This study explored the perceptions of beneficiaries of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) with regard to the role that RDP houses play socially, psychologically, and physically in the lives of occupants after moving from an informal settlement into RDP houses. Given that the said housing programme targets disadvantaged people, it was important to understand their own perceptions of these houses. The study also explored the perceptions of government officials in regard to their experiences relating to RDP houses. A case study approach was adopted and Bronfenbrenner‟s ecological theory of human development was used as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with two groups of participants. First, Group A comprised three RDP participants who lived in an informal settlement before relocation to their RDP houses. Second, Group B comprised three participants from the national, provincial and local offices of the governmental human settlements departments respectively. Data were analysed and four main themes as well as the subthemes emerged from the analysis. The four main themes are the bolstered sense of psychological well-being; access to basic services, amenities, and benefits of an improved infrastructure; pride of ownership; and ownership as a form of personal economic development or empowerment. Findings suggested that the participants reflected expressions of joy, a sense of permanence, a feeling of being home, hope for the future, and an absence of worry. These meanings and interpretation of home ownership reflect how the participants identify with their RDP houses and how pleased they are to own a house. Basic services enhance their overall quality of life in relation to their psychological, physical and social well-being. Interestingly, access to socio-economic services and amenities such as connected water and electricity inside The Experience of Moving from an Informal Settlement to a Secure Stable Home 4 the houses, the availability of schools and clinics, transport services, and a habitable environment, were found to play an important role in the lives of the participants. However, factors which hamper the success of RDP housing and compound the hopelessness of living in an informal settlement as well as the problems that RDP home owners encounter, which restrain their pride of ownership are: ambivalence over restrictions or limitations imposed by building regulations, the size of the houses, the poor quality construction, and envy at improvements made to subsequent RDP houses. In conclusion, the findings add to a greater theoretical understanding of the factors contributing to human development and the factors that impede the effectiveness of the housing programme. These factors draw attention to a number of important issues regarding RDP housing, which may assist housing practitioners, and in particular, policy developers, in developing policy that may be more useful in meeting the needs of the people. This could enhance the existing housing programme as well as alert the housing practitioners to existing shortcomings and offer them the opportunity to become acquainted therewith. These factors that impede RDP ownership suggest a need for the government and other relevant stakeholders to engage in the issues that prevent the successful implementation of the housing programme thereby maximising the effectiveness of the housing programme, primarily in order to strive to improve the lives of previously disadvantaged people. / Social Work / MA SS (Psychology)

Assignment (MA ) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Informal settlements are a common feature of the urban landscape in contemporary South Africa and constitute one of the biggest challenges to urban planning and management at present. The political and legislative changes over the past decade have altered the approach to the management of informal settlements. This study starts out by examining the global trends and theory of urbanization, with special focus on the Third World. The various legal and policy frameworks relating to informal settlement and housing, as well as the implications thereof on urban management, are also examined. The assignment then proceeds to analyze the applicability and effectiveness of structured, formalized planning with regard to the management of informal settlement. The said analysis is followed by recommendations for the management of informal settlement, based on the preceding chapters. These recommendations suggest the following: Planners and authorities should be more proactive m planning for informal settlements. The applicability of individualized services should be reconsidered due to affordability and the inability of individualized facilities to cater for high levels of immigration. The study finally exanunes current strategies employed within the Cape Metropolitan Area, with special reference to the "Fast Tracking" process applied by the Helderberg Municipality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: lnformele nedersettings is 'n algemene gesig in die stedelike landskap van Suid-Afrika en is tans een van die grootste uitdagings in die veld van beplanning. Die politieke en wetlike veranderinge oor die afgelope dekade het groot veranderinge in die benadering en bestuur van inforrnele vestiging tot gevolg gehad. Die werkstuk begin deur die huidige globale neigings en teoriee oor verstedeliking aan te spreek, met spesifieke verwysing na die Derde Wereld. Die verskeie wetlike- en beleidsraamwerke waarin inforrnele vestiging en behuising gereguleer word, asook die implikasies daarvan, word ook bestudeer. Die werkstuk analiseer ook vervolgens die toepaslikheid en effektiviteit van gestruktureerde en geforrnaliseerde beplanning ten opsigte van inforrnele vestiging. Die genoemde analise word gevolg deur sekere voorstelle wat gemaak word aangaande die bestuur van inforrnele vestiging. Hierdie voorstelle sluit die volgende in: Beplanners en owerhede moet meer pro-aktief wees ten opsigte van bestuur en beplanning van inforrnele vestiging Die toepaslikheid van dienste, wat fokus op individuele huishoudings, moet heroorweeg word aangesien dit onbekostigbaar vir beide verbruiker en verskaffer kan wees. Hierdie dienste is ook rue in staat om die invloei van mense te hanteer soos gemeenskaplike dienste nie. Laastens word sekere van die strategiee wat aangewend word in die Kaapse Metropolitiaanse Area ten opsigte van die bestuur van informele vestiging ook bestudeer, met spesifieke verwysing na die "Fast Tracking" proses soos aangewend deur die Helderberg Munisipaliteit.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored whether co-production of knowledge could contribute to shifting power from government to citizens in an incremental upgrading process. It is premised on the notion that such a shift is desirable. The title of the study Turning points: Exploring power transitions in an incremental upgrading process in Enkanini, Stellenbosch indicates the complex, transient and shifting power dynamics at play in the illegal settlement of Enkanini in Stellenbosch. The study was conducted within a larger transdisciplinary research framework seeking to implement socio-technical innovations, generated through a co-production of knowledge process with settlement residents, to move Enkanini towards becoming a sustainable human settlement. A case study provides an overview of engagement the residents have had with the local Stellenbosch Municipality, NGOs and academic researchers from the Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch University. It is complemented by the personal narrative of one of the first residents who moved there in 2006. From personal observations, interaction with residents and coresearchers, meeting notes, the literature review and a grounded experience over the three-year study period, four turning points were identified. These four turning points, interpreted as bifurcations that could open up new ways of engaging with the present to determine alternative futures are explored dialectically. The initial problem for each is described, followed by the response and the resultant challenge that emerged. The four turning points were the initiation of the iShack concept, the start of the iShack Project, the iShack stakeholders meeting and the establishment of the Enkanini Research Centre. As power, in both visible and invisible forms, manifested itself in this volatile settlement and in awareness that the researchers role held power and that the researcher’s sets of knowledge, assumptions and prejudices could affect both research process and outcome, there was a need to find complementary methodologies to the main transdisciplinary research framework. Indigenous research methodologies spoke directly to power and the importance of capacity building and empowering research participants (shifting them to coresearchers), while reflexive research methodologies allowed the disciplined reflection and re-reflection to ameliorate influencing of process and outcome. In addition, each overcame the limitations of the other, in particular the limitation of transdisciplinary research that does not take power dynamics into account. This resulted in the creation of a methodological triad and a conceptual mechanism through which to view the results, termed co-arising. The three themes that had emerged during the process – understanding through knowledge co-production, capacity building through the awareness of power dynamics and engagement with the research space – are fused in this notion of coarising served by the methodological triad. The turning points, or bifurcations, were analysed through an “open” coding system used in grounded theory to minimise pre-conditions determining the outcome. Three dominant categories emerged – empowerment, identity and agency – as determinants for shifting power from government to citizens through effective coproduction of knowledge in an incremental upgrading process. The study concludes with recommendations for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie wou vasstel of die medeproduksie van kennis kan bydra tot ’n magsverskuiwing vanaf die regering na burgers in ’n trapsgewyse opgraderingsproses. Dit het van die veronderstelling uitgegaan dat so ’n verskuiwing wenslik sal wees. Die titel van die studie, Turning points: Exploring power transitions in an incremental upgrading process in Enkanini, Stellenbosch, dui op die komplekse, veranderlike en verskuiwende magsdinamiek in die onwettige nedersetting Enkanini op Stellenbosch. Die navorsing is binne ’n groter kruisdissiplinêre navorsingsraamwerk onderneem wat toegespits was op die inwerkingstelling van sosio-tegniese innovasies om Enkanini in ’n volhoubare menslike nedersetting te omskep. Die innovasies is deur medeproduksie van kennis in samewerking met inwoners van die nedersetting ontwikkel. ’n Gevallestudie bied ’n oorsig van skakeling tussen inwoners en die plaaslike Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit, nieregeringsorganisasies en akademiese navorsers van die Volhoubaarheidsinstituut aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Dit word aangevul deur die persoonlike verhaal van een van die eerste Enkaniniinwoners, wat in 2006 daar ingetrek het. Persoonlike waarnemings, interaksie met inwoners en medenavorsers, aantekeninge by vergaderings, die literatuuroorsig en praktiese ervaring oor die studietydperk van drie jaar het vier keerpunte na vore gebring. Hierdie vier keerpunte kan vertolk word as bifurkasies wat kan lei tot ’n nuwe benadering tot die hede vir die skep van ’n alternatiewe toekoms. ’n Dialektiese verkenning van die keerpunte is gevolglik onderneem. Die aanvanklike probleem word in elke geval beskryf, gevolg deur die reaksie en die uiteindelike uitdaging wat daaruit ontstaan het. Die vier keerpunte was die bekendstelling van die iShackkonsep, die aanvang van die iShack-projek, die vergadering van iShackbelanghebbendes, en die vestiging van die Enkanini-navorsingsentrum. Aangesien sowel sigbare as onsigbare vorme van mag in hierdie onstuimige nedersetting te sien was, en gedagtig daaraan dat die navorser oor ’n magsrol beskik het en die navorser se kennis, aannames en vooroordele die navorsingsproses sowel as -uitkoms kon beïnvloed, moes bykomende metodologieë ter aanvulling van die hoof- kruisdissiplinêre navorsingsraamwerk gevind word. In dié verband het inheemse navorsing direk betrekking gehad op mag en die belang van vermoëbou en bemagtiging onder navorsingsdeelnemers (om hulle as’t ware in medenavorsers te omskep). Oordenkingsnavorsing het weer ’n geleentheid gebied vir gedissiplineerde besinning en herbesinning om enige beïnvloeding van die proses en uitkoms te temper. Daarbenewens het elke benadering die beperkinge van die ander ondervang, veral die geneigdheid by kruisdissiplinêre navorsing om magsdinamiek buite rekening te laat. Sodoende is ’n metodologiese drietal en ’n konseptuele meganisme genaamd mede-ontstaan (“co-arising”) geskep, waarmee die resultate ondersoek kon word. Die drie temas wat gedurende die proses uitgewys is – begrip deur die medeproduksie van kennis, vermoëbou deur ’n bewustheid van magsdinamiek, en betrokkenheid by die navorsingsruimte – is byeengetrek onder die gedagte van mede-ontstaan, wat deur die metodologiese drietal onderstut is. Die keerpunte, of bifurkasies, is deur ’n ‘oop’ koderingstelsel uit gegronde teorie ontleed om die invloed van enige voorafbestaande toestande op die uitkoms te beperk. Hieruit is drie dominante kategorieë afgelei – bemagtiging, identiteit en vrye wil – synde bepalende faktore vir doeltreffende medeproduksie van kennis en die gevolglike verskuiwing van mag vanaf die regering na burgers in ’n trapsgewyse opgraderingsproses. Die studie sluit af met sekere aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing.

