Cape Town’s population up 50% in 20 years

“South Africa’s future – and that of the rest of the world – is urban. Ed Glaeser, a Harvard economist, says cities are the greatest invention of humanity. Cities mean people live in close proximity, making us more innovative and productive, and boosting economic growth. South Africa must embrace this urban future.”

The government should “embrace cities as economic engines”.

Roodt says one way of making people who already live in a city feel they have a stake in it and its future is to provide title deeds to urban dwellers who do not already have them.

South Africa should also be innovative, he says.

“Where possible people who live in informal settlements should be given titles to the

Between 1996 and 2016 the population of Joburg rose from 2.7 million to 4.9 million, an increase of 82%. Of South Africa’s other metros, Cape Town, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni saw population increases of more than 50% over this period.

Rustenburg saw its population nearly double between 1996 and land they are on, especially if it’s government land. In cases where this is not possible and people have to be moved, they should be relocated to areas where they can be given title. People in RDP houses should also be given titles to their houses and land.

“Giving them

titles

to 2016. All the country’s urban areas – except for Buffalo City (East London) and Emfuleni (Vereeniging) – saw increases of more than 20%.

Just under 40% of South Africa’s population lives in one of the eight metropolitan municipalities, and the economic output of these eight cities is “far more than that”. their land and property will unlock millions, if not billions of rand, in what is currently ‘dead’ capital.

“Giving people who have tenuous land rights in cities is where our reform efforts should focus which is not to say land reform in rural South Africa is not as important.”

The combined economic output of the eight metropolitan municipalities accounted for nearly 60% of South Africa’s gross domestic product in 2016. Joburg alone accounted for 15% of economic output, despite having about 9% of South Africa’s population.”

He believes stripping all South Africans of their title deeds – as the EFF wants to do – will destroy any possibility of the country becoming a prosperous society, with opportunities for all.

“A real land revolution is within our grasp – we must take it.”

PICTURE: CITY OF CAPE TOWN Jassiem and Asiela Francis recently received the title deeds for property in Chiapinni Street in Bo-Kaap in which they have lived as tenants for 24 years.