Informal Settlements In South Africa Research Articles

Young Men’s Experiences of Being Fathered and Absent Father’s Experience: A Case Study from Urban Informal Settlements in South Africa

AbstractThe impact of absent fathers can be a significant challenge for young people, but particularly for young men. Our study drew on 19 in-depth interviews with young men living in urban informal settlements in South Africa, to understand how they understood the impact of biological father absence. Young men described an idealized fatherhood role in which biological fathers provided economic support, active fathering (including emotional support), and social recognition of children. Young men described biological father absence in very emotional terms, including the exclusion from family networks, and having negative economic and educational impacts. Furthermore, men saw biological father absence as impacting on their current situation, and as part and parcel of their wider social marginalization in South Africa. Social fathers — alternative male role models as they grew up — while described as existing, were not felt to be adequate in replacing biological fathers, despite the economic support and guidance some described receiving. Engaging with young men around the repercussions of biological father absence is important for supporting young, poor men in South Africa.

Living the life of floods: Place-based learning in an Anthropocene harmscape

This article explores how place-based learning and the development of landscape literacies unfold in a place suffused with a complex set of risks resulting from inter-operating and intersecting sociohistorical, political and environmental factors. By analysing assemblages of images and accompanying texts produced through a photovoice process undertaken by co-researchers in an informal settlement in South Africa’s Cape Flats, we show that residents are embedded in an ongoing process of embodied place-connectedness that has extensive pedagogical impact. We suggest that the learning that takes place in this harmscape may enable residents’ survival at the cost of allowing for either hope or the possibility of transformative change.

Profiling bacterial communities of irrigation water and leafy green vegetables produced by small-scale farms and sold in informal settlements in South Africa

Morogo is an African indigenous term used for leafy green vegetables harvested in the wild or cultivated in small-scale farms and consumed by the local populations of the region. Small-scale farmers have gained recognition as important suppliers of morogo to informal settlements. In commercial production systems, leafy green vegetables have increasingly been reported as associated with foodborne pathogens and disease outbreaks. Little is known of the presence of these organisms on leafy green vegetables in the informal unregulated food systems. This study aimed to profile bacterial communities in irrigation water (flooding and overhead irrigation water) and leafy green vegetables (Brassica rapa L. chinensis and Brassica rapa varieties of morogo) to establish the natural bacterial flora at the water-fresh produce interface from five small-scale farms in two provinces in South Africa. Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing showed that each farm exhibited a unique bacterial community composition, with an overall high relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, including prominent families such as Burkholderiaceae (48%), Enterobacteriaceae (34%), Bacillales Family XII (8%), Rhodobacteraceae (3%), Micrococcaceae (1.98%) and Pseudomonadaceae (1.79%). Specific Enterobacteriaceae Serratia, Enterobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Buchnera, Citrobacter, Klebsiella and Proteus were identified, in addition to unique communities associated with plant or irrigation water source. These findings suggest that the edible plant microbiome can play an important role as transient contributor to the human gut and has the potential to affect overall health.

Beyond the Grid: The Micropolitics of Off‐Grid Energy in Qandu‐Qandu, South Africa

AbstractIn this paper, we argue using smart technologies beyond the grid disrupts the access and use of existing energy sources, with profound impacts on everyday social life. We show how off‐grid smart energy solutions constitute their own politics when considering existing conceptualisations of urban infrastructures in geography and the social sciences. To expose its politics, or “micropolitics”, we consider how tensions occur at the interface between infrastructures, where there are additions and modifications. We draw on an empirical example of Qandu‐Qandu, an informal settlement in South Africa, to highlight how the placement, technical capabilities, and flexible financing options associated with off‐grid solar energy create micropolitics with profound implications for everyday life. To conclude, we reflect on the value of using disruptions for understanding and enhancing equity in off‐grid settings, contributing to the broader sustainability transitions narrative, and its “liveliness”.

Disasters recovery and rehabilitation in informal settlements: the role of fourth industrial revolution technologies

Fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technology has been proved a disaster management strategy. The technique may improve post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation regarding delivering goods and services to affected communities. There is a paucity of literature regarding 4IR usage in enhancing post-disaster recovery and rehabilitating informal settlements in South Africa. Thus, this study provides a collective insight into pre- and post-disaster reconstruction issues and the role of 4IR technologies. A qualitative research design through a face-to-face approach and three case studies were used to collect data. For the interview section, 17 participants were engaged via semi-structured interviews in Johannesburg, South Africa. Findings show that 4IR technology is germane in the 21st-century era and relevant in post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation in informal settlements. Inadequate resources (finance and workforce), damage to major infrastructure systems, absence of a comprehensive supply chain during these periods, lax implementation of post-recovery and rehabilitation for the affected communities, and lax enforcement of planning policies and practices by the government emerged as factors hindering post recovery and rehabilitation. This study will contribute to informing policymakers to develop a platform for monitoring and implementing 4IR technologies in planning existing and future infrastructure delivery in South Africa.

