Human Settlements

Housing the residents of eThekwini

Over the past five years, eThekwini Municipality’s Human Settlements Unit has acquired more than 13 500 hectares of land for housing development projects.

Atotal of 15 799 qualifying beneficiaries received free homes under the Breaking New Ground (BNG) Programme. For the gap market, which comprises low-middle-income earners, 1 893 housing opportunities for both ownership and rental were facilitated. Moreover, in addressing construction problems in houses built before 1994, 3 053 housing units were upgraded or rebuilt. Included in the Unit’s scope of work is the upgrading and refurbishing of community residential units (CRUs), formerly hostels, in eThekwini Municipality.

To this end, 290 family units were constructed inside the CRU precincts. The ownership of flats was also transferred to more than 8 000 occupants.

In recent years, the City has dedicated resources to addressing the impact of storms, with the assistance of national disaster funding.

For residents who do not meet the income bracket for low-income housing or municipal rental stock, the municipality facilitates the Finance-linked Individual

Subsidy Programme (FLISP), which assists in securing a mortgage as well subsidised rental stock by housing institutions. In the 2020/21 financial year, 1 737 new BNG/RDP houses were built in eThekwini. These houses are subsidised by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements (DoHS) for low-income earners who are first-time homeowners and meet the criteria as set down by the DoHS.

The City provides additional funding for the delivery of associated engineering services.

The eThekwini Human Settlements Unit works as an implementing agent as per the developer status afforded by the KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements Department for housing projects within eThekwini boundaries. This is done on

behalf of the provincial department. The Unit’s remit is the provision of housing, which is funded by the Department of Human Settlements and associated services, which are funded by the National Urban Settlements Development Grant.

Rental housing There is a need for the City to provide some rental accommodation to cater for low-income residents who cannot afford market-related rentals. However, the City has certain rental stock that is too great a liability. Therefore, in order to reduce the financial burden of administering this housing, much of it is being transferred to current occupants utilising the Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme. A further objective of this transfer of stock is to create security of tenure for longstanding tenants. At the rehabilitated CRUs, market-related rentals are charged. Social Housing refers to a rental or cooperative housing option for low to moderate income persons at a scale and built-form that requires institutional management. This is provided by social housing institutions in partnership with the municipality.

Informal settlements The Human Settlements Unit also provides incremental services to 581 informal settlements across the municipal area. These services include water, communal ablutions facilities, basic road access, footpaths, as well as prepaid electricity connections.

Approximately a quarter of the metro’s total population reside in informal settlements. To this end, the upgrading and development of informal settlements is a priority within its Human Settlements programme. Informal settlements are, in most instances, being upgraded in-situ to avoid the social dislocation that occurs when these settlements are uprooted and relocated to more distant locales. This is dependent on land acquisition, which has to go through a statutory process and may result in time delays.

The priority is to upgrade informal settlements where they are currently located and, to achieve this, higher-density housing options will need to be implemented to minimise disruption to communities and improve overall urban efficiencies. Those informal settlements that are unlikely to be upgraded in the short term are provided with a package of interim services including ablution blocks that provide water and sanitation services, drainage, essential access infrastructure, electricity, refuse removal services, interventions for fire prevention and a labour-based infrastructure maintenance programme that draws labour from the

local community. Within these informal settlements, a 2019 estimate placed the housing backlog at 385 000 units, which is estimated to take between 4080 years to address based on current funding levels and subsidies, as well as projected population growth over the period. Covid response Looking back to recent concerns, the significant population living in densely populated informal settlements in eThekwini Municipality presented a raft of challenges. With the call for social distancing and improved washing and coughing hygiene, many of the residents in the informal settlements had become vulnerable to contracting the novel coronavirus. To meet the national service standards, the City needed to ensure the provision of adequate water supply and proper sanitation measures. In addition, the DID YOU KNOW? City embarked on awareness-building campaigns and provided soaps, sanitiser,

The total number of water dispensers, static water tanks easily accessible housing and chemical toilets to these opportunities created within impoverished communities. eThekwini over the last five The responses to ensuring food years is 21 035. This includes security for vulnerable communities have municipal rental stock, primarily been targeted at the homeless community rental units, and population in the city centre through the low-income housing active engagement and involvement of the NGO community. The City, together with various national departments, has also undertaken a programme to deliver food parcels to vulnerable residents in each of the 110 wards in the municipality. A longer-term and more sustainable solution is being sought to address food security challenges in the informal settlements.

Delta Property Fund (‘Delta’ or ‘the Company’), a Level 1 BBBEE Contributor, specialises in office accommodation in nodes that are attractive to government and other corporate tenants who require presence in CBDs. It is also strategically positioned to cater for call centres, educational and healthcare facilities.

