*monograph11

Open Society Foundation For THE GATEWAY PROJECT: FIASCO OR MODEL FOR FUTURE SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES? *monograph11 ISANDLA INSTITUTE / OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION

About Development Dialogues Development Dialogues is a joint initiative of Isandla Institute and the Open Society Foundation for South Africa. The aim of the public dialogue series is to create a space for critical reflection and dialogue among key development stakeholders in South Africa. In doing so, the organisers seek to make a (rather modest) contribution to enhancing the quality of debate in the development sector. Through Develop- ment Dialogues, Isandla Institute and the Open Society Foundation intend to bring about creative and constructive multi-stakeholder meeting opportunities that push stakeholders to think beyond the confines of their immediate interests and theoretical paradigms.

This monograph captures the speakers’ inputs and discussions at the Development Dialogue on ‘The N2 Gateway Project: Fiasco or Model for Future South African Cities?’, which took place on 19 July 2007 at the Centre for the Book in .

Published in 2007

Open Society Foundation For South Africa 11

Isandla Institute Open Society Foundation for South Africa monograph PO Box 12263 PO Box 23161 Mill Street, Gardens 8010 Claremont 7735 South Africa South Africa Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Development dialogues: Website: www.isandla.org.za Website: www.osf.org.za

Open Society Foundation For South Africa REFLECTIONS BY MXHANTI SIGCAWU

ince March 2006 Thubelisha Homes is the toilets for whites or toilets for blacks. Toilets are implementing agent of the N2 Gateway for everyone. Each and everyone is free to walk Project. Before that, this project was in wherever he wants to. This is the new South Africa. S the hands of the as While we are doing this, we have had attacks the implementing agent. It was structured with a on radio, in the newspapers, in the media where Memorandum of Understanding signed by the people are challenging the expense of it. I can political heads of the three spheres of government: assure you, as the implementing agent of this the Minister of Housing, the MEC for Local project, that there is nothing wrong with the Government and Housing and the then Mayor of project. Where you would have a problem is where Cape Town, Nomaindia Mfeketo. These three agreed politics play a role in this project – that is where that each sphere would have a role to play in the you start to have challenges. N2 Gateway. In 2004 our President indicated that the What we are doing in the manner in which the state was building RDP houses was totally unstructured. RDP units were being built N2 Gateway Project is to pilot an where you would not have areas reserved for kids integrated settlement where you to play, for business to take place, for schools to will not have areas designated be located. The houses built for housing benefici- aries were 16 square metres. Then in 2004 there for ‘blacks’, ‘coloureds’ or whites. was a decision to move towards integrated human settlements – the Breaking New Ground Again, we are not developing a greenfields (BNG) policy, which seeks to improve the lives of settlement on the N2. We are developing in areas, beneficiaries. This also included the need to for example Joe Slovo, where people have to improve on housing and build quality houses for relocate because you cannot build on top of our beneficiaries. The BNG house we are talking informal settlements and shacks. To do this, you about presently is a 40sq metre house with two have to call a meeting, you have to negotiate, you bedrooms, an open lounge, a flushing toilet with a have to communicate, explain what is the benefit bathroom or at times a shower. You are also given of this project to their lives. There are challenges an opportunity to install a geyser. It has electricity, with people who are resisting to relocate, because water and so forth. some politicians would say to them “This is not So basically what we are doing in the N2 true; it is not going to happen, so resist reloca- 11 Gateway Project is to pilot an integrated settle- tion.” Those are the challenges that are really

ment where you will not have areas designated facing this project. It is politics and not the police. monograph for the so-called blacks, or so-called coloureds or We are operating in the following areas on whites. We are putting everyone together and the N2: Joe Slovo, Langa, New Rest and Boystown merging the differences of the past. There are no and Delft. Presently, the biggest challenge we have Development dialogues:

01 paying rent here and you do not want to see them There are challenges with leaving in a pigsty environment.” And as I am people who are resisting to standing here I can confidently say that all that has been brought to our attention has been relocate, because some attended to. politicians would say to them To report a problem related to Phase 1 you “It is not going to happen, would have to go to our caretakers. Our caretakers are on site. You refer to your case and say, “Look, so resist relocation.” this is the difficulty I have.” There is a 24-hour con- tractor who deals with issues and our contractors is that there is not enough land. When this project dealing with structural defects are there on site was initiated, the idea was to put up high rise also. So these problems arise almost every day. buildings. But it became clear that to go up is too Tomorrow someone else will report something else. expensive. Therefore because of those financial These are the day-to-day kind of defects that are implications the plan was changed. normally reported to us. Beneficiaries are given two options: rental stock When our residents decided to take their or bonded houses, also called ‘gap houses’, which concerns onto the street and to submit a memo- target households earning between R2 500 and randum to the Minister, Thubelisha Homes as the R7 000 a month. Then there are also giveaway implementing agent was really shocked and houses for people earning from zero to R3 500 per surprised because we do have the residents com- month. mittee and we strive to find out what is it that we Now, to come to Phase 1 of the project, where are not doing to satisfy their needs and interests. we are seriously always under attack: when we inherited the project Phase 1 in Joe Slovo was If you are not comfortable between 80% and 90% complete. The contractor was busy with the final touches – the windows, with the rent that you are the floors – the structure was already complete paying, give us the space so when we took this project. To our surprise, we that we can move in those started to hear complaints from our tenants. They would say: “Look, there is a serious crack in my who can afford to pay. 11 room.” “When I open the tap I get hot water instead of cold water.” “When I flush the pipe What has come up is the question of rent. They are monograph burst.” You know all those challenges. We did not saying the rent is too high. Before tenants moved dispute those challenges. Instead, what we did was into the units, they were all interviewed. They would to quickly inform our contractor to say “Come back then agree that “I am taking this unit, because I my brother; fix the mess because our people are will be in a position to afford to pay” and that Development dialogues:

02 Open Society Foundation For South Africa not qualifyoriftheyfeeltherentistoomuch, simple asthat. We toassistthem. want Iftheydo can moveinthosewhoaffordtopay. Itisas that youarepaying,giveusthespacesowe ing isthatifyouarenotcomfortablewiththerent in theseareasiscloseto8000. What wearesay- have forpeoplewhoarestillwaitingtobehoused that theycannottherent. The backlogthatwe Homes. Nowitissurprisingwhenpeoplenowsay person wouldthensignacontract with Thubelisha time theywillseethelight. do notmeettheconditionsagreedto. Ithinkin have totake drastic measuresagainstthosewho understand. arrangements topay. We areresponsibleandwe come toourofficesnegotiate, theycanmake think approximately 150 areinarrears. Butifthey they mustjustleave. Again, someare indefault. I But ithascometoasituationwherewewill 03 Development dialogues: monograph 11 REFLECTIONS BY LIVINGSTONE HLAWULA (with Luthando Ndabambi)

am from the N2 Gateway Residents Associa- tion. I am sure that this platform that I am People probably think that standing on today is not meant to be about the people of the N2 Gateway point scoring for political gain. My understand- Iing is that all of us who are here are here because are unthankful people who we need to reflect on the lessons learnt from the do not appreciate what the N2 Gateway Project. The N2 Gateway is said to be government has done a pilot project, meaning that we need to deal with it with an open mind. We need to deal with it as for them. people who are free to think and reason. People out there probably think that the regard as stakeholders. The main thing was to sit people of the N2 Gateway are unthankful people down and discuss, with the main objective to try who do not appreciate what the government and get to a resolution regarding the problems that has done for them. But the truth is, we are very we are experiencing there. The speaker that has appreciative of the fact that the government has just left the platform, Mr Sigcawu, has already come up with something like the N2 Gateway. mentioned that there were meetings held between Otherwise most people, or those that are already the government officials, the tenants and also the there, would not be having anything above their agents, being Thubelisha Homes. heads or something to call a home. We know the From the onset, people signed contracts – situation countrywide – that the people are really which most of them are saying they were not even desperate for houses. It would be a miracle to think given an opportunity to go through or to read – that a project of this magnitude would be without out of sheer desperation, because people wanted teething problems. Definitely there ought to be some, houses. At the third workshop people were asked but what is more important is how we address to sign the document, and the people signed those them if they crop up. documents. When they were signing the documents The teething problems that we have experienced there were people who raised questions as to many as tenants have been addressed to the necessary aspects that were appearing there. It was not organisations or channels that are said to be Thubelisha Homes that was there preparing responsible for the N2 Gateway. We have engaged people to get into those houses. It was another as many people as possible, those whom we company known as BKS. Then BKS would say 11 11 “I have nothing to do with this; you better It would be a miracle to approach the company that will be taking over monograph monograph think that a project of this the N2 Gateway which is Thubelisha Homes.” In other words, all those tenants at the N2 magnitude would be without Gateway, they had never met Thubelisha Homes teething problems. at the crucial time of signing the contracts. Development dialogues: Development dialogues:

080604 Open Society Foundation For South Africa to thetribunal. higher authorityinvolvedinthis–whentheywent seen waswhenthecommitteedecidedtogeta and addressthisissue. The firsttimethemanwas from peopleaskinghimpleasecomeletussitdown project wouldnotevenanswerthetelephonecalls the manthatwas tasked theretooverseethe the peoplethatareresponsible–tocomearound”, like this; weneedtocall Thubelisha Homes–Imean And whenpeoplesaid, “No, itcannot workout each andeveryhouse. That isproblemnumberone. people attheN2Gateway hadthesamekeys for time andagain. regard tothedefectsthatwerereportedlyraised Thubelisha Homeswhenwehadaproblemwith of thesigningcontracts. We onlyheardof Another companywastheretoseetheprocess there isaproblemthroughthe press. They willthen not proactive. They only reactwhentheyhearthat meet thecommittee. Buttheyonlyreact–are committee. was thenthattheystartednegotiatingwiththe problems, butwearegoingtoaddressthem.” It They said: “Yes, therearedefects, thereare they admittedthedefectsthatwerereported. people from Thubelisha Homescomingin. And there At thetribunalitwasfirsttimewesaw The firstproblemthatarosewas thatthe Mr Sigcawuisrightwhenhesaystriedto People signedcontracts out ofsheerdesperation, because peoplewanted houses. he notedthemdown.Hegave himselfthetime list ofalltheproblemsthat we voicedtohim. Then And wehadalist. The gentlemanthere, hehada local committeewouldmeettodiscussthesethings. that everyMonday Thubelisha Homesandthe but theydidnotmake afollowup. They promised those oragreeingtothose, theyagreedverbally we canwishthemaway. They willremainthere. to beaddressed.Itisnotamatterofsayingthat these problems. We areaware theproblemsneed Thubelisha Homes, sothatwecanjointlyaddress officials, theN2Gateway Committeeand we haveacommitteecomposedofgovernment suggested asacommitteeandthecommunitythat lems here, whichneedtobeaddressed. We to ameetingandheadmittedthatthereareprob- leaks fromtheroofsinotherones. And hewenton to seethecracks insomeoftheunits, toseethe all walked around thebuildings. shocked Hewas Gateway. Hehadsomeengineerswithhim. We gate theproblemsthatwehadinN2 came withahigh-powereddelegationtoinvesti- week ormonththeProvincialMinisterofHousing problems thatwearehaving.Inverysame question. raised withyou?” They couldnotanswerthat genuinely comingtoaddresstheissuesthatwere media issayingaboutyou,orareyoujust them: “Are youcomingherebecauseofwhatthe discuss theproblems. We welcomedthat. We asked at theN2Gatewaytosortoutproblemor promised thattheyaregoingtomeetthepeople see iftheycannotsortoutthisproblem. And they start lookingforthemembersofcommitteeto Now insteadof Thubelisha Homeshonouring Now again,wetoldthemthesearethe 05 Development dialogues: monograph 11 frames saying that all the problems that you have mentioned here, they will be dealt with by 22 April, We are saying, with such they will all be done. To date we are still talking about the problems. The problem of the keys as defective houses, can you not mentioned earlier is still there; the locks were never reduce the rentals for now. changed. We would not be here if those problems were addressed. actually asked Thubelisha Homes to come down There was a time when the media went down and sit and discuss with us. there, SABC2 and other news media. They came Also, the issue of rent came up. We are saying, up with a story saying that there were defects. with such defective houses, can you not reduce the rentals for now. And can you take into consid- People at the N2 Gateway eration the people that are staying here and look had the same keys for each at their financial background and status. Can you not just reduce the rent a little bit, because people and every house … the locks are willing to pay rent. Everybody is prepared and were never changed. willing. But unfortunately, all this was just falling on deaf ears. Instead, what we hear is the threat Some engineers who did not want to be named that we will be evicted and that there are about confirmed that it was true and that they have 8 000 people who are waiting outside. And there noticed that there are defects. These defects are is no future for our children. There are no schools, serious, to the extent that those houses will not no pre-schools. There is no parking for cars. There stay up for the next five years. So those are the is just nothing. problems that we face. And this is what we 11 monograph Development dialogues:

06 Open Society Foundation For South Africa I underestimated thelandcrisis. housing crisis: toupgrade, bringingthepoorback recognise amultiplicityof interventionsinthe get awayfromtheonesizefitsallpolicyand solutions accordingtoBreakingNewGroundis ask whatthesolutionsare, oneofthekey dynamics ofhouseholdeconomies. When youthen Development Action Groupintotheinner incontrovertibly byresearchdonethe City ofCape Town. That confirmedalmost was economies ofpoorpeople, particularlyinthe fundamentally underminingthehousehold spatialframework,butalsoin negative effect,notjustinmaintainingthe Ten yearsofhousingpolicyhashadanextremely cheap –ontheurbanperipheries. peripheralised, becausethatiswherelandwas tively meantthathousingforthepoorwas lem: itunderestimatedthelandcrisis. This effec- defined unit–sufferedfromafundamentalprob- a projectlinked capitalsubsidyforafixedand which providedessentiallyforacapitalsubsidy– ment isthatthehousingpolicyadoptedafter1994, Housing. The corethrustofthisparticulardocu- released bytheMECforLocalGovernmentand Cape’s SustainableHumanSettlementStrategy crisis, in thecontextof Western Capehousing t isimportanttounderstandtheN2Gateway Housing policyadopted after 1994sufferedfroma fundamental problem:it which was capturedinthe which was Western own. in turncannothappenbythestateactingonits of theinventionstaken bythestate. And that of householdstorespond, that thereisasocialprocesstobuildthecapacity only workononefundamentalcondition,namely investment? Strategy veerstothe latter. Butitcan of familiestotake advantage ofthis capital housing peopleovertimeandbuildthecapacity with supportinfrastructureforincrementally to solvethehousingcrisis?Ordoyougowide different levels?Howareyougoingtobeable anything betweenR35000andR75aunitat quality servicesandhousingunits, costing is itpossibletosolvetheproblemwithhigh billion rand ayearinhousingsubsidiesavailable, government inparticular. With R800000toone limited fundsareavailabletoprovincial development, andsoon. This isallwellandgood. ment, socialhousing,rentalgreenfields backyard shackdwellers into thecityusingstateland,formalisationof poor people. household economiesof fundamentally underminedthe spatial frameworkand has maintainedtheapartheid Ten years ofhousingpolicy Breaking NewGroundalsorecognisesthat MARK SWILLING REFLECTIONS BY , mixedhousingdevelop- and take advantage 07 DevelopmentDevelopment dialogues: dialogues: monograph monograph 11 11 Hence the strategy refers to the necessity for a small nitty-gritty everyday life of inhabiting a new compact with organised civil society such as the settlement, where doors do not lock or unlock, Federation of the Urban Poor and other wider where water does not runs the way it is supposed networks that have begun to evolve the social to or walls are not correctly built or, more impor- technologies necessary to organise households tantly, when you simply want somebody to phone around savings, around negotiation and engage- and talk to in order to have an engagement about ment to take advantage of the state interventions the problems that you may have. If that does not that create the framework for addressing these work out, when the small requests for small challenges. But that cannot happen if we continue engagements are not met, they turn into much to peripheralise housing and it cannot happen if larger interpretations of mala fides, or bad faith, we continue to treat people as things – as things or an almost conscious attempt to undermine, to be relocated, or evicted, or instructed to inhabit when in actual fact what is at stake is a process fixed structures. of accumulating inefficiencies. My comment in the light of this really difficult challenge is that if you want to maximise There has to be a social beneficiaries by going wide – and therefore there process to build the capacity of is the necessity for coupling that to social processes of organisation and mobilisation to households to respond and take empower civil society to take advantage of what advantage of the interventions the state is intervening to do – then the way to do taken by the state. But that it in my view is not to do it like the N2 Gateway has done it. cannot happen if we continue I think the N2 Gateway is a very good example to treat people as things – as of the two worlds of housing delivery that do not meet. On the one hand, you have the world of the things to be relocated, or technocrats, which talks about space, land, evicted, or instructed to inhabit planning, infrastructure, hard stuff, buildings that fixed structures. crack or cost certain amounts to rent and have to be in certain places and if certain people are in You then get into a situation that undermines the wrong place, they have to be relocated. In the the most critical condition for implementing 11 process, when people do not do what they are a strategy of going wide coupled to social mobili- supposed to do, then you blame politicians for sation, which is trust. Without trust, there is monograph manipulating them, as if people do not have their absolutely no way that you can maximise the own ability to read their own context and identify interventions the state makes to facilitate their own interests. social mobilisation and the mobilisation of On the other hand, you have the world of the social resources to take advantage of what the Development dialogues:

08 Open Society Foundation For South Africa answer theirtelephones. not understand,orhousingofficialswhodo relocate, orwhetheritispeoplewhosimplydo there. Whether itispoliticianstellingpeoplenotto the malafidesandsupposedconspiraciesout simply reinforcepreconceivedassumptionabout developmental stateisdoing. Without trust, you the housingstrategyistrust. condition forimplementing The mostcritical until theproblemissolved. have peoplewhocommitnottoleavethetable the tablefornegotiationthatworks, isthatyou negotiation. And theonlyway youcancreate it? What youdoiscreatethetablefor the newhousingvision.Sowhatdoyouabout relations oftrustthatarenecessarytoimplement difficult intheCape Town context tobuildthe the twoworldsthataregoingtomake itextremely In myview, thestoriesyouheartodayreflect 1109 Development dialogues: monograph 11 DISCUSSION

AFTER THE INPUTS, THE FLOOR WAS OPEN sit with to discuss issues that are facing both of FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. ISSUES you use other platforms as if one has said “I will THAT WERE RAISED INCLUDED: no longer open the doors for negotiations.” We are not here to point fingers at the tenants and I • The discussion focuses on operational matters, would really want to leave that and attend to other rather than policy. We need to bear in mind issues, because it is not going to help us. But I can that the N2 Gateway is a national pilot project assure you that our doors are still open. We do and as such is an ongoing process of reflection have contractors on site. We do have a manager and learning. responsible for the rental stock. All the • What is the nature of customer service offered concerns that our tenants have, have a place to by Thubelisha Homes, and does it include a be discussed at, but not here. Because there will customer service hotline? not be any solutions here to the problems. Our • On the issue of rent, people pay different doors are open. I am being honest. We still have amounts for rent for identical units and the rent room to discuss. We have never closed the room had been increased after the workshops with for discussion. potential residents. For people to say “I was desperate for a house”, • The N2 Gateway Project has not taken heed of means that they mislead government. They mislead the lessons about social housing that many people who were deployed to do government work. countries have already learnt. They are all desperate. Would you say: “I want to • The experimental nature of the development drive a limo, but now I cannot afford it.” That is no is inappropriate and impacts negatively on excuse. Let us be honest and be realistic. If this is housing recipients. how thing are going to be done, then it means • There is a need to identify well-located land, that social housing will never be the way to go particularly in the inner city of Cape Town, that throughout the world, not if people are going to could be transformed into social housing. say “Yes, I will manage to pay rent” and at the end of the day they say “No, I did not read the IN RESPONSE THE SPEAKERS MADE SOME contract and things were not clear to me”. CONCLUDING COMMENTS: When Thubelisha Homes inherited Phase 1, that Xhanti Sigcawu is Joe Slovo, the City of Cape Town structural We seem to be reducing this interesting topic by engineer gave a report to say these structures are simply focussing on what is happening in Joe Slovo, intact. After the reported issues of defects, we 11 11 Phase 1. I wish that we had said: ‘Is Joe Slovo decided to appoint an independent consultant or Phase 1 the right way to go or is it a fiasco?’ structural engineer who has come up with a monograph monograph Because if we are going to see the rental stock of report, which is there for public consumption. We Joe Slovo Phase 1 as the N2 Gateway we are not are not hiding anything. The structural engineer’s on the right track. report says that these structures do not have any At times it is surprising that people whom you problems. These are not the kind of structural Development dialogues: Development dialogues:

080610 Open Society Foundation For South Africa look forfathersormothers, who arepeopletotalk about andweareaddressingit. have neverlied, eveninourmeetings. We know rental ofR179. We arerectifyingthatproblem. We had alreadysignedcontractswiththemforthe move in. Beforewecouldtake overfromBKS, BKS less. Those fiveare thepeoplewhowerefirstto this.Now, therearefivepeoplethatpaying the endofdaytheywouldsayyouqualifyfor say “these payslip, questionswouldbeasked andyouwould would beinterviewed,youbringyour And thatiswhatpeopleagreedto. Becauseyou was thenR500andthemostexpensiveR1050. unit. Priceshadtoberevisitedandthecheapest for thelowestandR600mostexpensive it wasclearthatwecouldnotgoonwithR179 expected. Sobeforewecouldmoveinthetenants put upstructuresescalatedfromwhatwas that sitewasaninformalsettlement),expensesto on rehabilitationandsoforth(bearinmindthat But becauseofthemoniesthathadtobespent each unitwouldcostR80000,oraroundthat. ception oftheN2Gateway, theyhadthoughtthat est unitwas goingtobeR179. At thetimeofin- We hadhopedthattherentalstockforcheap- there, arecomfortablewithwhatisgoingon. paying rent,whoareabout80%ofourtenants defects havebeenfixedintheunit. I calla ‘happy letter’, tosaythatheishappythe ing fixedtheunitatenantisgivenpaper, which ers, isthatwewillgoandfixyourunit. After hav- when youhavereportedamattertoourcaretak- those buildings. That isnotthecase. What wedo, defects thatmeanwewouldhavetodemolish So allinall,Idon’twant us tobetrying We havefoundthatothertenantswhoare

