The Case of Kraaifontein East Interacting 1N
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Urban Development Stakeholders Interacting 1n Practice: The Case of Kraaifontein East Jens Kuhn Housing Research Manager: Cape Metropolitan Council 1. INTRODUCTION memberships change all the time. actors (stakeholders) themselves. This may be regarded as more Secondly, the relationship between In 1993 a process was launched to important than the plan eventually the actors (as representatives) and prepare a structure plan for the produced or adopted (Mandelbaum, their constituency. Finally, one eastern parts of the former 2000). And this building of a new must consider how the actors Kraaifontein Municipal area. The community is premised on the related to the essence of the Kraaifontein Joint Planning improvement of process (termed here, the "activity"). Committee was established as a The process can be viewed as an vehicle to achieve maximum public relationships between interest ongoing flow of events, each event input and participation. The groups or individuals that at the impacting and altering in some way Committee was abandoned in late outset may have been antagonistic, these sets of relationships. The 1994 in favour of a conventional or even confrontational over the most fundamental event, I planning practice, namely following issues at hand. The analytic maintain, is the changing nature of the rrurumum procedural approach followed in this paper is the process activity. It is this prescriptions contained m the therefore to track the changes that activity, and how the different relevant legislation. the relationships underwent in the interest groups relate to and course of the planning process. understand it, that determines Numerous theoretical models for The strengthening or deterioration whether the participants forge a critically assessing processes have of relationships is induced by new community or remain divided. been offered in planning literature communication. But This framework is a guide for the over the years. In this paper a communication must be analysis. synthesis of models is used to understood in the broad sense. It critically review the case of the is not purely about what is said; 3 ORIGIN OF THE KRAAI Kraaifontein process. The paper is but how it is said; who said it; FONTEIN EAST STRUCTURE divided into three sections. The under what circumstances; in PLAN (KESP) first briefly reviews the elements which place; with what The initiative to produce a structure deemed important by the accompanying gestures; in what plan for the eastern parts of theoretical models. With these tone; etc. Kraaifontein had its origin in a elements in mind, the paper then much more local development: presents a brief Table 1 represents an attempt to namely the appearance of an history of the process as it account for all the different factors informal settlement called unfolded, emphasising those leading to changes in relationship. Bloekombos. Its appearance was dimensions in the process pertinent These factors may be loosely by no means unique. Similar cases to the subsequent evaluation. The grouped as speech acts, the speech could be discovered all over South last section critically assesses the situation and symbolic Africa at the time. process with the intention of communication (or non-speech uncovering some of the possible communicatives). They have been The period 1991 to late 1993 was a reasons for the failure of the drawn for theoretical writings as time of acute political division at process. indicated. Ideally one would the national level. On one hand, systematically address each factor the ruling National Party 2 A FRAMEWORKFOR ANALYSIS in tum. However, since no taped government was trying earnestly to transcripts of the process are deliver housing and services in An extremely important measure of available a detailed reading of the the hope of gaining greater success in any participative dynamics is not possible. Raw support. On the other the planning process is the extent to material is derived from personal democratic movement was which it has built a new attendance of some of the meetings pressing for radical change at community ; a community around a and a set in-depth of interviews every possible opportunity and in specific purpose. Community must with interest groups. the process was sorting out its not be simply understood as a leadership hierarchy. Both group of people in a defmed area. Drawing on some of the ideas groupings had their sights firmly We are all members of multiple offered by Abbott (1996), three set on the general election of April communities simultaneously, and types of relationship are our discernible, and important. 1994. Firstly, that between the different 5 Norms Factors influencing / altering relationships Communicatives Universal Pragmatics 1. Comprehensible Speech 1. Is jargon used? Is a foreign language used? (Forester, 2. Legitimate Speech 2. Is it relevant and appropriate for that role 1980) 3. Sincere Speech player? 4. Speaking the truth 3. Is it meant? 