Durban – KwaZulu-Natal government is pulling all the stops in a bid to ensure that all parts of KwaZulu-Natal are well developed without a heavy reliance on Durban for economic activity.
This was the assurance given by KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube when addressing delegates at the BRICS Urbanisation Forum in Durban on Wednesday.
She told delegates that it was important for countries and cities to develop ways of ensuring that urban areas were able to deal with the high number of people that leave rural areas for urban areas in search of greener pastures.
According to the premier, South Africa has a population of more that 60 million people and KwaZulu-Natal has the second largest population size in the country with approximately 12 million inhabitants.
The level of urbanisation, the premier told delegates, is reflected by the fact that eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality has a population of approximately 4 million, just over one third of the population of KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is the only Metro in the province and accounts for approximately 60% of the provincial economic activity. That is a big weight to be carried by one Metro,” said Dube-Ncube.
She pointed out that as a result, Durban has a challenge of approximately 600 informal settlements – some of which are large-scale, homelessness and backyard informal homes.
“The current backlog of housing is estimated at 470 000; and this has resulted in constraints relating to bulk services in particular water, sanitation and solid waste management,” the premier explained.
Dube-Ncube told delegates that the government was building integrated human settlements for people to create a more sustainable liveable environment in which a range of economic and social opportunities can be created. The forum which boasts figures from all BRICS member states of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is aimed at formulating ways to to discuss key urban development issues and share insights on how cities can become more resilient in the face of global challenges.