To reduce overpopulation of cities‚ improve rural towns: Parliament

In order to reduce rapid urban migration‚ there needs to be a regeneration of rural towns.

This is according to delegates attending Local Government Week‚ a programme of the National Council of Provinces. The programme brings together all spheres of government to find solutions and share best practices intended to improve the lives of South Africans through targeted and accelerated service delivery. Delegates acknowledged that a major weakness in service delivery has been the inability of all spheres of government to implement impressive plans already in place.

“At local government‚ lack of capacity in critical areas impacted on municipalities’ ability to deliver. Rapid migration flows from rural municipalities to cities also had the unintended consequence of overburdening urban municipalities‚” said Thandi Modise‚ the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

Modise decried the increasing number of land invasions currently occurring in the country. The legacy of apartheid spatial planning and the overburdening of metros because of rapid urban migration were highlighted as reasons behind these.

“Key challenges inherited from the colonial and apartheid eras included massive structural and endemic social inequality‚ widespread poverty‚ rising unemployment‚ racially segregated communities and a shaky economy‚” she said.

“Unfortunately‚ these inherited challenges have been worsened over the years by other emerging local challenges. They include rapid urbanisation and its associated demographic changes‚ increased demand for local service delivery and accompanying increased social discontent and contestation‚ persistence of vested interests‚ financial austerity‚ fiscal constraints and the slow pace of social and economic transformation.” She proposed that the legislative sector look into amending laws that the SA Local Government Association (SALGA) has highlighted as impediments to service delivery.