Overview of the ARP

The ARP's new driving force - Job Sithole

Published: 05 October 2009

In May 2009, Dumisani Job Sithole, was approached by Johannesburg's Executive Mayor Amos Masondo to take over as the Director of the Alexandra Renewal Project.

"This was an unexpected change of direction for me, but I welcomed the challenge", said  Job who previously served as a Member of Parliament and Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs.

As a son of Alexandra, and one of four ANC hunger strikers who made world news in the late 1980's when they escaped detention and took refuge in the West German Embassy, Job is passionate about Alex and the future of its people. He is also clear-sighted about his role and core objective for the Alexandra Renewal Project, "The ARP is an implementation project and must be treated as such. First and foremost, our responsibility is to deliver new infrastructure. Once that is done, we must hand over completed developments to the City for ongoing management."

Job's first priority was to assess the ARP's current and upcoming projects, to measure progress against objectives, and to review the responsibilities of the Project Managers and the decision-making processes within the ARP. "Alexandra is a place of great poverty and great hope, its people have many expectations of the ARP. It is therefore necessary to clarify the role of the ARP and what it should and shouldn't be doing in Alex. We are changing the ARP ethos - the Project Team has a collective responsibility to participate in a centralised decision-making process, and then to be held accountable for progress within their own focus areas."

Once his initial Project assessment had been completed, Job's next priority has been to reposition the ARP to ensure that it remains true to Government's objectives in establishing the Project, "It is necessary to stay true to the Project aims, but at the same time to refocus on fundamentals. The Alexandra Renewal Project cannot be all things to all people. It must consolidate and deal with hardcore developmental issues only. Maintenance is the responsibility of the City's Region E."

Job Sithole feels strongly that for the the ARP to have any long-term impact, it is essential for the people of Alex to become involved, "Beneficiaries must have a stake, an incentive, instilling a sense of civic responsibility. For this to happen it is necessary to encourage social integration within newly established Alex communities so that peer pressure and good example can play a significant part in peacefully protecting the new infrastructure that is materially improving their living conditions."

Looking at housing allocations and the settlement of new communities thus far, it is clear that policy does not always stand up well against experience. Therefore the Project Team, under the guidance of its new Director, are implementing a number of changes to the allocations process:

1. The Department of Housing will verify the documentation of all prospective beneficiaries.
2. In future, all allocations will be finalised before any foundations are dug. New owners will share responsibility for ensuring that their new properties are not invaded, robbed or trashed during the development.
3. Beneficiaries for each new development will be drawn from three different neighbourhoods within Alex to ensure that no community feels that it has been overlooked by the ARP.
4. New occupants will be educated, before moving, on their basic rights and responsibilities as beneficiaries. They will be sensitised on issues of civic duty, areas of personal responsibility, and property maintenance.
5. To ensure public transparency and accountability, housing allocation lists will be made public on the www.alexandra.co.za website as they become available.

Speaking on the current status of Alexandra Renewal Project initiatives, Job reported:

• K206: there has been a delay in finalising the list of beneficiaries, as the criteria for the allocation of houses with rental units had to be reworked. The beneficiaries will be drawn primarily from Iphuteng and Setswetla. The project should be completed, with all beneficiaries settled in, by the end of 2010. A rental dispute tribunal has been established to pre-empt future problems between owners and tenants.
• Marlboro Flats: a number of women from the hostels were moved to these flats. Their initial occupation has highlighted a need for training for new beneficiaries.
• Ext 10: this project is currently under development. About 100 families from the hostels will move to Ext. 10 once it is completed.
• Hostels: A number of meetings have been held with hostel dwellers, and future cooperation has been agreed. The renovation of the M2 hostel will be completed, but the M1 and Helen Joseph hostels will both be demolished and replaced by new developments.
• No. 3 Square: The upgrading of this sports facility will be completed in time for the Football for Hope event during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

The following new initiatives will start in the next few months:

• LED Summit: a public summit on Local Economic Development in Alexandra will take place before the end of 2009.
• Ext. 31: this new development of 82 units will be allocated to beneficiaries from the men's hostel, the women's hostel and the old Council zozo huts. These walk-up units will be built behind the RCA development.
• Mental Health Clinic: The building of a new Mental Health Clinic will begin in 18th Avenue in January 2010.
• Hospice: Plans for a new Hospice will go to tender in the near future.

Job Sithole is undaunted by the challenges facing the Alexandra Renewal Project. He is realistic about the problems and potential flashpoints that change can bring, but he is confident that the ARP is well on track, "It is essential that the people of Alex see change and progress on the ground. We need to encourage communal involvement and civic responsibility within legal parameters. With a growing sense of civic pride and  the commitment of a dedicated ARP Team, much more can be accomplished to improve the lives of the people of Alexandra."