Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Question by:
Hon Trudy Dijana
Answered by:
Hon Anton Bredell
Question Number:
8
Question Body:
Whether his Department conducted any in-depth analysis of townships and informal settlement areas to determine whether the people who stay there are enjoying their full rights as set out in section 24(a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Answer Body:
REPLY:
8. In terms of ensuring that the citizens of the Western Cape have an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being and that the environment is protected for the benefit of present and future generations the following approaches have, amongst other things, been undertaken:
- The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) together with the Department of Human Settlements have over the last number of years been working with the Western Cape Municipalities to develop better Spatial Development Frameworks (SDFs) and Integrated Human Settlement Plans (HSPs) through the Built Environment Support Programme (BESP). The SDFs and HSPs, amongst other things, include analyses of townships and informal settlements.
- The Department of Local Government, working with DEA&DP, have over the last number of years, in order to complement the BESP work, been working with the Western Cape Municipalities on developing Infrastructure and Growth Plans (IGPs). The IGPs, amongst other things, also include analyses of townships and informal settlements.
- In terms of environmental quality DEA&DP also supports the Western Cape Municipalities with the development of Air Quality Management Plans and Integrated Waste Management Plans, which, amongst other matters, addresses air quality monitoring and an analysis of waste management in each Municipality.
- In 2013 DEA&DP also released the second Western Cape State of Environment Outlook Report (SOER). Human Settlements was one of the nine themes considered by the SOER (2013). DE
- A&DP has already started the process of developing the next SOER.
- More recently DEA&DP has, as part of the PSG 4 (“Enabling a Resilient, Sustainable, Quality and Inclusive Living Environment”), been working with the Department of Human Settlements on developing a new Western Cape Human Settlements Framework and Informal Settlements Support Plan. This work includes a Rapid Appraisal/Assessment of informal settlements. While the work is still in progress, the Department of Humans Settlements as the coordinator of this work can be approached for more detail.
Date:
Friday, September 30, 2016
