Stray urbanism: stray donkeys and place-identity in Makhanda, South Africa

Abstract

The presence of free-roaming livestock in cities is often seen as something that should be regulated, and zoning practices across the world generally attempt to restrict their presence or ensure their absence in urban areas. Apart from the health and safety reasoning behind such regulations, there is also a juxtaposition inherent within the presence of livestock in urban areas. This juxtaposition relates to the rural–urban dichotomy which presupposes that the presence of livestock is a rural characteristic and not an urban one. The present research challenges this dichotomy with the case study of Makhanda, South Africa. It utilises southern Urbanism and the contribution of donkeys to the place-identity of the city to frame this discussion. This paper used an online survey with residents of the city as well as key informant interviews to understand the layers of meaning that exist within local opinions on stray donkeys. It found that donkeys were seen by many as integral to the character or place-identity of the city. They were seen as both positive and negative symbols of the city – illustrating the juxtapositions within urban settlements and urbanism in southern cities. In this way, the case study reiterates the call from southern scholars to contextualise, reconceptualise and reframe urban theory so that is responsive to southern environments and experiences.