Pre-morbid cardiometabolic risks among South Africans living in informal settlements.

Numerous studies have been conducted on cardiometabolic risk factors in South Africa. However, not much has been done in informal settlement populations faced with their own set of health risks. This study screened for pre-morbid cardiometabolic risks and associated factors among adults living in informal settlements in South Africa. A cross-sectional study used the WHO STEPwise questionnaire to collect data on demography, anthropometry, blood pressure, and glucose and cholesterol levels (n = 329). Cardiometabolic risks were based on the criteria considered by the International Diabetes Federation and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Data were analysed using STATA 14. The median age of the participants was 35 (25-42) years. Cardiometabolic risk factors among the participants were hypertension (66%), overweight/obesity (45%), abdominal obesity (46%), and elevated cholesterol (15%) and glucose levels (7%). The metabolic syndrome was found in 17% of the participants, with a high prevalence observed among participants aged 35-59 years (28%) and ≥ 60 years (40%). The metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with gender [males, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.20-0.90] and age, 35-59 years (AOR = 5.07, 95% CI: 2.24-11.23) and ≥ 60 years (AOR = 6.57, 95% CI; 1.57-27.54). Prevalent cardiometabolic risk factors in informal settlements indicate the need for routine screening for all the components of the metabolic syndrome at the primary healthcare level.

Challenges encountered by female migrants in accessing primary health care services - a case study of an urban informal settlement in South Africa

Challenges encountered by female migrants in accessing primary health care services - a case study of an urban informal settlement in South Africa

Assessing the role of depression in reducing intimate partner violence perpetration among young men living in urban informal settlements using a mediation analysis of the Stepping Stones and Creating Futures intervention

ABSTRACT Background Stepping Stones and Creating Futures (SS/CF) is a gender transformative and economic empowerment intervention that has effectively reduced the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) by young men living in informal settlements in South Africa. Objective This study examines whether depression mediated the association between SS/CF intervention and decreased IPV. Method Data from a two-arm cluster randomised community-based controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of SS/CF in lowering IPV were obtained from 674 young men aged 18–30 within urban informal settlements in South Africa. After being randomly assigned to either the experimental arm (SS/CF) or the control arm, the participants were followed up for 24 months. Logistic regression using mediation analysis was conducted to see whether changes in depressive symptoms mediated the association between the intervention and reduced IPV perpetration. Results Findings from the mediation analysis indicated that those assigned to the SS/CF experimental group reported lower depression (β = -0.42, p < 0.05) at 12 months, and this was subsequently associated with reduced IPV (β = 0.43, p < 0.05) at 24 months. The direct path from SS/CF to IPV was originally (β = -0.46, p < 0.01), but reduced in the mediation model to (β = -0.13, p = 0.50). Depressive symptoms mediated the association between the SS/CF intervention and decreased IPV perpetration. Conclusion These findings suggest that one pathway through which SS/CF decreased IPV was through improvement in mental health (i.e. depression). Future IPV prevention interventions may consider incorporating components that focus on improving mental health as a way of also reducing IPV perpetration in disadvantaged settings.

Solutions to waste management in informal settlements in South Africa

Solutions to waste management in informal settlements in South Africa South Africa has retained some of the unjust laws following the Apartheid system, but rapid urbanisation has resulted in burgeoning informal settlements, often situated on the periphery of major cities and towns, where clean water is often inaccessible and waste management is limited. Clean water is the main catalyst for the projects conducted by the Waste FEW ULL team, Kevin Winter, Adina Paytan, Sue Charlesworth, and Jana Fried. The motivation for developing the ULL arose out of concern about the contaminated water and its impact on human health and the environment. Rising demand for land and houses has made people struggle to overcome existing income and wealth disparities, with high levels of unemployment and poverty remaining, leaving many only able to live in so-called informal settlements. The concept of Urban Living Labs (ULLs) has advanced from centres that were largely seen as test beds of innovation to become sites of learning and places where stakeholders can co-create solutions to address critical issues and challenges.

