have not managed to reverse apartheid’s separate development. The shape of large
South African cities may seem worrying in regard to the objectives of social cohesion.
Some authors even go so far as to say that the post-apartheid policies have increased
the urban fragmentation apartheid created. As for the primary reasons for this failure,
one must, among other things, emphasize the lack of spatial planning, the sectoral
approach to the delivery of services including housing, the limited involvement of the
state to control urban development, and finally the complexity of the relationships
between the three spheres of government. In addition, the weakness of participatory
mechanisms for projects involving poor populations and above all the municipalities’
difficulty carrying the long-term urban development strategies to envisage for poor
populations — not only the granting of decent housing, but rather functional settlements
integrated in the urban fabric — are major handicaps.
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Planning and restructuring cities requires a long-term vision, and policies are
continuously evolving. South Africa is a recently democratized society that has a vitality
and spirit of initiative aiming to improve the situation for numerous poor households in
the cities. The lack of a national framework determining urban policies and the large
role of the private sector in building the urban landscape have not prevented the
emergence of very promising initiatives. Several policies and projects build on what is
already in place — multi-centre city, evolution of urban centrality in townships and
informal settlements — and seek to re-balance these settlements when it comes to
urban facilities, transportation and sometimes jobs.
© AFD 2009 Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities