Memorandum of Understanding

 

The respective Mayors of the Sister Cities of Tshwane, South Africa and of Delft, The Netherlands, meeting in the City of Tshwane on the ..th of November 2005, have agreed that, in accordance with the outcome of the discussions and workshops between the partners, the following subjects, described in the appendix to this commitment, will be the priorities for the future co-operation between the two cities:

 

1.     Social Housing Policy

2.     Housing Company Tshwane

3.     Project of Eerste Fabrieke town centre

4.     Integrated Community Building Program

5.     HIV/Aids exchange program

 

and have committed themselves to do everything in their power to develop concrete activities in these four sectors, in a joint effort to address effectively the needs of the people in Tshwane and specifically the people in Mamelodi and Nellmapius.

 

The contribution of the city of Delft will depend on the grants of VNG international.

 

By signing here, they have made visible their commitment:

 

On behalf of the City of Tshwane                  On behalf of the City of Delft

 

 

Mayor                                                   Mayor

1. Social Housing Policy

 

·       The Institutional Housing Section of the City of Tshwane together with Dutch support from the City of Delft completed a Draft Social Housing Policy Document in November 2004. Since then the proposed National Social Housing Policy (NSHP) was approved by the National Department of Housing (NDOH). The Tshwane Draft Social Housing Policy needs to be revised in order to align it with the National Housing Policy before it can be approved by the Council. Due to a lack of capacity in the Institutional Housing Section, this revision cannot be completed in a short period without Dutch support.

 

·       The NSHP stipulate that a Regulative Authority will be formed on National level to regulate the accreditation of Social Housing Institutions (SHI’s) and other Institutions that will apply for grants to develop social housing projects.

 

·       The NSHP also dictates that a performance agreement is required as part of the relationship between SHI’s and the Municipality. The Municipality will need support from the City of Delft during the process of regulation Housing Company Tshwane (HCT) and the formulation of a performance agreement as part of the Sister City relation.

 

2. Housing Company Tshwane

 

·       The Housing Company Tshwane (HCT) needs to be developed from the current situation to a higher organisational level to be able to deal with the opportunities offered by the new National Housing Policy and changes offered by the municipality of Tshwane on social housing.

 

·       Therefore it is imperative that the HCT should have a Board of Directors and a C.E.O. who are capable to manage this process. The City of Tshwane will put all their effort into appointing the Board and CEO at short notice (before end October 2005).

 

·       For the process of re-development capacity-building is needed and this will be supported by the City of Delft.

3. Eerste Fabrieke town centre

 

Both cities will do everything within their powers to push forward the project of Eerste Fabrieke town centre creating a new durable framework for the sustained prosperity and safety of the community, with special characteristics like intense use of space, mix of land use and activities and sufficient public spaces and facilities.

 

In this project we commit to the following:

·       As the Eerste Fabrieke town centre project will approach the implementation phase the City of Tshwane will appoint a qualified senior project manager to lead the Eerste Fabrieke town centre project. The City of Delft, with its experience on project management, will help the City of Tshwane to institute a project organisation / structure with decision making powers including a wide representation of stakeholders.

 

·       The City of Tshwane will do everything within its power to meet the project planning for the Eerste Fabrieke town centre project as attached.

 

·       The City of Tshwane has already given the project Mayoral status, with dedicated budget. Further, that the City of Tshwane will activate the necessary steps to have the Eerste Fabrieke town centre project precinct declared as a Restructuring Zone by the end of 2005 and will include the HCT in the Eerste Fabrieke town centre project.

 

·       On condition that the subsidies are allocated the City of Delft will do everything within its powers to transfer and share its experience on several relevant issues and the City of Tshwane and the City of Delft will together arrange studies and workshops such as:

·        sustainable urban planning issues like urban water management, efficient energy infrastructure and construction, nature conservation and waste management;

·        marketing, communication and participation of the community and other stakeholders;

·        mechanisms to control the development process;

·        partnership and joint venture structures between the City of Tshwane, the City of Delft and private sector investors wanting to invest in the development at the Eerste Fabrieke town centre.

 

·       Investigate the idea of developing special types of housing for HIV/Aids infected children and families.

 

·       Effort on the side of Delft to raise funds for the project for instance at the FMO, but always together with the City of Tshwane.

4. Integrated Community Building Program

 

·       The City of Delft will give financial support to the City of Tshwane for the building of a community-centre as part of the integrated community building program project in extension nr. 5 in the township Mamelodi.

·       Therefore the City of Tshwane has developed a multi year plan, divided in three phases.

·        The community centre and the building of 50 houses are part of the first phase, which will start in November 2005 and will be finished before the end of 2006 and is meant as a showcase of future housing development in and around the city of Tshwane.

·        The conditions for the payment of the support are part of the description of this first phase. After the finishing of the first phase, the realisation of the second phase will start in January 2007.

·        Phase 2, containing 100 houses, will be realised before the end of 2007 and the final phase of 100 houses will be finished in 2008.

·       Besides financial support, the City of Delft will apply for subsidy at VNGi for technical support, training of trainers and monitoring during the building process.

·       During the building process the community centre will be used as a crèche and a building office. In co-operation with the City of Delft in 2008 a plan will be made on base of participation of the citizens of Mamelodi for the exploitation of the community centre as a multi-purpose building.

·       As the process of building the community centre and the integrated community building program project is an important pilot project the City of Tshwane will take good care for publicity on the project.

5. HIV/Aids exchange program

 

In co-operation with the City of Tshwane the City of Delft will apply for subsidy at VNGi, for a formulation-mission to explore the possibilities to come to exchange activities on the theme of HIV-Aids, which is part of the country program South Africa.