Academic literature on the topic 'Squatter settlements - Social aspects - South Africa'

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is estimated that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population resides in informal settlements. Cape Town (South Africa), in particular, has a projected 223 informal settlements within its boundaries (which house almost 136 000 households). The national government has attempted to meet housing needs through the upgrading of informal settlements. In situ upgrading has been seen as a particularly popular route to follow. This study aimed to investigate the City of Cape Town’s governmentality in the in situ upgrading of Makhaza and New Rest in Cape Town and explore the implications of this governmentality for women’s social networks in these two settlements. The study focused on the governmentality elements of rationalities, practices and techniques and counter-conduct. A review of the literature shows little attention has been paid to the various governmentalities (practice, techniques and rationalities) that exist within informal settlement upgrading. The literature has also not paid much attention to how the governmentality of those undertaking informal settlement upgrading, relates to women’s social networks (and their governmentality) within upgraded sites. The research made use of qualitatively-driven methodologies and approaches, employing the techniques of Neighbourhood Social Mapping, Social Network Assessment (SNA), semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, transect walks, observational studies and secondary data gathering. The study found, amongst other things, that the governmentality (rationalities, techniques and practices) used by the City to plan and implement the upgrading of informal settlements differs from that of the women’s social networks. The profound differences in governmentalities have meant that the settlements do not meet the needs of the women and their social networks. In response the women have redesigned their new settlement to meet the needs of their social networks. Integral Theory is used in this thesis to map and better understand the differing governmentalities and their relationship and was used to propose an Integral approach in managing differing governmentalities. The thesis suggests that, in order to understand fully and respond appropriately to the challenges faced in upgrading, those in power need to be aware of and include all perspectives and actors within their upgrading process and practice.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word beraam dat 70% van sub-Sahara Afrika se stedelike populasie in informele nedersettings woon. Kaapstad (Suid-Afrika), spesifiek, het ‘n beraamde 223 informele nedersettings binne die grense (wat omtrent 136 000 huishoudings huisves). Die nasionale regering het onderneem om behuisings behoefte te voorsien deur die opgradering van informele nedersettings. In situ opgradering is gesien as ‘n besonder gewilde roete om te volg. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die City of Cape Town (die Stad) se governmentality te ondersoek in die opgradering van Makhaza en New Rest in Kaapstad. So ook om die implikasies van hierdie governmentality vir vroue se sosiale netwerke in hierdie nedersettings te verken. Die studie het gefokus op die governmentality (regeringsmentaliteit) beginsels van rationaliteite, praktyke en tegnieke en teen-optrede. ‘n Oorsig van die literatuur toon min aandag is geskenk aan die verskillende governmentalities wat binne opgraderingsprojekte vir informele nedersettings bestaan. Die literatuur het ook nie veel aandag gegee aan hoe die governmentality van die onderneming van die informele nedersettings met betrekking tot vroue se sosiale netwerke (en hul governmentality) binne opgradeerde terreine. Die navorsing het gebruik gemaak van kwaliteits gedrewe metodologie en benaderings, die gebruik van tegnieke van omgewing sosiale kartering, sosiale netwerk beraming, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, vraelyste, deursnee wandeling, waarnemings studies en sekondêre data insameling. Die studie het onder andere bevind dat die governmentality (rationaliteite, tegnieke en praktyke), soos gebruik deur die Stad om opgradering van informele nedersettings te beplan en implimenteer, verskil van die van die vroue se sosiale netwerke. Die diepgaande verskille in governmentalities het gelei daartoe dat die nedersettings nie voldoen aan die behoeftes van die vroue en hul sosiale netwerke nie. In reaksie daarop het die vroue die nuwe nedersetting herontwerp om in hul sosiale netwerk behoeftes te voorsien. Integrale Teorie is in hierdie tesis gebruik om die verskille in governmentalities en hul verwantskappe uiteen te sit en beter te kan verstaan en ook om die Integrale benadering in die hantering van verskillende governmetnalities voor te stel. Die tesis dui daarop dat in orde om ten volle te verstaan en toepaslik te reageer op die uitdagings wat gepaard gaan met opgradering moet die wat in beheer is van alle perspektiewe en akteurs binne die opgraderings proses bewus wees en dit in ag neem.

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Technikon, 2003<br>This study provides information on the provision of environmental health services to informal housing settlements by local authorities. A standard for Environmental Health Service delivery according to Government policies and legislation has been provided. Actual environmental health services delivered to Ducats informal settlement at the time (1992), have been compared to the services that should have been delivered by law. Baseline data have been compiled by means of questionnaires, in order to assist the different levels of government in addressing the housing and environmental health needs of the Ducat community. The nature of Environmental Health and the history of informal housing, more specific that of the Ducat informal housing settlement, have been determined. Limited environmental health services were rendered to informal housing settlements occupying land illegally during 1992. These environmental health services were limited to basic sanitation, water supply and refuse removal. Only pit latrines or bucket latrines were required as a means of sanitation, tanks for water supply and skips for the disposal of waste. Amatola Regional Services Council however rendered all the environmental health services required. Other environmental health aspects such as pest control, communicable disease control, air pollution control, radiation, occupational health issues, temperature extremes, lighting, ventilation, noise, social environment, food and meat hygiene were not required. This study has provided a set of Government policies and legislation, which should be considered in rendering environmental health services for housing in future. Uncertainty of the past decade, about rendering of Environmental Health services to people occupying land illegally, still persists. The Municipal Structures Act, 117 of 1998 requires the rendering of Environmental Health services by local authorities, but it does not state whether these services should be rendered to people occupying land illegally as well. Since this has been the biggest restriction in providing environmental health services in the past, it is recommended that Government address this uncertainty.

