Abstract
M.A. (Development Studies)
Urbanisation of the world‟s population has taken place at a phenomenal pace over the last six decades. South Africa‟s urbanisation rate has been estimated at between 60-64%; placing it above other developing nations like China, Brazil and Nigeria. This explosive growth has been driven to a great extent by the mushrooming of urban informal settlements on the peripheries of the nation‟s sprawling metropolitan cities. Government is faced with the serious challenges of providing basic services to the residents of such areas; chief among them being the provision of basic water and sanitation. The adverse health implications of the absence of these essentials can be severe and quite devastating on communities; giving rise to diseases such as typhoid, cholera and enteritis which are believed to be among the leading killers of infants and small children (Davis, 2006). The historical peculiarities of the South African society, underlined by the massive economic and social inequality that was created by an unjust apartheid system, make it even more difficult to address the needs of a growing urban poor population.
South Africa managed to meet the Millennium Development Goal targets for water and sanitation before the 2015 deadline but it appears much still needs to be done, particularly in informal settlements. Whilst the country has comprehensive legislative and policy frameworks that guide basic service provision, there are numerous other factors that determine the extent to which these policy objectives are achieved. This study examines the literature and unpacks the mixture of neoliberal and socio-democratic principles that underpin the provision of basic services in South Africa. There is a gap in the literature concerning the experiences and perception of informal settlement residents of water and sanitation in South Africa. The research investigates the water and sanitation situation in two informal settlements in the City of Tshwane. A mixed methods approach is utilised which combines quantitative, qualitative and case study techniques to enable triangulation and validation of results. The study first establishes the existing level of water and sanitation services in the two areas and compares them to other informal settlements nationally. It then seeks to capture residents‟ experiences and perceptions of the existing water and sanitation services. Finally the study identifies and examines the areas of contention that arise in the efforts to bring these services to informal settlements in particular.
The results of the study show that there is a poor level of water services in both settlements despite the quantitative data having initially suggested otherwise. It also finds an appalling state of affairs when it comes to sanitation, with no services existing at all in these areas thereby exposing communities to the risk of disease. A cocktail of lack of coordination between levels of government, token community participation, conflicting stakeholder interests, unclear tenure...