4. Is it true? Speech Situations Equal opportunity to .... Issues: (Kemp, 1988) 1. Speak 1. Were speaking times even? 2. Interpret and problem- 2. Amount of questioning done? atise 3. Did participants feel free? 3. Regulate proceedings 4. Who registered objections? 4. Express attitude and feeling Symbolic • Venue location? Communication • Furniture Arrangement? (Bolan, 1980) • Participant's dress? • Time of day? • Language used • Attendance? • Number of representatives and their seating? Significant events Media coverage and responses? Nature of the process • How "open", flexible is the government in the process in terms of its own (Abbott, 1996) imperatives and needs? How committed is it to the outcome of the process? • How complex is the process? How many actors are involved? What is the nature of the central activity? • What kind of participation process are we confronted with? Relationships (given How did the actors relate to each other? to the central activity? and to their own that it is a "negotiated constituency? development" Process) How did the relationships change and why? (Abbott, 1996) TABLE 1 FACTORS LEADING TO CHANGES IN RELATIONSHIP. Saff (1994: 377) has offered the acquire a piece of suitable land and heightened the discontent, since concept of the "deracialisation of provide basic services for the resolving the problem was not space", as opposed to the slower community. The CPA had recently understood as making the process of residential desegregation completed a site and service squatters permanent residents. In also apparent in South Africa. He scheme called Wallacedene. It is a meeting with the then Member of is referring to the "... spontaneous situated slightly south of the the Executive Committee (MEC) of establishments of informal squatter settlement, and on it some the CPA these groups were given settlements on prime land either sites were available. The the assurance that a structure plan within or adjacent to many affluent Bloekombos community chose not for the wider region would be areas". One such case was the to move, however, preferring prepared so as to deal with all their appearance of Bloekombos on the instead an in situ upgrade. concerns systematically. They outskirts of the residential parts of would have a direct input and the Kraaifontein Municipal area. A second site was chosen for through the plan achieve some Bloekombos has always had some development. It was owned by the certainty regarding the future of the squatters: 20 structures in 1988, Department of Correctional wider area. Such a plan also fitted but this suddenly increased to over Services, and had been earmarked neatly into the operational 1510 by 1993 (Cape Metropolitan fora new prison. Being public land rationality of having a generalised Council, 1993). A more recent it was readily available to plan in place, the relevant land aerial photo survey shows 2555 accommodate the squatters. This parcels designated and then only shacks in 1996 and 2698 by May site was located directly alongside undertake physical implementation. 1998 (Cape Metropolitan Council, the existing Bloekombos settlement 1998) and was acceptable to the The CPA also committed itself to Bloekombos community the active involvement of all The site upon which the squatting leaderships. The CPA, under stakeholders in the drafting took place was owned by the pressure from the local farmers, the process. In an attempt not to pre erstwhile House of Representatives HoR and the Kraaifontein empt anything, the CPA tentatively (HoR) charged with all coloured Municipality to resolve the problem, chose the generic title Kraaifontein affairs under the tri-cameral secured the property and East Structure Plan for the plan. system. The new occupants, immediately began with the This has not been changed to date. however, where black and not engineering works. Proceeding It was from this set of conflicts that . coloured. The HoR thus requested with construction, however, KESP originated. the then Cape Provincial Administration (CPA), responsible 5 Personal Communication with for "general" (and black) affairs, to Andreas Fourie of PA we 6 3.1 Formation of the KESP organisation had the right to be organisations applied to the process represented. Support- NGO's were secretariat of the Joint Committee, In July 1993 a firstgeneral meeting excluded from direct and it would be on top of the was arranged by the CPA, to which representation, and they accepted it agenda of the next meeting. 65 organisations and individuals so. Each interest group was were invited, to discuss the awarded a vote (see Annexure A for The purpose of the process was launching and drafting of the KESP. a listing of the recognised interest agreed to as follows: " om The CPA's letter was more than an groups) in the unfortunate event of voorsiening te maak vir die ordelike invitation though. In the opening there being a deadlock over any ruimtelike ontwikkeling van die sentence it mentions that site issue. Representatives were gebied in die aangesig van 732/6 (the Prison Site) is being permitted to bring along as many versnellende verstedeliking" 7• This proclaimed a Less Formal delegates as they wished.