Thesis (MTech (Architectural Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.<br>Informal settlements are increasing in the cities of the global South in line with the rapid rate of urbanisation that is taking place in countries of this region. The growth of informal settlements in these countries has been exacerbated by factors that are unique to this region, factors such as scarcity of resources, colonial legacies and rapid urbanisation. Cape Town, a city that relates to the global South both in terms of geographical location and socio-economic context, has also seen a rapid growth of informal settlements, particularly in the last two decades. Like other cities in this region, Cape Town has ambitions of being regarded as a global city. Global cities are modelled on cities of the global North such as London, New York and Tokyo. Beyond the economic prestige that is generally associated with the cities of the global North, the imagery that they conjure up is also seen as an inspiration to be emulated by cities across the world, and it does not include informal settlements. As such, informal settlements generate a host of attitudes. Attitudes towards informal settlements don’t just emanate from political authorities, but emanate from across the spectrum that constitutes inhabitants and interest groups in these cities, including the creators of informal settlements themselves. These individuals and interests, according to their social standing and thus influence, have varying degrees of agency in the matters related to informal settlements. The aim in this study is to probe the effect of these attitudes on housing delivery to the poor. Attitudes not only influence the choice of what is regarded as the norm, but also how any entity that is regarded as the ‘other’ is evaluated. Almost without exception, cities that have been characterised by large numbers of informal settlements have attempted, without success, to eradicate informal settlements from their urban fabrics. An overarching assumption in this study is that the resilience of informal settlements says something about their necessity, and the failure by some, to recognise this necessity or the utilitarian value of informal settlements is influenced by attitudes. This research is done by first using a literature review to elucidate on: • the social condition, that is, the phenomenon of informal settlements, • the relevant theories applicable to the academic field the thesis is anchored in (architecture) and other social orders impacting architecture such as modernism, • the construct of attitudes and its impacts on beliefs, evaluations and perceptions on the affect of objects. The Joe Slovo informal settlement is then used as an analytic case study to investigate the effects of attitudes on the dynamics that have seen the site being transformed into what had been conceived as a prototype for transforming informal settlements to formal housing. The study shows that such transformations, although often carried out in the name of changing the lives of the inhabitants of informal settlements, do not necessarily entail them remaining at the site post its transformation. In the case of Joe Slovo, it actually resulted in a sizeable number of the original inhabitants being relocated to a new, less favourable site.