Assessing risk factors and health impacts across different forms of exchange sex among young women in informal settlements in South Africa: A cross-sectional study

For women in South Africa, engaging in exchange sex, including transactional sex (TS), or sex work (SW), is associated with several shared poor health outcomes; yet the practices themselves differ in meaningful ways. SW is a form of commodity exchange, while TS is grounded in gendered relationship expectations of male provision and aspects of emotional intimacy. Additionally, exchange sex types could be imagined on a “continuum of instrumentality” from relationships that do not include material support; to those characterized, but not driven by support; to those primarily motivated by material support. We use cross-sectional data from 644 women ages 18-30 enrolled in a trial addressing intimate partner violence in urban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to assess whether these conceptualizations may also map onto different types or levels of risk. Using self-reports, we developed four exchange sex relationship categories corresponding to a continuum of instrumentality: no exchange-based relationship; TS with a main partner only; TS with a casual partner; and SW. Using tests of association and adjusted logistic regression models, we compared socio-economic and behavioural risk factors, and health outcomes across reported forms of exchange sex. We find little difference between women who report no exchange sex and those who report TS only with a main partner. By contrast, as compared to women not in exchange sex, women in casual TS and SW were poorer, and significantly more likely to report problematic alcohol use, past drug use, prior non-partner sexual violence, and PTSD; with aOR higher for women in SW for many outcomes. When comparing casual TS to SW, we find women in SW held more gender equitable attitudes and were more likely to report modern contraceptive use. We discuss the implications for distinguishing between TS and SW, and use of the continuum of instrumentality conceptualization for research and programming.

Is hope associated with HIV-acquisition risk and intimate partner violence amongst young women and men? A cross-sectional study in urban informal settlements in South Africa

ABSTRACT Hope is a concept that may mediate between the structural constraints people live under and their HIV-acquisition risk behaviours/experiences. Drawing on data collected as the baseline for an intervention trial between September 2015 and September 2016, among young (18–30-year-old), out-of-school women and men in urban informal settlements in Durban, South Africa, we assess whether hope, assessed by the Snyder Hope Scale, is associated with HIV-risk behaviours/experiences. 677 women (35.5%; 33.7%; 30.9%; low, medium, and high hope scores respectively) and 668 men (40.6%; 32.8%; 26.7%; low, medium, and high hope scores respectively) were included. Among women, adjusted analyses showed high levels of hope, compared to low levels, were associated with greater modern contraceptive use (aOR1.57, 1.04–2.37). For men, medium or high levels of hope, compared to low levels, were associated with reduced physical and/or sexual IPV perpetration (med: aOR0.55, 0.38–0.81, high: 0.38, 0.25–0.57), emotional IPV perpetration (med: aOR0.54, 0.36–0.80, high: aOR0.62, 0.41–0.94) and transactional sex (med: 0.57, 0.38–0.84, high: aOR0.57, 0.39–0.86) respectively. For men, hope potentially captured a pathway between an individual’s structural context and their HIV-risk behaviour. Yet this was not the case for women. It may be the Snyder Hope Scale does not adequately capture localised meanings of hope.

Agent-based modelling of electricty access in informal settlements in South Africa

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High levels of poor mental health among young men in urban informal settlements in South Africa: a community-based study of social determinants

ABSTRACT Informal settlements (high population density areas at the outskirts of urban areas characterized by lack basic amenities) in South Africa are consequences of apartheid regime’s discriminatory migrant labour and spatial policy and continue to grow. Living in informal settlements accompanies a mire of social/health challenges that threatens upward mobility, but few studies exist that document drivers of mental health challenges in these settings. We investigated the prevalence and social determinants of poor mental health for young men in informal settlements adjacent to one of the largest cities that is at the heart of HIV endemic in South Africa. This study involved a cross-sectional study with cluster sampling design of 674 young men aged 18–30 years residing in eThekwini informal settlement communities. We assessed the prevalence, and social determinants, of significant depressive (i.e., depression) and post-traumatic stress (i.e., PTS) symptoms using logistic regression. Given the complex survey design of the study, all analyses were adjusted for clustering. The prevalence of depression and PTS in the sample was 46.8% and 14.4% respectively. Results of the multivariable analyses indicated that severe food insecurity (aOR = 2.98, 95% CI:1.70–5.22), crime perpetration (aOR = 1.51, 95% CI:1.05–3.80), severe adverse childhood event (aOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.05–3.80), traumatic event exposures (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI:1.56–3.80) and problematic alcohol use (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI:1.20–2.49) were significantly associated with depression. While incomplete secondary education (aOR = 0.45, 95% CI:0.22–0.92), moderate food insecurity (aOR = 2.51, 95% CI:1.04–6.06), traumatic event exposures (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI:1.32–3.64) and problematic alcohol use (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.24–3.73) were significantly associated with PTS. Our study highlights the exceedingly high levels of poor mental health among young men in informal settlements, with depression and PTS being driven by economic/social conditions. Multilevel interventions that address the individual, interpersonal, and social variables that contribute to poor mental health are needed.