M.A. / The South African society of today reflects many characteristics typically found in a developing country. As urbanization increases, the demand for housing increases as well. Unfortunately there is an enormous difference between the demand for housing and the supply thereof. Poverty and unemployment in the rural areas has led to an increase of people flocking to the cities in search of a better future...

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Technikon, 2003 / 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 (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2007. / Apartheid land policy and its constitution as a whole conceptualized and structured South African in a way that encouraged inequalities in terms of land ownership, job opportunities and access to education and recreational facilities. The privileged few (whites and a few black elites and whosoever summarized with the former apartheid regime) got richer and richer while the less privileged people, (in this case, the majority of the black people of South Africa) got poor. They were even denied reasonable access to land and quality education. This investigative study examines the state in which they lived and how they are still living in Squatter Camp as an attempt to make qualitatively justifiable recommendations. Informal settlement is as old as the origin of urban settlement, which existed through industrialization process worldwide. A need for peace, jobs, security, housing and land ownership resulted in the establishment of informal settlement near big towns and mines. The most disadvantaged people, those characterized by poverty due to unemployment, lack of land ownership due to one reason or another move to informally settle nearer to areas in which there are possibilities for employment opportunities and better standard of living. Specifically, this study examines the deficiencies associated with the existing informal settlement through its assessment and evaluation. In this regard all aspects of assessment techniques of the way in which inhabitants of Disteneng informal settlement live i.e. interviewing processes (both structured and informal), observation through site visit, checking of documented information with regard to informal settlement etc have been used. The gaps that exist between urban life and the living conditions of people from squatter camp have been investigated and reflected.

Squatter settlements still represent the worst of urban poverty and inequality in Turkey. Yet the world has the resources, know-how and power to reach the best experiences. Urban transformation has become a topic of growing interest in many cities in the world. It has also become popular in Turkish cities and the most common urban transformation projects in Turkey are implemented in squatter settlements. However, while the scope of urban transformation interventions generally aims to improve the quality of urban life, increase the livability of cities in various aspects and provide cities with the ability to trace other cities in both national scale and the globalized world, it is still a question mark whether urban transformation projects are successful enough in improving every aspects of urban life and fulfill the promise of development for their inhabitants particularly by improving the lives of the poor and promoting equity. In this respect, this research tries to identify the success level of urban transformation projects implemented in squatter settlements. Since many urban transformation projects implemented extensively in squatter settlements in Turkey, generally with the aim of increasing the density of buildings and gaining rent over these areas, the concept of urban transformation has an indisputable importance to be researched. The key purpose of this thesis is to reveal the components of quality of urban and community life in terms of physical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions and provide both objective (quantitative) and subjective (qualitative) approaches over these components to assess the success level of Sentepe Urban Transformation Project and increase the success level of urban transformation projects in squatter settlements. This research will reveal up the degree to which Sentepe Urban Transformation Project will respond to the requirements of the criteria of urban quality of life. Further, this research aims to provide inputs for the next urban transformation interventions to guarantee the satisfaction of urban life and well-beings of local community in terms of various issues related to urban life. The key proposition of this research is &amp / #8216 / The success level of an urban transformation project depends on how far it provides an urban quality of life whose main indicators are both physical, environmental, economic, and social and objective and subjective aspects.&amp / #8217 / This thesis utilizes the experiences of one of well known project in the world which provides quality of urban and community life due to the multi-dimensional characteristics of urban transformation. Then, as stated above, the research focuses on &amp / #8216 / Sentepe Urban Transformation Project&amp / #8217 / in Ankara as a field survey and evaluate the success level of this project due to the success determinants proposed by this thesis. Finally, this thesis intends to increase the success level of urban transformation projects in squatter settlements and puts forward the success level of &amp / #8216 / Sentepe Urban Transformation Project&amp / #8217 / in terms of providing well-being of inhabitants in accordance with quality of urban life indicators and four dimensions of urban regeneration / physical, environmental, economic, and social.

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.

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.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.