Infrastructure

(a) In line with the Annual Performance Plan, the technical indicator refers to ‘dedicated support provided to municipalities to accelerate and unlock planning activities of human settlement projects’.

All 25 local municipalities and one District (Garden Route) was provided with technical support by the Departmental Regional Planners, which can be summarised as (but not limited to) the following:

• Human Settlement Plans (HSPs):

• Bitou Municipality appointed a service provider to undertake their HSP. The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDHS) was part of the PSC thus feeding into the strategy and influencing the human settlements pipeline. 
• George and Saldanha Bay Municipalities sourced Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) funds, in order to undertake their HSPs as part of the accreditation process. The Regional Planners formed part of the established PSC, contributed toward data, statistical and knowledge sourcing and inputted into document content. The George HSP has been endorsed by Council, with the support of the WCDHS. The Saldanha Bay HSP is still in process.
• The Garden Route District Municipality has initiated the development of an Integrated Human Settlements Plan by the district officials. Through a range of workshops and discussions, the Department enabled the District to formulate the IHSP, through the creation of a workable document for the local municipalities to be consulted on and buy-in to be garnered. This plan will contribute toward the intended Accreditation process.
• Spatial Development Framework (SDF):

The Beaufort West and Hessequa Municipalities have undertaken a review of their relevant SDF’s. Critical hereto was to ensure land is identified for future human settlement development. Through the PSC and technical discussions, the Department collaborated with DEADP to ensure the municipal human settlement need is addressed and that the human settlements pipeline is responsive to the intentions of the applicable SDF.

• Municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDP):

The Department reviewed and commented on the draft IDP of all 25 local municipalities, to ensure provision is made for human settlement development within its content. This was again verified through final IDP review.

• The Joint District & Management Area Programme was endorsed in year 2021, with a One Plan currently being implemented. This Department is playing a supportive role, in conjunction with other departments and entities, in all 5 districts.

 

• Municipal Human Settlements Pipeline (technical support):

 This support entails monthly technical engagements with all 25 Local Municipalities. Progress of individual human settlements projects are tracked, project level funding is monitored, budgets developed, new project identified and planning initiated. The Department also enabled the Municipalities to package projects consistent to the department’s strategic objectives/priorities. The result of these technical inputs is that new human settlement projects are being unlocked for implementation.

(b) Through greater alignment between the sectoral plans (HSPs and SDFs), the Department was able to influence and prioritise human settlement projects into the Municipal IDPs. It is thus enabled that projects were budgeted for in terms of the HSDG and ISUPG. Also, projects that were previously blocked were identified at these technical meetings. Further engagements with relevant stakeholders were then conducted, which ensured that these projects moved from blocked, to planned, to ultimately implementation.  Lastly, less capacitated municipalities received assistance from the Department, in order to gain greater understanding of different human settlement programmes and how to package these project applications. The Department also engaged and lobbied with other departments on behalf of the municipalities, in order to unlock statutory processes.

 

MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE

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