Planning out abjection? The role of the planning profession in post-apartheid South Africa

Phil Jones,Lorena Melgaco Silva Marques,Lauren Andres,Stuart Denoon-Stevens

doi:10.1177/14730952211012429

Phil Jones, Lorena Melgaco Silva Marques + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/14730952211012429

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Abstract

For Kristeva (1982) the abject not only caused visceral disgust but posed a threat to the established order of society. The abject is a product of particular times and places but limited attention has been given to understanding the process of transitioning away from abject status. We address this gap here through an examination of the planning profession in post-apartheid South Africa. The paper examines how the abject is fluid and resilient, evolving to fit a changing planning system and broader political economy where a discourse of abjection by race has been replaced by a focus on poverty.

Highlights

Racial zoning, comprehensive planning and town planning schemes were key tools in delivering the spatial segregation by race required under South Africa’s apartheid system (Harrison et al, 2008)
In this paper, we are interested in the path back from abjection, which we explore through our case study of planning in South Africa
The sample is somewhat over-representative of white planners (n = 50, compared to ~37% of South African planners registered after 1994 being white), this does reflect a slightly older cohort who were able to take a long view of the development of the profession

Summary

Introduction

Comprehensive planning and town planning schemes were key tools in delivering the spatial segregation by race required under South Africa’s apartheid system (Harrison et al, 2008). The planning profession was at the forefront of providing new township settlements, creating parallel systems of schools, hospitals, shops and other services designed to serve different racial groups (Christopher, 1987). In the years since 1994 there has been a clear policy discourse of creating a more equal society with various compensatory policies, attempting to remove racial abjection in law, and in lived experience (Ndletyana and Maimela, 2015). The cultural and spatial implications of the apartheid system did not suddenly come to an end with the introduction of new governance regimes (Berrisford, 2011). South Africa today remains a deeply divided country with extremes of wealth and poverty

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