Red tape in upgrading of informal settlements in Nelson Mandela Bay

Even though there is general acknowledgement of the existence of red tape in low cost housing, very little effort has been made to seek-out its underlying causes. The purpose of this study was to investigate red tape in specific Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme (ISUP) developments within the Nelson Mandela Bay, to uncover the underlying causes of red tape and ultimately suggest possible remedies to reduce red tape and its adverse effects. Administrative red tape in ISUP projects is hampering the government's efforts to improve informal settlement dwellers' standard of living, as evidenced by the slow pace of housing delivery to such intended beneficiaries. Furthermore, red tape also causes frustration to Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMME's) that are involved in the low-cost housing delivery value chain who suffer cash flow problems due to delays incurred from payment of their services by the local authority. This hindrance does not spare the majority of municipal employees whose roles are dependent on the performance of other departments. Of great concern are the residents within the municipality who have developed a culture of expressing their frustration caused by such delays through violent demonstrations so much to the detriment of the peaceful environment that has over time characterised this friendly tourist destination of South Africa. Applying a qualitative research strategy, the researcher undertook data collection through document review and face to face interviews from targeted respondents across various departments within and outside the municipality that deals with ISUP developments. The study revealed that, red tape in ISUP projects is a result of a variety of factors which include; inept internal management procedures, misinterpretation of legislation, silo mentality and lack of capacity in housing delivery. Thus the rules, legislation and procedures prevailing are failing to keep pace with the changing macro environment. To reduce the impact of red tape the researcher believes that it would be of paramount importance for the NMBM to consider; realignment of their internal procedures to counter the pressure posed by the residents, integrate project teams or functional departments dealing with housing, engage beneficiaries from the onset of the projects, invest in training staff and acquisition of new technology. The core of reducing red tape lies in upgrading of rules and administrative procedures in dealing with ISUP projects within the municipality so as to adopt to the dynamism that characterise the built environment.