Abstract
M.A.
For many years South African urban areas have experienced a massive rise of informal settlements due to rural-urban migration. This has put a lot of pressure on urban service delivery resulting in many poor people resorting to shacks for accommodation. In addressing the issue of service delivery the state often opt for top-down methods that involve little or no community input. In response, social scientists have increasingly made the case that inhabitants of informal settlements have the potential to improve their housing needs and well-being through the process of active community participation. This process requires community members to play an active participatory role in developmental projects to better their lives. For the Stjwetla informal settlers, improving living conditions meant being relocated from the banks of the Jukskei river. Given apartheid’s South African history where relocation was enforced, projects that involved relocation are not always welcome and often face community resistance. The aim of the research study was to explore the nature and level of community participation in ‘project higher ground’ and the impact it had on relocation and completion of the project. The study adopted a qualitative approach and an exploratory and descriptive design was utilised. The research population consisted of 13 participants who were moved from the Stjwetla informal settlement to reside in the Gift of the givers village. Data was collected through the use of in-depth face-to-face interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Information given by the participants was characterised by vague understandings of the project and what it entailed. Results showed that the project partly adopted a top-down approach which dominated the planning process. As a result community members did not fully influence the direction and implementation of the development process. Main conclusions drawn from the study was that community participation was varied due to the lack of proper community consultation. There was a group that was fully satisfied by the project and another group that was not satisfied by the outcome of the project. Both groups acknowledge the positive impacts of the project and the improvement in their living conditions. Furthermore, it is recommended that for communities to fully embrace projects, their views and concerns need to be considered, this entails involving the community in the decision-making process from beginning to the end of the project.