Thesis (M.Phil.) (Environmental Law and Management) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / This study intends to assess the effectiveness of legal provision of low-cost housing and environmental laws in South Africa. Limpopo Province was chosen and used as area of study. The study was designed to determine whether environmental laws in South Africa hamper the provision of low-cost housing or not. Thirty participants were randomly selected from employees of the Department of Local Government and Housing as well as those of the Department of Environmental Affairs. The participants consisted of seventeen from the former department while the remaining thirteen were from the latter. The study focuses on the concept of adequate housing. Adequate housing in this study means the provision of quality housing units that are well supplied with running water and electricity. The study also discusses the issue of renovation of existing housing units. It will thereafter determine the level of commitment of government to provide adequate low-cost housing units. Housing will be looked at in terms of environmental laws which are being criticized for the lack of adequate provision of housing. Housing is regulated by law. The White Paper on Housing forms the basis of the post 1994 housing laws. This is the policy that is contained in the 1994 White Paper on Housing. In this paper, the government commits itself to providing adequate low-cost-housing units and to facilitate the process of housing provision in South Africa. The laws regulating housing include the Housing Act 107 of 1997, the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999, the Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997 and the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998. Section 26 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 provides the right of all citizens to housing and reference is made for court arbitration in this regard. The findings of the study indicate that several factors hamper the provision of housing in the Limpopo Province. These factors consist of bureaucracy, nepotism, corruption, incompetent contractors and inability to complete projects of low-cost housing units.

Homeownership is widely advocated and believed to contribute towards economic activity, employment, wealth creation, economic, political, and neighbourhood stability and financial independence. Despite government’s interventions to advance homeownership there is currently a declining trend in homeownership and an increase in renting experienced in South Africa. As the government does not have the resources to provide adequate housing to all South Africans, identifying the factors which attribute to non-subsidised homeownership will assist in implementing interventions and strategies to increase access to non-subsidised homeownership and reduce reliance on government subsidised housing. The main objective of this study was to determine the comparative odds of variables contributing to non-subsidised homeownership in South Africa from secondary data obtained from a South African household survey. Compared to the heuristic model, the following variables were found to align closely with the expectation created; non-subsidised homeownership attainment was most likely for households within high-income groups and least for households within the low-income groups, more likely for households who have access to credit than those without, more likely for households with no accounts in arrears than those with accounts in arrears, more likely for households with an ability to save than those without, most likely for households consisting of seven or more household members and least likely for single member households, most likely for households where FKP (Financially Knowledgeable Person) has completed a tertiary education level and least likely for households with primary not completed education levels, most likely for households where the FKP is older (aged 65 and older) and least likely for young FKP households (aged between 18 and 24), most likely for households residing in rural areas and least likely for households residing in metropolitan areas, most likely for female FKP households and least likely for male FKP households. Unexpectedly the regression model indicated that non-subsidised homeownership is most likely for households where the Financially Knowledgeable Person (FKP) is not economically active (for example pensioners) and least likely for employed households, most likely for households from the African population group and least likely for Indian households, most likely where the FKP is never married or single and least likely for separated or divorced FKP households (which is expected) and most likely for households residing in Limpopo (which is expected) and least likely for households residing Western Cape. / Financial accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)