Urban struggles and the transformation of the apartheid local state: the case of community and civic organizations in Durban

Abstract

Although the global focus on South Africa has been at the national level, the struggle for the transformation towards a post-apartheid society is being played out largely at the local level. In fact it has been pressure for change at the local level from civic, community, ratepayers and residents' associations that has significantly informed national events. This paper examines the role of civic and community struggles in influencing the transformation of the local state in Durban from the early 1980s to the present time. The Durban Housing Action Committee resisted rent increases for low-income groups and opposed evictions, while the Campaign for a Democratic City initiated demands for a non-racial democratic city. These grassroots initiatives forced the local state to negotiate with the civic and community organizations. This paper also addresses the neglected question of the impact of social movements on local state transformation. It suggests that civic organizations represent powerful agents for socio-spatial transformation.