Plastic View: an Exploration of the Experiences of the Poor in an Urban
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Plastic View: an exploration of the experiences of the poor in an urban informal settlement in Pretoria By Student: Lynette Mashika Student number: 11197562 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MSocSci in the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria February 2019 Supervisor: Dr Sepetla Molapo DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY This document must be signed and submitted with every essay, report, project, assignment, dissertation and / or thesis. Full names of student: ...………………………… Student number: ………………………………… Declaration 1. I understand what plagiarism is and am aware of the University’s policy in this regard. 2. I declare that this dissertation is my own original work. Where other people’s work has been used (either from a printed source, Internet or any other source), this has been properly acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. 3. I have not used work previously produced by another student or any other person to hand in as my own. 4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. SIGNATURE OF STUDENT:.......…………………………………………………………………. SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISOR:…………………………………………………………………… Ethics statement The author, whose name appears on the title page of this dissertation, has obtained, for the research described in this work, the applicable research ethics approval. The author declares that he/she has observed the ethical standards required in terms of the University of Pretoria’s Code of ethics for researchers and the Policy guidelines for responsible research. i ABSTRACT The urban landscape is always a politicised space characterised by struggles centred on the right to control it. The major actors in these struggles are usually: government officials, developers, as well as urban and informal settlement residents. The current study explores the experiences of the inhabitants of Plastic View using the concept of ‘place’ as an analytical tool. Based on this, the study highlights the power dynamics between the state and the residents of Plastic View. It demonstrates that the state is not a helpless and innocent victim of land grabs by the poor, but that its policies and actions towards the poor have contributed significantly to the establishment of informal settlements in South Africa. In addition, the policies of the government play a significant role in the formation of informal settlements as they influence people’s access to the city and the benefits it offers. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the making of Plastic View cannot be attributed to a single cause, but rather to many actors and events. The findings indicate that there is no single sense of place that one can speak of, but that the different identities in Plastic View experience the place differently and have varied interests. The findings demonstrate the insurgency of the poor who have created their own cities under conditions not of their choosing; and thus, highlights their agency. In light of these findings, the study recommends a more collaborative approach to dealing with the housing challenge in South Africa, and that this should begin with a critical reflection of how informal settlements are thought of, and thus, treated as well as learning from the way in which residents of informal settlements use their space so that planners and the state can come up with resolutions that actually work for the people. Keywords: Apartheid; city; citizenship; global cities; informal settlement; institutions; insurgency; place; urban; state ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS “It takes a village to raise a child” it is often said. It also takes a village to do an MA degree. It has been through the guidance and support of the academic staff at the Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria, especially Prof Malehoko Tshoaedi and Dr Sepetla Molapo that this dissertation came together. For that, I thank you very much. Your support and reprimand; John, Obakeng and Songezo is also truly appreciated. You helped me push on when I thought I could not and held me up with your kind (and harsh) words. Lastly, to my parents and my friends: you have been a great support system. Your patience with me when I could not show up for you because I had to write, go to the field, or just could not handle socialising; your kindness to me when I felt stupid and wanted to quit, I appreciate it all. Thank you very much. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY ....................................................................................... i ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................iv TABLE OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................vii ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Rationale of the study .................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Aims and objectives of the study ................................................................................ 3 1.4 Research question ....................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Outline of mini-dissertation ......................................................................................... 3 1.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Urban informality .......................................................................................................... 4 2.3 The scramble for [South] Africa .................................................................................. 5 2.4 Dispossession and exclusion legislated .................................................................... 7 2.5 Cities: the preserve of the “rich” ................................................................................. 8 2.6 The segregation city ..................................................................................................... 9 2.7 World-class Cities .......................................................................................................12 2.8 Global citizens .............................................................................................................14 2.9 Informal settlements in a time of globalisation .........................................................17 2.10 Government’s response to informal settlements ..............................................21 2.11 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................23 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................25 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................25 3.2 Research paradigm .....................................................................................................25 3.3 Qualitative research ....................................................................................................26 3.4 Research design ..........................................................................................................27 3.5 Procedure for gaining access.....................................................................................30 3.6 Sampling ......................................................................................................................31 iv 3.6.1 Key-informant sampling ......................................................................................32 3.6.2 Theoretical sampling ...........................................................................................32 3.7 Data collection .............................................................................................................34 3.7.1 Document review .................................................................................................34 3.7.2 In-depth interviews ..............................................................................................35 3.8 Data analysis ...............................................................................................................37 3.9 Ethical considerations ................................................................................................38 3.9.1 Reflexivity .............................................................................................................38 3.9.2 Confidentiality ......................................................................................................39 3.9.3 Informed