Playing football safely in the largest township of Cape Town
Monwabisi Park Neighborhood in the township of Khaylitsha, Cape Town
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Interview with Enrico Baumann, CEO ELEKTRON AG
Cape Town, South Africa. More than 20 years after the end of apartheid, the population is still divided on many issues. In the shadow of thriving wine-growing regions, spectacular natural landscapes, prosperous settlements and well-developed infrastructure, millions live below the poverty line in townships. From one moment to the next, you find yourself in the Third World. Tin huts as far as the eye can see. When Enrico Baumann (CEO ELEKTRON AG) was confronted with the living conditions in the largest township Khayelitsha during a longer stay, he spontaneously decided to do something to improve the quality of life.
It was obvious to offer support within ELEKTRON's core competence of public lighting. Thus, the Playground and Sports Field Lighting Khayelitsha project was launched. The goal was to use lighting to improve social safety at sports fields in, the city's largest township. "So that the children can play football safely," as Enrico Baumann proudly tells in an interview.
What is your connection to the country?
Enrico Baumann: In April 2016, I decided to go to Cape Town with my family for an extended language and vacation stay. During the very practical lessons I not only improved my English, but learned a lot about Cape Town, the population, culture as well as the political situation - especially about the consequences of apartheid. Already in the 1920s, "buffer zones" for the black population were created around the large South African cities. The settlements were deliberately built at a distance of about 40km from the cities, so that they would be difficult to reach on foot. The goal was social segregation and racial segregation. The neighborhoods have no official government. There are no building zones or building permits, as the shacks are not marked on plans. Nevertheless, residents began to organize, building makeshift shelters. Since Cape Town is rich compared to the surrounding regions, the number of immigrants in search of work is constantly increasing. The townships continue to grow unchecked to this day. In the largest township of Cape Town "Khayelitsha" live or survive today between 600'000 and 1.5 million people, exclusively blacks. As far as the eye can see, one sees only tin huts. After street names one searches in vain. To get an overview, the vast area was divided into 26 districts designated by letters.
"As far as the eye can see, all you see are tin shacks!"
How did ELEKTRON's involvement in Cape Town's largest township come about?
Enrico Baumann: Through my English teacher I got to know Michael Krause, CEO of the nonprofit organization VPUU (see infobox). Spontaneously, he invited my family and me to an adventurous trip to the largest township of Cape Town Khayelitsha. Although we started with a queasy feeling, we quickly realized that the people there are all very friendly and warm. The children played with items that others no longer needed like scrap iron - our children immediately joined in. "The experiences have stayed with my wife and me and have given us food for thought." We live in such affluence and in the township they are not even allowed to officially build infrastructure because de facto they don't exist. During the trip, I told Michael about our activity in the field of public lighting and intelligent networking of infrastructures. Technical solutions, which could also help in a developing neighborhood.
What convinced you to initiate this project?
Enrico Baumann: In the exchange with Michael Krause, the poor lighting infrastructure became an issue. Due to the high level of gang crime, the danger is particularly high at night, especially for women and children on the dark paths. Michael, together with the VPUU team, fights for the expansion of the infrastructure and against the arbitrariness of the authorities. They build schools, libraries and paths from stations outside into the winding neighborhoods - although the permissions for this are often missing. When he showed me a local sports field, I had the idea. Instead of writing off lights that are no longer up to the latest technology, we can donate them to playgrounds and sports fields in the township. Michael was immediately enthusiastic about the idea.
"Instead of writing off lights that are no longer up to the latest technology, we can donate them to playgrounds and sports fields in the township."
What challenges did ELEKTRON face in Khayelitsha?
Enrico Baumann: All infrastructures are built by NGO's and own initiatives. The state evades any responsibility, as these neighborhoods do not officially exist. And despite all efforts, the social institutions are always faced with a major dilemma. For their work is not yet done with the construction of cottages and recreational areas. At the same time, maintenance and operation must also be ensured - specifically, residents must be motivated to cooperate. This means creating clear structures and distributing tasks. This is the only way to build a sustainable infrastructure.
"It's a long road to get there, but in the end, residents benefit twice: new infrastructure means not only a better quality of life, but also paid work in their township."
What did the project process look like?
Enrico Baumann: Upon my return to Switzerland, I exchanged ideas with my team and we started the project. In total, the lighting of three areas was planned, each with one or two playgrounds/sports fields. We quickly realized that we didn't want to send second choice products, but rather the right luminaires for sports fields. "If you're going to go for it, go for it." We decided to use a part of our budget for aid organizations, usually Swiss organizations, for South Africa. After we were able to order the lights from Philips on good terms, it was a matter of the complex organization of transportation and logistics.
What hurdles had to be overcome?
Enrico Baumann: The transport as well as the customs clearance were extremely protracted. The declaration and the administrative effort for a duty-free import were time-consuming and led to enormous delays. However, with the help of the SSwiss transport company Ziegler all 32 luminaires for the sports fields and access roads in South Africa could then be imported at the beginning of 2018. After about two years of intensive planning and many setbacks, the children in particular can now finally benefit, which makes me very happy and proud.
How did the installation of the lights take place?
Enrico Baumann: The lighting design was done by ELEKTRON specialists in Switzerland. With the help of the planning documents, the VPUU took over the installation as well as construction of the luminaire connections in South Africa. To date, two sports fields in the Monwabisi Park Neighborhood have already been equipped with the new luminaires. In progress, the Harare Luleka Primary School Soccer and Basketball Field will follow. The remaining luminaires will be used continuously for new courts and access roads.
Are there more projects on the horizon?
Enrico Baumann: As part of our core competencies such as lighting or smart city, we would like to continue supporting such meaningful, profitable projects. In the townships, you don't have to look far for the biggest pain points - they can already be found in the basic needs.
"If you can use technology to create social security and meet basic needs, that's already smart."
This could be, for example, in the area of the problem of sewerage and sewage. During the monsoon rains regularly overflow the latrines because they are not emptied or only irregularly. The huts are flooded with sewage and as a result diseases spread. Here, for example, level sensors could be used in combination with a LoRa network. This is just one of many weak points - there is much to be done there.
About VPUU
The VPUU, short for Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading, is a regional community committed to safe and sustainable neighborhood development. The goal is to improve the quality of life for all residents while reducing crime. Using a structured, participatory approach, VPUU focuses on increasing safety, strengthening social cohesion, and fostering the willingness of all stakeholders to work together to implement projects.
For more information, visit: http://vpuu.org.za/
