Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the issue of informal settlement fires, specifically in Kayamandi a township of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The study aims to identify the relevant role-players involved in addressing the issue and to understand the unique dynamics involved in this type of fires at the local level context. The study illuminates the main contextual factors that contribute to the perpetuation of informal settlement sprawl in South Africa and that relates to the risk and vulnerability experienced by informal settlement dwellers. A qualitative research approach was followed and a triangulation of data collection methods was used, combined with a relatively broad literature study to capture the complexity of the related issues. The contextual focus includes the macro-economic factors that contribute to the environment in which informal settlement fires occur, and furthermore, developmental, economic, political and social aspects and the related experience of poverty, urbanisation and unemployment. It was found that the theoretical underpinning of both the fields of Disaster Management and Community Development are relevant for analysis and addressing the research questions. Furthermore, that a relationship exists between the Disaster Management, Development and Community Development fields. This is particularly evident in Disaster Management policy and planning as related to prevention, mitigation, and public participation, such as community involvement in Community-Based Risk Assessments. Key findings suggest that local government in the demarcated study area has great influence on how the problem of informal settlement fires is addressed. From national to local municipality level, the State plays the largest role in addressing the issue and takes the responsibility for addressing informal settlement fires as part of disaster management mandates prescribed in legislation. The local government agenda as influenced by Disaster Management legislation include efforts related to awareness, education and training focused on Kayamandi as an informal settlement community and can be considered community development initiatives. This further relates to the view taken in the thesis that informal settlement fires are a social issue and not only an operational issue. Therefore the broad social, economic and political context and history were included and it was shown that the ‘problem’ of informal settlement fires is part of a greater developmental context and related processes. A variety of community development theories were chosen as a useful framework for analysis in this study and to approach issues of risk and vulnerability on a community level. It also presents a conceptual framework for including both non-governmental stake-holders and the affected community as role-players. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die kwessie van vure in informele nedersettings en spesifiek in Kayamandi, ‘n informele nedersetting van Stellenbosch in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid- Afrika. Die doel van die studie is om die relevante rolspelers te identifiseer wat betrokke is by die aanspreek van die kwessie en om die unieke dinamika van vure in hierdie plaaslike konteks te verstaan. Hierdie studie beklemtoon die belangrikste kontekstuele faktore wat bydra tot die uitbreiding van informele nedersettings in Suid-Afrika en wat verband hou met die risiko en kwesbaarheid van inwoners van informele nedersettings. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg en ‘n triangulasie van dataversamelingsmetodes is in hierdie studie gebruik. Dit is met ‘n relatief breë literatuur-studie gekombineer om die kompleksiteit van die verwante kwessies weer te gee. Die konteksuele fokus sluit in makro-ekonomiese faktore wat bydrae tot ‘n omgewing waarin informele nedersettingsbrande voorkom, en voorts, ontwikkelings-, ekonomiese-, politieke- en sosiale aspekte, sowel as die verwante ervaring van armoede, verstedeliking en werkloosheid. Daar is bevind dat die teoretiese begronding van beide die velde van Rampbestuur en Gemeenskapsontwikkeling relevant is vir ontleding en om die navorsingsvrae te kan beantwoord en dat daar ‘n verhouding tussen Rampbestuur, Ontwikkeling en meer spesifiek Gemeenskapsontwikkeling bestaan. Dit kom veral na vore in Rampbestuurbeleid en - beplanning soos van toepassing op voorkoming, mitigasie en publieke deelname. Van die belangrikste bevindinge suggereer dat die plaaslike regering in die gegewe studie die grootste invloed het oor hoe die probleem van brande in informele nedersettings aangespreek word. Van nasionale tot plaaslike vlakke neem die Staat die verantwoordelikheid vir die aanspreek van informele nedersettingsbrande, soos vervat in mandate wat deur rampbestuur wetgewing bepaal word. Die plaaslike regering se agenda soos bepaal deur Rampbestuur wetgewing bevat gemeenskapsontwikkelingsidees oor deelname en inklusiewe beplanning, bewusmaking, opvoeding en spesifieke opleidingsinitiatiewe wat op Kayamandi afgestem is. Dit sluit verder aan by die siening, soos geneem in die tesis, dat informele nedersettingsbrande meer as net ‘n operasionele kwessie is, maar ook ‘n sosiale dimensie insluit. Om hierdie rede word die breër sosiale, ekonomiese, politieke en historiese konteks in die studie ingesluit, soos wat dit op die ‘probleem’ van informele nedersettingsbrande as deel van die groter ontwikkelingskonteks en prosesse dui. ‘n Verskeidenheid van gemeenskapontwikkelingsteorieë is as ‘n bruikbare raamwerk geselekteer vir ontleding en as ‘n benadering om risiko en kwesbaarheid op gemeenskapsvlak aan te spreek. Dit bied ook ‘n konsepsuele raamwerk om beide nie-regeringsrolspelers en die geaffekteerde gemeenskap ook as rolspelers in te kan sluit.