Differentiated by dedication

Delta’s Level 1 BBBEE Contributor status is one of the highest ratings in the property sector. This also means that tenants qualify for a 135% procurement recognition on their leases.

Delta’s overall portfolio comprises almost one million square metres of lettable space. The Company holds assets across all provinces in South Africa, with specific concentration in the key CBDs of eThekwini, Pietermaritzburg, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The retail component of Delta’s portfolio is based on the street levels of its corporate office buildings, with tenants benefitting from high trading densities and footfalls.

Delta is Black managed, with its largest shareholder comprising a female group and Delta’s employees. Delta aims to be a pioneer in nurturing and developing Black property talent.

The Company’s portfolio is currently undergoing renovations, making it attractive for potential tenants looking for a new look and clean finishes, as well as focusing on compliance certification. Delta has allocated R180 million towards refurbishments and upgrades to its buildings, with Durban and Pietermaritzburg being beneficiaries of this spend.

The Company is further partnering with the Urban Inner-city Precinct, supporting their initiatives and ensuring growth in the Durban CBD. Delta is committed to Durban and Pietermaritzburg, and is a strong supporter of investment growth in KwaZulu-Natal, especially in the eThekwini CBD.

For leasing enquiries, contact leasing@deltafund.co.za or call 087 803 3582.

We are differentiated by our dedication to building strong, strategic, long-term relationships with our tenants, ensuring an exceptional user experience

Our commitment to superior service and delivery throughout the lease period is positioning us as a partner of choice for tenants seeking quality office accommodation in attractive CBD nodes.”

Bongi Masinga, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Delta

www.deltafund.co.za

Keeping tabs on the air we breathe

As a specialist provider of air quality monitoring equipment, ERO Africa is uniquely positioned as a South African distributor of the Thermo Fisher Scientific AerosolSense™ Sampler, which can capture airborne SARS-CoV-2 pathogens for PCR testing.

Founded in 1983, ERO Africa has unrivalled local expertise in the provision of air quality monitoring equipment. The company strives to combine quality, reliability, responsiveness and value for money in every solution it delivers to its customers.

ERO Africa specialises in equipment dedicated to ambient air quality monitoring and emissions monitoring. Such monitoring equipment is utilised in applications that ensure organisations – from government to industrial manufacturing facilities, businesses, warehouses and mining – do their utmost to keep employees and customers safe, as well as maintain regulatory compliance with environmental legislation.

Delivering a key tool in the war against Covid-19 While the general health concerns associated with poor air quality and excessive pollution are not to be underestimated, the importance of knowing what’s in the air we breathe has been placed under the microscope with the advent of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, only a fraction of South Africa’s population is vaccinated, while Covid-19 protocols are not always rigidly followed. Coupled with new virus variants, this contributes to a heightened risk and increased spread of Covid infections. The fact is that another layer of reliable defence is needed in the fight against Covid-19, as the world aims to resume prepandemic life.

The Thermo Fisher Scientific AerosolSense™ Sampler is an in-air pathogen surveillance sampling system with the capacity to capture the Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and other air pathogens in low quantities that can be detected by laboratory PCR testing.

The device is specified for use in indoor environments such as offices, schools, municipalities, hospitals, old-age homes, nursery schools, call centres, retail and shopping centres, hairdressers, beauty salons, guest houses, hotels, restaurants, bars and convention centres.

People with Covid-19 release virus particles into the air whenever they speak, breathe, laugh or cough, and these can linger in unventilated settings – increasing the likelihood of pathogens being inhaled and exhaled. Buildings with HVAC systems are particularly vulnerable and social distancing is not effective, as infections via the pathogen proteins are distributed through the system.

The AerosolSense™ Sampler surveillance system, paired with PCR testing, can detect novel coronavirus particles, supplying reliable information to help keep your employees and the public safe. It can detect coronavirus particles in the air up to 5 m and should be positioned in high-traffic spaces like waiting rooms, open-plan offices, board rooms, medical facilities, employee break rooms, restaurants, bars, schools and ventilation systems. Air samples should be collected for at least two hours, after which they are to be sent to a lab for PCR testing.

A close working relationship with eThekwini While this new system is set to be a gamechanging intervention, what ERO Africa truly hangs its hat on is the rapport it builds with its customers, a prime example being an enduring relationship with eThekwini Municipality.

In working closely with eThekwini, ERO Africa has successfully executed tenders for the City, such as the supply and installation of air quality particulate monitors and SO2 analysers for a period of three years. The final year’s order is currently being awaited. The company has also delivered TEOM 1405-DF and TEOM 1400ab ambient particulate monitors, as well as sequential dust samplers – both high- and low-volume – for the determination of background PM10 particulate pollution levels. When it comes to air quality monitoring and pathogen detection, ERO Africa provides proven solutions backed by extensive expertise and a passion to deliver service excellence.