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URBANISATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY

to some 430 million people, or 38% of world. If it is true that the 21 century is unemployment, inequality, informality,
st
the sub-Saharan population, living in the African century, as argued by former environmental degradation and urban
cities today. President Thabo Mbeki, then this African poverty.
century will be made possible through a
Urbanisation on the African continent distinct contribution of a critical mass of African cities are also trying to assert
can be a window of opportunity in African cities that are becoming growth their role in shaping the destiny of our
several ways. More than before, the points and economic development continent. From Cape to Cairo; Accra
clustering of people around cities nodes of the different regions of the to Addis Ababa; Lagos to Luanda;
and urban areas makes it possible to continent. Abidjan to eThekwini; Libreville to Dar
potentially expunge the urban bias, or eSalaam; Nairobi to Maputo; Kigali
the stubborn patterns in which urban This new picture of Africa is dependent to Windhoek; Johannesburg to Juba;
areas enjoy better service levels than on the cities and regional governments Tunis to Tshwane; Gaborone to Rabat;
their rural counterparts. fighting for their space in the African Kinshasa to Conakry; Khartoum to
body politic. It means being well Kampala; Brazzaville to Bamako; the
Cities and urban centres are known organised and well governed by leaders streets of our cities are buzzing with
to attract the robust and energetic. with a strong sense of ethics and respect hope, innovation, ambition, diversity and
They mainly attract those that are for the rule of law. entrepreneurship.
better educated, creative, innovative,
entrepreneurial, ambitious, impatient Most important is that the renewal of However, it is from the toils of African
and youthful. The net effect of this mix the continent being driven by cities leaders at all levels and sectors that the
of demographics and personalities cannot take off without the concomitant day-to-day dreams of the inhabitants of
makes for dynamic, innovative and financial commitments from the centre African cities could be realised. After
entrepreneurial urban centres. of government. The many challenges all, it was Nelson Mandela who said the
that cities and urban areas are charged following in his 1998 farewell speech to
It being labelled as ‘underdeveloped’ is with cannot be overcome through the United Nations General Assembly:
not a badge of shame. It only means that mere words. The provision of adequate “I will continue to hope that Africa’s
Africa’s economic graph can only point infrastructure and building capabilities Renaissance will strike deep roots and
upwards. Her cities and mega cities for sustainable urban planning and blossom forever, without regard to the
are driving the new industrial revolution financially viable cities costs money. changing seasons. Were all these hopes
in clean, green and ecologically to translate into a realisable dream and
sustainable living. They are leading the African cities are currently playing a not a nightmare to torment the soul of
charge towards the kind of Africa we national role in managing the challenges the aged, then will I, indeed, have peace
want; an Africa rising together with her of urbanisation, but are not adequately and tranquillity. Then would history and
people. funded in line with their contribution to billions throughout the world proclaim
the GDP of their countries. In particular, that it was right that we dreamt and
What has been painted thus far is a African capital cities and city-regions that we toiled to give life to a workable
picture of what the African continent need to be at the centre of shaping a dream.” 
could become, driven by its cities and uniquely African new urban agenda.
urban centres. It is, however, a picture They have to localise and give
that could only become a reality through practical and contextual meaning to the
visionary leadership, effective planning sustainable development goals of the
and provision of adequate infrastructure. United Nations
Doing otherwise would only turn the
urban promised land into a nightmare For African cities to offer opportunities
of urban squalor, poverty, inequality and to citizens, they have to be well funded
crime, which are the common features and well governed so that they don’t
of many urban centres in the developing turn into slums and hubs of crime,

12 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No. 1 of 2018