Challenges and solutions for the eradication of sanitation backlogs in the policy context of Free Basic Sanitation

Despite the constitutional obligation for municipalities to provide Free Basic Sanitation (FBSan) services to all, many people living in informal settlements in South Africa are still lacking access to adequate sanitation facilities. This study used qualitative methods to examine challenges and identify solutions for the eradication of sanitation backlogs in informal settlement of South Africa in the policy context of the FBSan. Findings suggest that the disconnection between the policy and its application in practice has created a deep divide between the service providers and consumers as recipients of the services. Consumers’ perceptions and expectations are a major barrier to the acceptance of the sanitation services provided by municipalities, often resulting in violent protests. Service providers face challenges when addressing the disjuncture between what people aspire to and what is possible in providing sanitation services. These findings infer that consumers’ needs, sanitation practices and settlement conditions should be thoroughly examined prior to the selection and deployment of sanitation facilities in informal settlements. Consumers should be engaged and involved in the choice of sanitation technologies and facilities. Such engagement should evolve around various sanitation technologies and facilities applicable to the nature and context of informal settlements, so as to address negative perceptions, attitudes and behavior concerning services provided by municipalities. Addressing challenges related to the eradication of the sanitation backlogs in the policy context of FBSan services needs to be grounded in the clarification of sanitation policy, a deep understanding of consumers’ needs, challenges and practices as well as settlements conditions, coupled with meaningful consumers’ participation at various stages of the decision-making process and coordination amongst institutions involved. Municipalities need to engage all stakeholders (mainly consumers) in order to ensure that the selected infrastructure and service level deployed are consensual. Unless subjective clauses of the FBSan policy are clarified, monitoring, enforcement and accountability mechanisms established and implemented and, consumers are engaged in the decision making processes, the eradication of sanitation backlogs in informal settlements as currently planned may not materialize.

THE PLANNING DILEMMA IN UPGRADING OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES: A PRACTITIONERS PERSPECTIVE ON THE INCLUSIVITY PARADOX

This article examines the inclusivity paradox and the interplay of power and influence that has led to the planning dilemmas observed in the upgrading of informal settlements in South Africa. It is based on the perspectives of practising planner that recognizes that inclusivity can facilitate the development of socially cohesive and sustainable settlements. The planning dilemmas are apparent at all levels of the planning process, from conceptualization, design, preparation, and implementation when the voices of planners can be subsumed or lost given the dynamic working environments in the local authorities. There is also a strong correlation between the historical exposition to colonialism and the apartheid legacy that was oppressive and racially discriminatory. This has led to the adoption an empathetic approach in development control in the cities and towns. The consequence of the post-democratic freedom and mobility is the increase in formalization of many municipalities with varying degrees of expansion and growth. The planning fraternity has no desire to replicate the oppressive land use zonings and forced removals of the past. It is concluded that inclusivity through an elusive concept is necessary in the upgrading of informal settlements occupied by some of the most vulnerable members of the society and with a background of oppression, aggression and bias in the allocation and development

Assessing gender and energy in urban household energy transitions in South Africa: A quantitative storytelling from Groenheuwel informal settlement

Energy transition in urban informal households requires gender considerations in everyday practices. However, few urban energy transition studies provide empirical evidence on gendered issues in informal settlements to inform policy on achieving affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. This study contributes to the scientific and policy knowledge gap on the relevant aspects to consider when managing the energy transition challenge posed by fast-growing informal settlements in urban Africa. Using quantitative storytelling, the study analyses a sample of 100 households from Groenheuwel informal settlement in South Africa and presents critical insights into where the gender of the household head matters. The basis for the analysis was on six aspects that can affect everyday household practices in the energy transition, namely, household characteristics, household composition, household building type, household fuel decision making, household energy expenditure and household energy service flows. Although the study used gender as a general perspective to build a knowledge base on household energy transition, the results show that not every aspect is associated with gender. In the Groenheuwel community, gender matters in the household characteristics and some aspects of household composition, which makes it necessary to take a gendered perspective in household fuel decision making, household energy expenditure and household energy services flows. These results also present divergent perspectives and are expected to vary across multiple scales and other urban environments.

