Abstract
M.A.
Urbanization is a common feature worldwide and is even more prevalent in modern
societies. This has brought tremendous changes to all known social structures. Third
world countries, including South Africa, usually lack the capacity to effectively
accommodate the influx from rural areas.
A shortage of houses is the main reason for informal settlements being erected on the
outskirts of these cities. Informal settlements are expanding almost daily. This can
either be contributed to the insufficient infrastructures provided by third world cities or
the influx of people from surrounding areas.
There is a definite difference between the problems experienced by people living within
the formal and informal parts of a city. The different type of problems experience by
people living in different type of settlements has a direct influence on the survival of
households in different settlements. Although previous studies have been conducted to
determine the household structures in informal settlements, none have helped to give
an understanding of the survival methods used by these settlements. Knowledge of
their survival methods is needed to help support and develop these settlements.
This study is therefore aimed at determining how these mostly unemployed and
homeless people survive, considering their limited resources. A qualitative study was
conducted, in the form of unstructured interviews, with the heads of twenty one
households in Mandela informal settlement near Daveyton. Only twenty of the
interviews were used for the purpose of this study.
The main areas of investigation were:
the biographical information of the households to determine whether different
survival skills are used by certain household types, means to earn an income,
the problems experienced with domestic services, and
how different households solve these problems.
In this study no indication could be found that there are links between the household
structure, survival methods and problem solving skills of different households in the
Mandela area. The normal household structures, such as nuclear family, single- and
extended households, were found in Mandela. In this sample, most nuclear families
consist of between two and six family members. Amount the respondents most working
members of these households are employed in the informal sector. The respondents
income range from 8500.00 to 81000.00 monthly. In this study is was found that
households with no income rely heavily on family and friends for support.
Most households in this study have running water, electricity, removal of refuse and
sewerage systems in place. Most of the respondents in this study believe that these
services are commodities. Except for their complaint about the costs involved, the
respondents have no problems with the services. Households in study seem to have
adapted to their circumstances and cope without amenities though people living in
formal settlements would not. This, however, does not mean that they do not have the
need for these services.
After the study was conducted to find out whether the household that were interviewed
in this study, use different type of strategies to survive in Mandela the findings indicated
that there are perhaps no clear-cut survival strategies between different household
types. Therefore the researcher argued that, perhaps living in an informal settlement is
in itself a strategy of survival. This, however, needs to be further investigated.