A number of mostly informal areas in Nelson Mandela Bay have experienced rapid expansion over the past decade or so. Census data available for these areas is outdated and does not provide enough information for local authorities to accurately plan for tasks such as service delivery management and resource allocation. In this dissertation, a GIS based demographic and Quality of Life study of informal settlements and previously disadvantaged areas within Nelson Mandela Bay is undertaken to address this issue. The study aims to integrate GIS technology into a demographic and Quality of Life survey to significantly improve the collection, analysis, interpretation, display and management of survey data and to provide the accurate and necessary updates required between census collections. Data relating to informal settlements were captured from aerial photographs and satellite imagery and demographic and Quality of Life data were collected from field surveys. The results demonstrated that the use of GIS technology provided more accurate information for demographic variables, including the number of dwellings, dwelling type, size of the population and population dynamics. A specific demographic trend observed through spatial analysis included the identification of backyard shacks predating formal structures in settlements. The analysis and representation of the Quality of Life field survey data in GIS demonstrated how residents' perceptions of problems and issues in their neighbourhoods are better interpreted, understood and managed when analyzed within a spatial context. This research concluded that GIS based demographic and QOL studies are vital for providing accurate social and spatial information for municipalities, particularly in urban environments of developing countries, and for providing the necessary updates to censuses occurring every ten years.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the nature and purpose of migrant social in Marconi Beam Informal Settlement, and Joe Slovo Park. The study found that migrant social networks served both economic and cultural functions. Through their social networks migrants seek to maximise their remittances to their areas as well as to convey information about the availability of jobs and housing conditions in the city. Newly arrived migrants depend on their kin and village mates for food, shelter, and sense of belonging in an environment that can otherwise be hostile. Similarly in times of crisis such as redundancy, property losses migrants can call on the support within their immediate area of residence or from other members based in their rural areas of origin. Furthermore, migrants visit their rural areas of origin to partake in marriages, initiation ceremonies, and funeral service. And many of the migrants who die in the city are transported to the rural areas for burial. Migrant social networks demonstrate the complex interconnectedness of the urban and rural spheres of life in both the economic and cultural aspects of life.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die aard en doel van sosiale netwerke onder migrante werkers in die Marconi Beam informele nedersetting en Joe Slovo Park ondersoek. Daar is gevind dat hierdie netwerke ekonomiese en kulturele funksies vervul. Op ekonomiese vlak fasiliteer die netwerke die twee-rigting vloei van goedere en dienste tussen stedelike huishoudings en die landelike tuiste. D.m.v. netwerke onder migrante werkers word inligting oor die beskikbaarheid van werk, behuising en dies meer versprei. Gebasseer op die ideologiese aanname dat die landelike tuiste meer belangrik is as die stedelike huishouding, word materiële goedere en geld, wat in die stad verdien word, na die landelike tuiste oorgeplaas. Daarmee saam word stedelike uitgawes tot In minimum beperk. In die geval van gebeurlikhede kenmerkend van die stedelike situasie, soos verlies van werk of eiendom, wend migrante werkers hulle na die landelike tuiste vir hulp en ondersteuning. Op In kulturele vlak besoek migrante die landelike areas om deel te neem aan begrafnisse, troues en inisiasie seremonies. Baie van diegene wat tot sterwe kom in die stad, word na die landelike areas oorgeplaas vir hul begrafnis. Hierdie besoeke dien as bewys van die migrant se lojaliteit teenoor die landelike tuiste en gemeenskap. In die geheel gesien bevestig die sosiale netwerke onder migrante werkers die inter-afhanklikheid van die stedelike en landelike lewenssfere.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.<br>Cape Town’s growing economy has benefited greatly from its natural resources. The city boasts the unique Table Mountain; Blue Flag beaches; and the distinctive fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom, all of which have contributed considerably to the revenue generated by the tourism industry. Even though the city’s economy appears robust, many people living in townships on the Cape Flats continue to face a reality of being trapped in a state of deprivation; unable to access those natural resources as a means to make a living; and unable to cope with shocks, trends and seasonality in a dynamic, vulnerable society plagued by inequitable distribution of wealth and environmental degradation. Yet, while access to financial, natural (and other) assets is limited, poor people can rely upon their social assets – or Social Capital (SC) in order to make a living. This case study explores the three types of Social Capital – (i) Bonding SC (between project beneficiaries), (ii) Bridging SC (between project beneficiaries and implementing agents) and (iii) Linking SC (between implementing agents and local government organs) – in an attempt to understand their impact on the livelihoods of project beneficiaries involved in the Khayelitsha-based Siyazama Community Allotment Gardening Association (SCAGA). This was done with the purpose of enabling development practitioners, government officials and local people to work together to plan sustainable initiatives that enhance peoples’ quality of life. Although case studies have been criticised by some authors as lacking scientific rigor and do not address generalisability, this study employed a case study approach due to its appropriateness when dealing with a small number of participants and the specific context of their complex real-life activities in great depth. By taking a post-positivistic stance, the researcher was able to appreciate the different constructions and meanings that people place upon their life experiences.

M.A. (Social Work)<br>Poverty is perceived by various authors to bea challenge in African countries, including South Africa. O’Brien and Mazibuko (1998, p. 140) state that poverty “is characterised by a host of factors, including under-nutrition, unemployment, illiteracy, and unequal and poor access to health, housing, education and decision-making resources”. The above-mentioned authors state that these factors both result from and perpetuate poverty. According to Rogerson (1996), the effects of poverty are seen more among the black communities, and there is more poverty in the informal settlements compared to other residential areas. After 1994, one of the South African government’s key priorities was to eradicate poverty and the focus was on the improvement of the standard of living and quality of life for all South Africans. Various strategies and policies were then introduced in order to alleviate poverty, one of them beingthe introduction of social assistance (Ellis, 2011, pp. 63-72). According to Triegaardt and Patel (2005), social security in the developing countries, including South Africa, is very important for poverty reduction and ensuring a basic minimum standard of living for the people. The above-mentioned authors also emphasise that there is a need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of social assistance as this will help to ascertainif the programme is making any contribution to the lives of the people and to help keep up with the changing environment. This study focused on the contribution of social grants to alleviating poverty in an informal settlement. The research study aimed to assess the beneficiaries’ perspectives on the contribution of social grants to alleviating poverty in an informal settlement. Some of the objectives of the study were to explore the perspectives of social grant beneficiaries in Angelo informal settlement on the role of social grants in their lives and to describe how social grant beneficiaries in Angelo informal settlement understand the impact of social grants on their poverty-stricken conditions. This qualitative study was exploratory and descriptive in nature. Ten individual semistructured interviews were conducted in the Angelo informal settlement using an interview schedule. Themes were used to categorise and analyse data. The findings indicated that social grants play a great role in alleviating poverty in an informal...