A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Johannesburg 2017. / Pre-colonial Stone Walled Structures (SWS) in southern Africa have been studied since the 17th Century. Studies focused on establishing the origins of SWS, classification and other socio-economic components associated with these settlements. The physical environment played a significant role in shaping these communities, therefore making it important to establish the correlation between these pre-colonial cultures and the physical environment. Using Google Earth and GIS Sadr and Rodier (2012) undertook a settlement analysis of a 350 area near the Suikerbosrand nature reserve in southern Gauteng. They observed that settlement patterns revealed a shift from small and dispersed egalitarian societies to more stratified communities between the 15th and 19th century. Using the same techniques that Sadr and Rodier (2012) employed, a settlement pattern analysis was conducted on the rest of the research area in southern Gauteng which is slightly under 9000. Results from an exploratory and a statistical analysis from the research area revealed observations made by Sadr and Rodier 2012 from a 350 concur with the observations made from the rest of the study area. / LG2018

South Africa has a social housing delivery problem, where, despite all mechanisms, efforts and resources (including policies, enabling legislation and social housing production inputs such as planning regimes, guidelines and strategies, funding, land, buildings and human resources put in place by the government), the pace of social housing delivery is not at a point where it is measurably satisfactory across all spheres of government. There exists between the three spheres of government an intergovernmental relations framework for implementing social housing policy. The performance of government shows a lack of institutionalized arrangements, coordination, and alignment in the day to-day operations of the three spheres of government in implementing social housing policy. It is for this reason that this study assessed the current intergovernmental relations operational system in the delivery of social housing units in Gauteng Province. A mixed-methods research approach was implemented for this study based in methodological pragmatism, phenomenology, and positivism. The researcher conducted interviews with senior managers and administered research questionnaires with operational staff within the National, Provincial and Local spheres of government which included City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan municipalities in Human Settlements Departments, state agencies involved in the delivery of social housing units such as the Social Housing Regulatory Authority and municipal entities such as the Housing Company Tshwane, the Johannesburg Social Housing Company and the Ekurhuleni Social Housing Company. Private and non-governmental social housing institutions, such as the Yeast City Housing and Mannapendlo Social Housing Organisation were also included. The data were complemented by documentary content analysis, including review of annual reports, strategic human settlements plans, policies and legislation pertaining to the provision of housing, human settlements, and social housing. This study assessed the functioning of the three spheres of government in relation to the implementation of social housing policy in Gauteng Province. The three spheres of government are regarded as equally important institutions for the development of sustainable human settlements, and a sound relation between the three spheres of government must be maintained in order to achieve successful development and management of social housing. The research found evidence of poor coordination and alignment, and no integration of social housing related activities and functions between the three spheres of government. There are major risks, such as financial risk, financial planning, and project implementation risks experienced at local government level. The study identified challenges faced by the three spheres of government and state agencies in the implementation of social housing policy in Gauteng Province. The challenges included slow release of land for social housing development, uncoordinated and unplanned social housing delivery in the province. In addition, the study identified other input factors that impact negatively on the supply of social housing units which cut across all spheres of government such as political mandates, legislation, policies, strategies, plans, targets, priorities, information technology and administrative and financial constraints. The study presented and recommended social housing delivery model for Gauteng Province. The proposed model has the probability of providing an understanding of the relations between government departments, state agencies, social housing institutions, intergovernmental relations structures at national, provincial and local government level, non-governmental organizations, and community based organizations, so as to ensure there is vertical and horizontal alignment to improve and fast track the delivery of social housing in Gauteng Province. / Public Administration and Management / D. Phil (Public Administration)

Thi s study aims to assess the implementation of the National Development P lan (NDP) and the impact it has had on the provision of human settlements in Gauteng. Th is dissertation has used qualitative research methodology. This nuanced approach has enabled an e laborate exploration and understanding of the NDP as a policy strategy and provided the tools to measure its impact on the provision of human settlements in Gauteng. For this research, the participants were selected purposively based on their expertise in the field of human settlements. The researcher conducted in depth interviews with 15 senior policymakers in the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and South Africa’s National Department of Human Settlements and collect ed data on human settlements, wh ich fed, into the findings and recommendations of the dissertation This study has argued that housing policies in South Africa have evolved since 1994, moving away from redress and distribution to an approach of creating sustainable integrated human settl ements. It has also assessed how the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements set out to generate inclusive and integrated settlements through the creation of “new towns”. The building of these “new towns” is in line with the provincial government’s mandate of delivering integrated human settlements in the province. South Africa’s Department of Human Settlements and the Gauteng provincial government introduced the Megaprojects in 2014 as a R100billion economic corridor investment, which aims to provide 800 0 00 housing opportunities across five corridors in Gauteng. Despite these initiatives, the provincial Department continues to face several constraints such as population growth, migration, unavailability of land, housing backlogs, a high rate of informal settlements, corruption, poor implementation of policies, and a lack of economic growth and budgetary constraints. The dissertation’s findings suggest that t hese challenges need to be tackled at the policy level the Department of Human Settlements must pr ioritise implementation, good governance and promote greater professionalism within the housing sector in order to achieve these targets . The study further found that p olicymakers must also view housing as a specialised field that requires extensive consul tation and implementation plans that are carefully tailored to address any challenge s that the Department of Human Settlements could potentially encounter during the implementation phase . Only with these changes, can these targets be met. / Public Administration and Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)