Academic literature on the topic 'Squatter settlements – KwaZulu-Natal – Durban'

Informal settlements in urban areas have long been afflicted by disasters and exposed to exploitation by politicians, shacklords, academics, journalists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), tavern owners and government officials. This problem is caused to some degree by limited land for expansion which has resulted in the creation of highly densified and unplanned, irregular settlements using poor, combustible building materials. The purpose of the article is to investigate whether eThekwini Municipality’s strategies are sufficient to respond to and recover from the impact of disasters. The research was undertaken at the Foreman and Kennedy Road informal settlements located in Clare Estate, under Ward 25, in Durban within eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (refer to Annexure 1). These areas are very important politically as they are densily populated and highly contested between political parties and local resistant’s organizations such as Abahlali baseMjondolo. Questionnaires were self-administered to a sample size of 220 of which 140 respondents completed the questionnaires, thereby generating a response rate of 63.6%. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with municipal officials. The findings indicate that 44.3% of the victims of disasters received assistance from NGOs and regard civil society as playing an important role after disasters compared to 7.1% of the responding municipal officials.

Disaster mitigation is one of the phases within the disaster management cycle which alleviates the adverse impact of disasters by instituting structural and non-structural measures where infrastructure and people are at risk. Disaster mitigation remains an overlooked phenomenon by governments in developing countries, despite its negative repurcusion which is aggravated by economic downturns, infrastructural destruction and political unrest. The literature review reveals a need for long-term disaster mitigation strategies to be carried out well before disaster events. Among the most crucial demands are the need to embed mitigation in government departments’ planning programmes, the need for community participation and intergovernmental relations with the aim to create disaster resistant communities. The purpose of the article is to contribute to the development of a robust disaster management framework and the centre within eThekwini Municipality with the aim to create properly balanced mitigation strategies. Furthermore, to add value to the body of knowledge in South Africa as there are a limited number of researchers who have contributed to the study of disaster mitigation. The research was undertaken at the Foreman and Kennedy Road informal settlements located in Clare Estate, under Ward 25, in Durban. Questionnaires were self-administered to a population size of 220 respondents, from which a sample size of 140 respondents completed the questionnaires, thereby generating a response rate of 63.6%. Interviews were also conducted with municipality officials involved in disaster management. Data was analysed in the form of frequency distribution and cross-tabulation tables. The article indicates a significant difference between sturdy and non-compliance building materials used to build the informal settlements. The article indicates that eThekwini Municipality does not have mitigation strategy as well as short or long-term planning. The building density, the use of combustible building materials for wall and roofs, and structural instability, all have a considerable influence on the spread of fire to the informal settlements.

What does it mean to engage in a philosophy of struggle and emancipation in our South African context? As part of my MA research I took an internship with Abahlali BaseMjondolo, a shack dwellers’ movement whose office is based in central Durban. Their members reside in various settlements within KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. Whilst interning at the movement I conducted interviews with some of their members, using this experience to gain insight into the movement’s theory and philosophy. Here I was challenged by what it means to do research using narrative as the foundation of my work. It is through narrative that one can tackle the problematic representations of black people in academia and society. I argue that in this movement a philosophy is at work. Their philosophy is based on the lived experience of struggle. As producers of knowledge, I argue that they represent the workings of Ubuntu. Using Maboge B. Ramose’s (2002) explanation of ‘Ubuntu as philosophy’ I show how it can help us understand what it means to be human and how this is being affirmed in spaces of struggle. As agents of struggle we (black people) must be recognised for how we create knowledge. Ubuntu becomes the means through which we can map out the ways in such recognition can be understood and which an African philosophy is being being practiced. It is this recognition that is at the heart of the movement’s philosophy of ‘Abahlalism’ which demonstrates the complexity of black experience in the space of social movement struggles.Key words: SOTL, scholarship of teaching and learning, Ubuntu, African philosophy, decolonial theoryHow to cite this article:Khosi, M. 2020. Living Ubuntu: The struggles of Abahlali Base Mjondolo as an African philosophy in the making. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. v. 4, n. 1, p. 26-36. April 2020. Available at: https://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=128This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Leptospirosis is a common zoonosis worldwide. It has a ubiquitous distribution and causes a wide spectrum of disease. Leptospirosis therefore has a broad reservoir host range, and many infected species of animals excrete leptospires in their urine, which leads to contamination of soil and water. Typical descriptions of the disease include a biphasic (anicteric form) and fulminant disease in the icterohaemorrhagic form. Only a few local case reports of human leptospirosis have been published, the most recent one being in 1974. A rodent-related zoonosis study (RatZooMan) was conducted from 2003 until 2006 in three provinces (Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape). Of the people sampled in Cato Crest (Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province), 43/217 (19.8%) were seropositive for leptospirosis. Of the clinical samples sent to the Special Bacterial Pathogens Reference Unit from all over the country for testing in 2009, 16/176 (9%) were IgM positive; in 2010 and January 2011 to May 2011, 14/215 (6.5%) and 12/96 (12.5%), respectively, were IgM positive.The apparent incidence of leptospirosis in the South African population is moderately high based on the detected positives in suspected cases; it is thought that the circulating infection rate may be even higher when looking at the RatZooMan results. This may be due to underreporting and undiagnosed cases. Communities in informal settlements in urban areas are especially at risk as infected rodent populations are a continuous source of transmission.

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Squatting is a form of informal settlement. These types of settlements can be found throughout South Africa and represent the attempts of the poor to provide themselves with housing. The conceptualisation of this phenomenon has undergone many changes during its history. There were times when these settlements were demolished and the inhabitants relocated to other areas. This type of approach was unsuccessful due to the extent of the problem and because the new housing that was being provided was unaffordable. A paradigm shift led to the fact that the upgrading of informal settlements is seen as an approach with a brighter future. During this process optimal use is made of the existing structures for example buildings, economic activities and social ties, within the community. The approach is adaptable to the needs and situations of individual communities. The sustainability of an upgrading project depends to a great extent on the enthusiasm and cooperation of the community that is going to benefit. Public participation can be a difficult process, especially in poor communities. This instrument can however yield great results in providing a product that is to the satisfaction of the community as a whole. During the course of this assignment the following conclusions were made from the material that was studied: • The success of upgrading programmes are highly depended on the enthusiasm of the communities that are going to benefit. • This enthusiasm is greatly increased by a process of community participation. • Upgrading must be seen as a multi-phase process. • Upgrading of informal settlements can play an important role in addressing the backlog that exists in affordable housing. • The need for an Informal Housing Act exists. From the case study the following conclusions were made: • The study presents many advantages, like providing the community with basic services and the right to property. • Further some disadvantages concerning intensification were identified. • These disadvantages can be addressed by providing smaller erven and street fronts as well as lower standards concerning residential uses.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Plakkery is In tipe informele nedersetting. Hierdie nedersettings kom op groot skaal in Suid Afrika voor en verteenwoordig die pogings van die armer lede van die samelewing om hulself met behuising te voorsien. Die konseptualisering van hierdie tipe behuising het deur die geskiedenis deur baie fases gegaan. Daar was tye gewees wat informele nedersettings bloot gesloop en die inwoners op ander plekke hervestig is. Hierdie tipe benadering was egter nie geslaagd nie, aangesien die probleem van plakkery te groot was en die nuwe behuising was in die meeste gevalle onbekostigbaar. In Paradigma skuif het daartoe bygedra dat daar nou eerder op die opgradering van sulke nedersettings gefokus word. Hierdie benadering fokus daarop om die bestaande elemente in die gemeenskap byvoorbeeld geboue, ekonomiese bedrywighede en sosiale ondersteuningsnetwerke optimaal te benut. Dit is In buigsame proses wat aanpas by die behoeftes en omstandighede van die individuele gemeenskappe. Die volhoubaarheid van In opgraderinsprojek is afhanklik van die entoesiasme en samewerking van die gemeenskap wat daardeur bevoordeel gaan word. Publieke deelname is In moeilike proses, veral in armer gemeenskappe. Dit kan egter baie waardevolle resultate lewer wanneer dit In prod uk tot gevolg het wat deur die hele gemeenskap aanvaar word. In die verloop van hierdie werkstuk is daar uit die bestudeerde materiaal die volgende resultate afgelei, naamlik