are theaccountsthatIpay”. Then at ing thatwehadwithhim governmentisnot Cape misledthepeople. Hesaidinthe lastmeet- say thattheMinisterof tenants. That isnotatruestatement. Iwouldrather suggested thatthegovernmentwasmisledby I want todirectmycommentthespeaker who Livingstone Hlawula every tenantpaysrent. Thubelisha Homesistosee to itthateachand These areourtenantsandthedutythatIhaveas forward sothatitisattendedto–period. might notresurface. When thathappens, bringit to. Iamnotsayingwhenadefecthasbeenfixedit here thinkingthatnothinghaseverbeenattended fects areattendedto. Sothatpeopledonotleave you haveraisedtheseissuesandthatde- appreciate itifyouwouldbehonestandsaythat issues arenotattendedto. And secondly, Iwould At thispointintimeIamnotconvincedthatthose they arebeyondus, wecantake themelsewhere. sort outourinternalproblemsourselvesandwhen Homes, so myadviceis, let’s gobackhome. Let’s tenants andyouhaveacontract with Thubelisha that wediscussissuesathome. You are Thubelisha with usandtheyshouldraisetheirconcernsso from theJoeSlovoPhase1,shouldcomeandsit we sitandtalk. Mycolleagueshere, especially reached, thatiswhatwearedoing. We negotiate, leaves thatplatformuntilresolutionshavebeen must openaplatformfornegotiationsandnoone have constantinteractions withcommunities,we his viewisthatasasolutiontothisweneed by ourtenantsisnotbeyondcontrol. beyond ourcontrol.Everythingthathasbeenraised for us. We haveourplatform. These issuesarenot Lastly, whenthelearnedprofessortheresays Housing inthe Western 11 Development dialogues: monograph 11 in the business of doing business, and that the origi- day on a bigger and bigger scale, you arrive at an nal rental prices would be between R168 and R590 explanation for what I am hearing today – a break- per month. When that was changed it was never down of trust. communicated with us. If it was correct that ‘there is nothing wrong Mr Sigcawu mentioned they are really surprised. with the project and we are negotiating and do- We have been trying to hand over a memorandum ing what we are supposed to be doing’, as to Minister Sisulu time and again, but there is no Thubelisha Homes is saying, there would not be response. So it is not surprising to me that she is this breakdown of trust. So I cannot accept that not here. It is also not surprising that her senior there is a negotiating process that is working officer is marching out of a meeting like this. There effectively here. Because then you would not have was a meeting where we asked her to come and this continuous kind of low intensity civil war meet the tenants. I believe Mr Sigcawu was chair- between the community and state officials. So my ing that meeting. We gave them a memorandum argument would be that we as officials have to and then the response from Thubelisha’s senior stop seeing like a state and start seeing the management was simple and straightforward, say- dynamics of the development process from the ing that the Minister will never come here, and if point of view of the community. And that means you do not pay rent you will be out. That is why actually taking the risk of not neatly demarcating we went public with our concerns, because we certain forums where you can and cannot say cer- wanted to get her attention. If she thinks this is a tain things. It also means getting into a culture of solution, she can kick us out. listening rather than defensiveness, which always depends on a set of rules. Mark Swilling For example, there is a fascinating discussion James Scott wrote a useful book called ‘Seeing like about the contract. The contract is signed and then a state’. I think it is instructive in this discussion. it is disputed by reference to context. On the one Because what we have here is a typical example hand, Thubelisha Homes will talk about the of what creates and destroys fast. Where an offi- context of the three workshops, and therefore cial would have a preconceived conception of what due process was followed. On the other hand, the can and cannot be discussed in certain forums – people refer to desperation and the fact that they whether these are operational matters that should rather take their chances of signing something than not be spoken about, or policy matters that should risk losing out by not signing at all. These are two be spoken about. So somebody outside of the con- contexts, which reflect two completely different 11 text of the people living in the problem is now realities. In this particular case I would appeal to defining what is legitimate to be spoken about and the officials of Thubelisha Homes in particular to monograph what is illegitimate to be spoken about, which does listen, to actually get off the arrogance of the cer- not connect to the lived experience of people on tainty of rules and into the humility of the lived the ground. When you just replicate that day after experience of everyday life. Development dialogues:

12 Open Society Foundation For South Africa Academic DirectorattheSustainabilityInstitute. Public ManagementandPlanningattheUniversityofStellenbosch.Healsoholdsposition Mark Swilling Project. HeisacommitteememberoftheN2Gateway Residents Association. Livingstone Hlawula Prince XhantiSigcawu ABOUT THE FIASCO ORMODELFORFUTURESOUTH AFRICAN CITIES? PANEL: isProfessorinSustainableDevelopmentPlanningandManagement,Schoolof CENTRE FOR THE BOOK,CAPE TOWN FOR THE CENTRE livesinJoeSlovo, thefirstareatobedevelopedaspartofN2Gateway THE N2GATEWAY PROJECT: istheManagingDirector: N2Gateway with Thubelisha Homes. 19 JULY 2007 1107 Development dialogues: monograph 11 THE N2 GATEWAY PROJECT: FIASCO OR MODEL FOR FUTURE SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES?

www.isandla.org.za

Open Society Foundation For South Africa www.osf.org.za