​The Department of Development Planning, in partnership with the Global Future Cities Programme and Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading, have entered the second phase of the participatory planning process into the formulation of the Soweto Strategic Area Framework (SSAF).

A workshop intended for residents of Soweto to voice their expectations and present community-owned solutions to issues that affect them was held at Phefeni Recreational Centre, in Orlando, yesterday, 10 March 2021.

In embracing a participatory and partnership approach, the project focuses on unearthing Soweto’s socio-economic potential, giving the community a voice from the beginning and throughout the development process.

In 2020, the first phase of the participatory process was undertaken through a series of workshops that were held with Ward Councillors, community leaders, residents and other stakeholders, wherein community issues, constraints and opportunities were mapped.

Some of the issues raised during the first phase include: challenges in formalising informal businesses; lack of community support for one another; existing support programmes are not easily accessible; low education standards that restrict youth from job opportunities; lack of care for the elderly; community resentment and volatility; trading facilities lack supporting services and face poor/lack of maintenance; most economic activities are in shopping malls but Sowetans don’t benefit; liquor outlets are popular because people want to escape their reality; lack of safe and high quality social facilities; not enough mixed land use and too many shopping complexes; complete lawlessness and poor police visibility; job scarcity with many working in larger nodes; no access to manufacturing and industry; graduates move out of Soweto and contribute to a different economic system; informal rentals burden the infrastructure grid; delays of government releasing land; renting easier than buying; illegal electricity connections; illegal dumping, blocked sewers and flooding challenges; service infrastructure is completely inadequate and mismanaged; and lack of free WiFi hotspots when few can afford Internet connections.

The second phase of the participatory planning process involves developing a shared vision, which includes the solutions workshop, formation of a community reference group, and drawing up a manifesto with a vision co-created in line with the manifesto.

This will be followed by the collective design and endorsement of the SSAF by the community and the public sector in Phase 3.

The SSAF is a pioneering project initiated through the Global Futures Cities Programme that is run and funded by the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund. Aimed at supporting a range of strategic interventions in 19 cities across 10 countries, the programme seeks to address key barriers to prosperity that focus on urban planning; transportation; and resilience with big data and project finance, as cross cutting themes.

Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Development Planning, Cllr Thapelo Amad, in his opening remarks to members of the community who attended the workshop, said that the City views Soweto as having potential to develop into a significant City district.

“This view is entrenched in the City’s spatial plans, where Soweto has to be unlocked into a true City District, comprising of self-sustaining nodes that are characterised by a mixture of land uses as drivers of economic and job creation, reinforced by an accessible and affordable public transport system,” he said.

MMC Amad added that there were many constraints to this vision and that communities in Soweto were still living in unacceptable circumstances that do not enable them to thrive; in conditions that lock them in a perpetual cycle of poverty and spatial injustice.

He encouraged the attendees to continue in the spirit of co-producing a shared vision and solutions for their communities. “We continue to rely on the participatory nature of the project, and we hope to capture your energy as the occupiers of this place; the people with the lived experience, in order to meaningfully unlock the often spoken about latent potential of this iconic township,” MMC Amad added.

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Media enquiries

Duduzile Ntuli

Deputy Director: Communications and Stakeholder Management

Office of the MMC: Development Planning

DuduzileNtu@joburg.org.za or 078 097 3188

Poppy Louw

Chief Specialist: Communications and Stakeholder Liaison

Office of the MMC: Development Planning

PoppyL@joburg.org.za or 081 235 4999