Enhancing Capabilities or Delivering Inequality? Contestation and Service Delivery in Urban South Africa by Amy Kracker Selzer M.S. Clemson University, 2004 B.A. SUNY Buffalo, 2002 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology at Brown University Providence, Rhode Island May 2012 Copyright © 2012 Amy Kracker Selzer This dissertation by Amy Kracker Selzer is accepted in its present form by the Department of Sociology as satisfying the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date _____________________________ _____________________________ Patrick Heller, Chair Date _____________________________ _____________________________ Nitsan Chorev, Committee Member Date _____________________________ ______________________________ John R. Logan, Committee Member Date _____________________________ ______________________________ Phil Brown, Reader Date _____________________________ ______________________________ Jose Itzigsohn, Reader Approved by the Graduate Council Date ____________________________ ______________________________ Peter M. Weber, Ph.D Dean of the Graduate School iii Curriculum Vitae Amy Kracker Selzer was born in Buffalo, NY on April 16, 1981. She completed her BA in International Studies at SUNY Buffalo in 2002 and her MS in Applied Sociology at Clemson University in 2004. In 2004 she began a position as Research Project Leader at Arbitron and began work on her PhD at Brown University in 2006. Her dissertation fieldwork in South Africa was generously funded by grants from the National Science Foundation. She has presented her work at a number of professional conferences and invited talks in universities in the United States and South Africa and recently published “The Spatial Dynamics of Middle Class Formation in Postapartheid South Africa: Enclavization and Fragmentation in Johannesburg" with co-author Patrick Heller. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of a number of individuals. First, I'd like to thank my advisor and mentor Patrick Heller for his years of guidance and encouragement. From reviewing multiple versions of proposals and dissertation chapters to providing opportunities for me to go to South Africa and do research, Patrick has been instrumental in helping me to develop my ideas and research skills. I'd also like to thank the other members of my committee, Nitsan Chorev and John Logan who have done an amazing job of providing encouragement along with the critical perspective necessary for continually improving upon my work. I'd also like to thank Phil Brown and Jose Itzigsohn for their comments and feedback. I would like to thank the National Science Foundation Human and Social Dynamics Program, the National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant, the Watson Institute for International Studies, and Brown University for the financial support that made this research possible. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the numerous government officials, activists, residents, and academics in Cape Town and Johannesburg who were kind enough to give their time to contribute to my research. I would particularly like to thank Graeme Gotz, Vishwas Satgar, and Athish Kirun in Johannesburg and the late Craig Haskins in Cape Town for their assistance in accessing data and introducing me to informants. I would also like to thank Sophie Oldfield, Sian Butcher, Michelle Williams, and their teams of graduate students whose work with me on a simultaneous project provided many of the insights for this dissertation. v Throughout graduate school I have been lucky enough to form wonderful friendships that have provided the support that has made the experience that much more enjoyable. I am grateful to Sinem Adar, Shruti Majumdar, and Dikshya Thapa for reading over many drafts of my work, serving as a sounding board for my ideas, and making sure we had fun along the way. I'd also like to thank Jen Costanza, Angelica Duran Martinez, Chris Gibson, Diana Graizbord, Sukriti Issar, Daniel Schensul, Heather Silber Mohamed, Daniela Villacres, and Myungji Yang for all the fun and laughter they've contributed to my graduate school experience Throughout this process, the love and support of my family has been invaluable. My parents, Bill and Laura Kracker, have always encouraged me to explore and challenge myself; lessons that have served me well in pursuing my education. My sisters Karen and Tracy have also provided extensive encouragement. I would like to thank my father-in-law, Ben Selzer and my mother Laura Kracker for the last minute child care that made it possible to complete this dissertation. Finally, I'd like to dedicate this dissertation to my husband Chris Selzer who has been unbelievably supportive over the last six years. He has pushed me to take advantage of every opportunity that has come my way and provided unending love and laughter throughout. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my daughter Adelaide. I hope that as she grows she has similar opportunities to explore and question the world around her while surrounded by love and encouragement. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: URBAN GOVERNANCE REGIMES AND PATTERNS OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT..................................................................................................................16 CHAPTER 3: MUNICIPAL VARIATION IN PATTERNS OF SERVICE DELIVERY ............................................................................................................................................66 CHAPTER 4: URBAN GOVERNANCE AND SERVICE PROVISION IN TOWNSHIPS...................................................................................................................125 CHAPTER 5: URBAN GOVERNANCE AND SERVICE PROVISION IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS..............................................................................................................175 CHAPTER 6: CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS.......................................................236 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION........................................................................................279 REFERENCES................................................................................................................301 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1: Urban Governance Regimes in Cape Town and Johannesburg.......................14 Table 3-1: Comparing Cape Town and Johannesburg.......................................................68 Table 3-2: Percent of Population with Access to Services: Cape Town............................73 Table 3-3: Percent of Population with Access to Services: Johannesburg........................73 Table 3-4: Race and Service Provision in Cape Town......................................................82 Table 3-5: Race and Service Provision in Johannesburg...................................................83 Table 3-6: Gross Value Added Per Capita in Cape Town and Johannesburg 1996-2004 ............................................................................................................................................89 Table 3-7: Municipal Revenue Per Capita 2002-2005......................................................89 Table 3-8: Changes in Informal Living Arrangements in Cape Town and Johannesburg ............................................................................................................................................91 Table 4-1: Service Delivery in Khayelitsha.....................................................................132 Table 4-2: Service Delivery in Soweto............................................................................132 Table 5-1: Service Delivery in Philippi...........................................................................181 Table 5-2: Service Delivery in Diepsloot........................................................................182 Table 7-1: Urban Governance Regimes...........................................................................281 Table 7-2: State-Society Relationships............................................................................286 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 3a: Spatial Distribution of Non-White Population in Cape Town - 1996..............76 Figure 3b: Spatial Distribution of Non-White Population in Johannesburg - 1996..........77 Figure 3c: Changes in Percent of Population with Access to Capability-Enhancing Services..............................................................................................................................80 Figure 3d: Changes in Distribution of Healthcare Facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg 1996-2001...................................................................................................87 Figure 4a: The Ideal of the Apartheid City......................................................................127 Figure 4b: Healthcare Facilities in Khayelitsha...............................................................133 Figure 4c: Healthcare Facilities in Soweto......................................................................134 Figure 4d: Map of Khayelitsha in Cape Town.................................................................139 Figure 4e: Map of Soweto in Johannesburg....................................................................157 Figure 5a: Healthcare Facilities in Philippi.....................................................................183