Commentary: Theorising urban space

A reply to ... A critical Lefebvrian perspective on planning in relation to informal settlements in South Africa by Marie Huchzermeyer, published in Town and Regional Planning, 79, pp. 44-54. Henri Lefebvre’s prime contribution to theorising about society was to bring on board the concept of “space”, or perhaps more correctly, geography. Well into the 1940s Marxian analysis of capitalism remained wedded exclusively to time, that being the large-scale currents of change in history. The effect of urban and regional form, and its role in the reproduction of capitalism, received no mention because it complicated and fragmented Marxist analysis immeasurably. Unlike space, time can be treated as the same and regular, no matter where you are. Spatial structure differs significantly from one location to the next. Lefebvre’s was insistent, however, that no critique of capitalism is viable without incorporating the decisive role played by spatial form.

Socio-Economic Inequalities in Access to Drinking Water among Inhabitants of Informal Settlements in South Africa.

While evidence from several developing countries suggests the existence of socio-economic inequalities in the access to safe drinking water, a limited number of studies have been conducted on this topic in informal settlements. This study assessed socio-economic inequalities in the use of drinking water among inhabitants of informal settlements in South Africa. The study used data from “The baseline study for future impact evaluation for informal settlements targeted for upgrading in South Africa.” Households eligible for participation were living in informal settlements targeted for upgrading in all nine provinces of South Africa. Socio-economic inequalities were assessed by means of multinomial logistic regression analyses, concentration indices, and concentration curves. The results showed that the use of a piped tap on the property was disproportionately concentrated among households with higher socio-economic status (concentration index: +0.17), while households with lower socio-economic status were often limited to the use of other inferior (less safe or distant) sources of drinking water (concentration index for nearby public tap: −0.21; distant public tap: −0.17; no-tap water: −0.33). The use of inferior types of drinking water was significantly associated with the age, the marital status, the education status, and the employment status of the household head. Our results demonstrate that reducing these inequalities requires installing new tap water points in informal settlements to assure a more equitable distribution of water points among households. Besides, it is recommended to invest in educational interventions aimed at creating awareness about the potential health risks associated with using unsafe drinking water.

Agency under constraint: Adolescent accounts of pregnancy and motherhood in informal settlements in South Africa

Progress in adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) remains unequal: adolescent pregnancies are more likely to occur in marginalised communities, or in very poor households. This study aimed to comprehend from adolescents’ own perspectives, the circumstances of falling pregnant and coping with motherhood in informal settlements in South Africa, to better understand the SRH challenges adolescents in these settings may face. A qualitative study was carried out over a two-month period in 2019 to analyse the perceptions held by adolescents in informal settlements served by four community-level clinics in the adjacent township. We found that adolescents face overlapping barriers in seeking to avoid unintended pregnancy in informal settlements. Once they become mothers, their trajectory is limited by the resources and support available from their own parents, particularly their mothers, and to a lesser extent, their partners. We draw on the concept of agency to examine their accounts and to highlight the importance of addressing broader contextual constraints.

Risk factors for generalized anxiety disorder among young women and men in informal settlements in South Africa: A cross-sectional study

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common globally, particularly among young people, but limited research has been done on the risk factors for GAD especially in low-income settings. We sought to understand risk factors for GAD among young (ages 18–32) women and men from urban informal settlements in Durban, South Africa, enrolled in an intervention trial. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess risk factors, separately by sex. Using the GAD7 scale, among 484 women, 18.6 ​% reported moderate or severe symptoms of GAD. In multivariable analysis, moderate or severe GAD symptoms were associated with stealing because of hunger in the past month, stress because of lack of work, experiencing three or more past year experiences of adverse events, and past year experience of intimate partner violence. Among 505 men, 19.6 ​% reported moderate or severe GAD symptoms. In multivariable analysis, moderate or severe GAD symptoms were associated with stealing because of hunger in the past month, greater adverse childhood experiences, and three or more adverse experiences in the past year. Overall higher GAD symptoms were associated with poverty and violence experience and exposure, addressing these two factors is critical for reducing poor mental health.