dat: • Die sukses van opgraderings van informele nedersettings grootliks afhanklik is van die entosiasme en samewerking van die gemeenskappe wat deur die proses bevoordeel gaan word.Hierdie samewerking word grootendeels bevorder deur In proses van open bare deelname. • Opgradering moet gesien word as In multi-fase proses. • Opgradering van informele nedersettings kan In groot rol speel om die tekort aan bekostigbare behuising aan te spreek. • Die opstel van In Informele Behuisingswet nodig is. Uit die gevaliestudie is die volgende bevindings gemaak: • Die studie hou baie voordele, byvoorbeeld dorpstigting, eiendomsreg en die voorsiening van basiese dienste, vir die inwoners van die gebied in. • Behalwe die voordele is daar ook nadele, soos die feit dat die konsep van verdigting nie in ag geneem word nie, identifiseer. • Hierdie nadeel kan deur kleiner erwe en straatfronte en laer standaarde vir nie residensiete gebruike aangespreek word.

The reported percentage of births attributable to school going learners has highlighted the concern for adolescents engaging in early and unsafe sexual practices. A review of literature suggests that early sexual initiation and the likelihood of experiencing teenage pregnancy can impede on adolescents' ability to acquire skills, attain high levels of education, and access socioeconomic opportunities. Relatively less attention has been paid to the reproductive patterns and sexual behaviour of adolescents within informal settlements. This research, conducted in Siyanda informal settlement on the outskirts of KwaMashu Township, is designed to explore the sexual patterns and reproductive behaviour of the adolescents there. The study examines differences in sexual behaviour and childbearing experiences among teen mothers, currently pregnant teens; and those that have never experienced pregnancy. The findings suggest that the majority of adolescents residing in informal settlements experiment with and engage in sexual intercourse at ages much earlier than 19. Most teenagers experienced their first sexual intercourse by the second year of high school education. Teen mothers reported higher incidence of multiple sexual partners. Across all adolescents interviewed, the preferred sexual partners were much older males because of level of maturity, financial status; and the ability to negotiate use of contraceptives. Part of the cause of high incidents of teenage pregnancy within this environment was the lack of consistent usage of contraceptives. Many adolescents perceived usage of contraceptives to be impractical prior to conception of first birth. The experience of childbearing was found to have detrimental implications on these young females‟ educational attainment. Many of these adolescent failed to resume school to complete their education due to the lack of emotional and financial support from their partners and family members. Many adolescents highlighted their discontent with the lack of youth integration with the lack of youth integration in community based programmes. Furthermore, communication barriers in nearby health facilities as well as transport restricted their accessibility to obtain counselling with regards to their sexual activities and reproductive patterns. Thus, it is recommended that service delivery should be improved, including providing more health facilities especially the range of methods through which health officials such as nurses, social workers and counsellors which can be made easily accessible to these adolescents on a regular basis.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study examines the case for in-situ upgrading of informal settlements. The housing delivery process as set out in the housing policy has been slow and, to an extent, qualification for subsidy has tended to exclude some sections of the society. The main objective of the study is to identify the social, economic and physical characteristics of informal settlements that would justify in-situ upgrading as opposed to relocation of the residents to a Greenfield development. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilised in data collection. The research confirmed residents of Barcelona 1 need proper houses with basic services. The general use of land; is also problematic, there are no roads and the residents walk in between shacks to access their sites. Living conditions in Barcelona 1 do not match up with what is proposed in the recent Breaking New Ground (BNG) policy initiative, which states that everyone should have access to sustainable human settlement conditions with basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation. Community Based Organizations (CBOs) focus on assisting the community with socio-economic activities, and have contributed in the development of the settlement by providing training skills workshops on small business and issues concerning HIV/AIDS. The present study sees a need for the settlement to be upgraded on site, in preference to other options less favourable to people’s needs, such as greenfield development which disrupts social and economic networks when people are relocated far from their workplaces and burdened with added transportation costs. By comparison, in-situ upgrading will create minimal disruption for the inhabitants of the settlement. Among the recommendation put forward is that the government, the housing department, non-government organisation and community based organisations should all intervene in the upgrading of informal settlements. The study concludes with none of the development promised by the government having yet taken place in the study area, any forthcoming housing policy implementation should take account of the impact of different development option on informal settlements. It can be argued that government and the housing department alike have failed to satisfy housing demand in South Africa, since people continue to suffer from inadequate housing. Secondly, in-situ upgrading rather than relocation to Greenfield where feasible should be the preferred from development option given the social, economic benefits and networks of existing informal settlements.
Thesis (M.Housing)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

In any country where there are informal settlements, crime prevention and combat is, to a great extent, determined by the availability of reliable information about crime and about the physical environment in which it occurs. Of equal importance in reducing crime is accurate reporting on the behalf of the public and accurate mapping of crime incidences on the part of the police. Informality makes such information gathering, reporting and mapping extremely challenging. Street level geocoding match rates are lower in informal settlements areas compared to formal urban areas, due to the fact that these areas are unplanned without any road networks or proper address points. To determine the success or otherwise of measures taken to control crime in informal settlements, it is necessary for a system to be in operation whereby crime can be geocoded to a specific location. The integration of community local knowledge with Geographic Information Systems can help populate urban-based geospatial databases for informal settlement crime mapping, and a mental mapping exercise can contribute by the identification of landmarks which can be geocoded. The aim of this research was to establish how community understandings and constructions of their local geography can contribute to ‘official’ police crime mapping and, consequently, to the improvement of policing in informal settlements. In order to achieve this research objective, community ‘mind maps’ were explored through focus groups and these were correlated with police geocoding and mapping systems. The aim here was to explore whether and how these systems can work together in dealing more effectively with crime and in enhancing police-community relations in informal settlement areas. A key finding of this research was that, coming together or integration between community generated mapping information and conventional GIS methodologies, has the potential to completely transform the way in which informal settlements crimes are mapped.
Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Cities across the globe are characterised by inequality. Within South African cities the marginalised population has unequal access to certain resources and opportunities, one such resource that the research is centred upon is the access and occupation of land. Many South African formal residential neighbourhoods are characterised by their proximity to informal settlements. This is largely due to the fact that local government has not adequately addressed the issue of occupation and land; this is clearly evident in Clare Estate in which the study was undertaken. The thesis refers to literature that is critical of the notion of the ‘divided city’ concept and draws on other concepts such as justice, social inequalities, politics of space, sense of place and NIMBY to name but a few. The research adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach, where questionnaires and indepth interviews with relevant stakeholders structured the basis of the research, respectively. This thesis investigated the experiences and understandings of formal residents of Clare Estate, in regard to the informal settlement which is encroaching on their neighbourhood boundary. The majority of the formal residents were not satisfied with the presence of the informal settlers and requested the relocation of the informal settlements to another location. The thesis shows how the informal settlers have been stereotyped with negative images and therefore the formal community has socially excluded them. Furthermore, most formal residents interviewed emphasised that the presence of the informal settlements only attracted negative consequences, such as the increase in criminal activity, the hampering of social activities and the reduction of property values. In addition, this thesis reveals that there existed a strained relationship between the formal and informal communities in Clare Estate. It was also evident that the formal residents have attached a personal meaning to their residential area. This sense of place was seen to be threatened by the informal settlement in their neighbourhood. However, it should be stated that the local government authorities were re-addressing the issue of the encroachment of the informal settlement and there have been some attempts to relocate these settlements. Where the relocation initiative has not been successful, the government provided better building materials to the informal community to improve their housing situation in Clare Estate. However, this latter initiative was not accepted by the residents in formal housing who want the informal community ‘out’ of their residential area.
Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

This study is concerned with the manner in which households create strategies to mitigate environmental risks in informal settlements for example Lacey Road which is located in Sydenham in the eThekwini metropolitan area of KwaZulu‐Natal. Informal settlements result from migration and urbanisation trends whereby people from rural areas migrate to the city in search of job opportunities and a better life. Many fail to find the formal employment opportunities they seek and find themselves having to provide their own shelter. These circumstances culminate in the construction of informal settlements in and near the city. People settle on land that is often undesirable for development because of geological or environmental pressures e.g. it has unstable soils, the land is located within flood plains or on very steep slopes. The vulnerability approach and political ecology framework underpin this study. These two approaches have been used in order to understand the capabilities of informal settlers to cope with risks they are faced with. They have been also used to understand how human activities and political systems may be linked to the spread of environmental degradation and risks. Household survey and key informants interviews were used to conduct this study. The findings of the research show that Lacey Road informal settlement is exposed to various risks such as floods, fire, waste disposal, and indoor air pollution and other health risks. It is clear that residents from Lacey Road are regularly exposed to the harsh realities of spatial and environmental marginalisation. The main reason for their vulnerability is the lack of service delivery by the municipality. This is due to a unique set of power relations where the community does not have profile to force the municipality to provide access to basic services. It is within this context that the researcher sought to analyse and explore the interface between environmental risk management and coping strategies of residents within informal settlements. Whilst there are general risks that face all residents of informal settlements, the researcher also considered what is specific to the Lacey Road settlement in Sydenham. The intention of this research is to identify environmental risks being experienced in Lacey Road informal settlements. Furthermore, to understand household strategies employed to mitigate those environmental risks at Lacey Road.
Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

One of the most controversial and dramatic features of recent city development is the phenomenon of access to land through informal means, which is a reflection of the lack of alternative delivery systems. Constraints on the supply of land for housing the urban poor have resulted in a large housing backlog, reSUlting in overcrowding, the emergence of unplanned housing such as backyard shacks and free standing informal settlements. In South Africa, the majority of the popUlation who have been historically constrained by racist and restrictive land allocation processes found it difficult to access well located and affordable serviced land. These constraints have resulted in poor people obtaining access to land through informal delivery systems. This effective exclusion of the urban poor from the formal land market has resulted in the emergence of the informal systems of land delivery, such as land invasions etc. Both internationally and in South Africa, informal settlements and squatting have represented a way of addressing and challenging market relations and state regUlation and thus, allow for poorer people to move into better located areas. The existing informal settlement within the Cato Manor area (Cato Crest) can be regarded as an example of this kind of urban process. The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the performance of the informal delivery systems in Cato Crest, to establish whether these systems have reached the urban poor and to look for ways of dealing with informal land mechanisms in the future. The findings from the survey indicated that in Cato Crest these illegal land supply systems have benefitted poor people in terms of job opportunities, proximity to the city and location. A number of recommendations can be made in this regard: that there is a need for a land policy on informal land supply systems, that which should seek to make strategically located land available for low income housing in the future. If this is not accomplished, illegal land occupation will continue unabated until no land will be available for low income housing.
Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

Urban informality is a process established by people in the informal urban context to shape existing formal cities to form new informal cities that facilitate their everyday lives. This phenomenon has grown substantially in Latin American, Asian and African cities to a point that people have transformed many of their formal post-colonial cities within these regions to informal cities that can facilitate urban informality. Instead of seeing this process as a way where people living in the informal urban context are trying to create cities and infrastructure that suite their context and way of life, architects and urban design professionals are repeatedly adopting 'western norms‘ to solve urban informality rather than facilitating it. This starts to create a gap between the architectural built form and the way people live. The research was then undertaken to bridge this gap between built form making and the lived realities in the informal urban context by using the underlying principles of urban informality defined by the people to generate meaningful built form within the South African, African context. To achieve this, the research carried out investigations on current literature that dealt with three main principles that defined urban informality that could be used to generate an appropriate built form with the informal urban context. These principles were; socio- economic principles, emergence and the culture of urban informality and these started to suggest a flexible built form that can be adapted by its users to suit their needs. These principles were then tested against precedent and case studies to see their validity in the global and South African context. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a number of professionals that had a better understanding of the case studies than the author to make sure that the analyses and the conclusions based on those analyses were accurate. The research findings ultimately defined an indeterminate built form that is formed through a participatory process between the collaboration of urban design professionals and the future inhabitants of the built form. This built form is 'loosely‘ defined and its inhabitants can manipulate and reconfigure it, to a certain extent, to suit the future unforeseen states of urban informality. The research also outlined a framework that can be applied in the design phase of a multi-purpose trade hub in Durban, South Africa.
M. Arch. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Public Management, Durban University of Technology, 2011.
Disasters have inflicted a heavy cost on human, materials and physical resources, and degradation to the environment. Furthermore, disasters have negative physical impacts (which include casualities and property damage) and social impacts (which include psych-osocial, socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and socio-political). A comprehensive review of the literature has revealed that the development of disaster management strategies must be undertaken before the event strikes. Moreover, disaster management requires effective community-based strategies which will include programmes and measures to prevent, prepare, mitigate and recover from the impacts of disasters. The purpose of the study is to contribute to the formulation of a robust disaster management framework and plan including the creation of a fully equipped disaster management centre within the eThekwini Municipality. Moreover, to enable the disaster management department within the eThekwini Municipality to function effectively and efficiently by applying new systematic strategies in disaster risk reduction. Futhermore, to add value to the body of knowledge in South Africa as there are limited number of research on disaster management, and to add value to policy, protmote investment and protect vulnerable communities by implementing disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation. The research was undertaken at Foreman and Kennedy Road informal settlements located in Clare Estate within Ward 25. A disaster management survey was self-administered to the population size of 220 respondents from which 140 respondents completed the questionnaires thereby generating a response rate of 63.6%. Interveiws were also conducted amongst eThekwini Municipality officials dealing mainly with disaster reduction. The dimensions of the study are disaster preparedness, prevention, response, recovery and rehabilitation, financial implications and future expectations. The data was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Scientists (SPSS). Associations between variables were determined using Pearson chi-square. This study presents the research findings on disaster management by using frequency iv tables, graphs and cross-tabulations tables which have been compiled for each question. Analysis of the data revealed significant differences between the biographical variables (age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, income, number of children, number of dependants, race and tenure) and the five dimensions (disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery and rehabilitation, financial implications and future expectations) respectively. Interpretation of results indicated that there exists significant relationships amongst the key variables of the study relating to disaster management. This study contributes to various academic disciplines, local government and society at large as it suggests strategies and recommendations that may be implemented to overcome disaster management challenges and attain disaster risk reduction. The study recommends that eThekwini Municipality should comply with the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 which requires the establishment of a disaster management centre, disaster management framework and the plan. Furthermore, the study recommended that the council should develop a system to classify hazard mitigation strategies in terms of five categories which are hazard source control, community protection works, land-use practices, building construction practices and building contents protection. The study recommends that the eThekwini Municipality should recognise recovery period mitigation and incorporate this objective into recovery planning. On the financial implications aspect, the study recommends that eThekwini Municipality should provide financial assistance on the disaster management prevention and preparedness strategies.