Abstract
Located in the north of Johannesburg, Steyn City is recognized as a prosperous estate that offers security and luxury living. However, this mega-project was developed on land previously occupied by the Sgodiphola informal settlement also known as the Zevenfontein informal settlement. To create space for this development, former residents of Sgodiphola, commonly known as the “Zevenfontein squatters” were forcibly evicted. The forceful removal of the Sgodiphola informal settlement to make way for Steyn City’s development raises concerns about displacement, land ownership and socio-economic inequality in the pursuit of urban development and exclusivity. Therefore, the purpose of thesis is to address these concerns by investigating the history of the Sgodiphola informal settlement from its initial establishment to its demise in order to clear the way for the construction of Steyn City. This is accomplished by utilizing archival materials, newspapers, photographs, oral interviews, and reliable secondary sources.
In Johannesburg’s metropolitan and peri-urban areas, informal settlements, displacement, evictions, a lack of access to land and adequate housing did not cease with apartheid, rather they have become a common reality of the post-apartheid scenery. Thus, indicating that land access, adequate housing, forceful evictions are unresolved national concerns. Therefore, the history of the Sgodiphola informal settlement serves as an ideal illustration for comprehending how these issues transitioned from apartheid to post-apartheid.
Informal settlements in the southern part of Johannesburg are well documented and have for a long time been the primary focus to conversations about informal housing in South Africa. This arose from the Group Areas Act, which set aside the south of Johannesburg for Black people. This thesis, however, challenges the general historiography by shifting focus to Sgodiphola, once the biggest informal settlement in northern Johannesburg. This shift in focus is crucial because land invasions and large, temporary informal settlements continue to accommodate disadvantaged Black South Africans in north of Johannesburg- a sight that continues to be under examined in historical studies.