Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Research Articles

Challenges Experienced by Youths Leaving Kinship Foster Care in Johannesburg, South Africa

Young people who leave kinship foster care in South Africa typically encounter greater difficulties transitioning to adulthood when compared to their peers who grow up with their biological parents. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges experienced by youths leaving kinship foster care in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa. The study used a qualitative approach and exploratory, descriptive and contextual research designs. Twenty-three participants were selected by using purposive sampling. The researchers utilised semi-structured interviews as an in-depth data collection tool. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings demonstrated that although youths leaving kinship foster care had access to education, some were unable to finish their secondary education. In addition, the findings showed that poverty and job insecurity were some of the challenges experienced by youths leaving kinship foster care. Furthermore, the findings indicated that youths leaving kinship foster care required social support services such as educational and financial support. Thus, the study recommends developing initiatives to improve school completion rates for youths in kinship foster care; establishing financial support programmes; creating job placement services; offering comprehensive social support; and advocating for policy reforms to help these youths transition to adulthood and independent living.

Open-plan office employees’ perceived mental and social well-being

PurposeOver the past century, office designers have adapted to changing work conditions across various industries by creating workspaces that cater to the needs of modern workers. As a result, a range of office layouts have been developed, from traditional private offices to open-plan setups. The choice of layout can significantly impact communication, social interaction and overall performance. This study aims to explore the social and mental well-being of employees working in open-plan offices in the public sector in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa, focusing on five governmental departments. Using purposive sampling, employees working in open-plan offices were identified. A structured online interview form with open-ended questions was distributed to all selected employees between May and September 2021, resulting in 54 responses. Thematic content analysis using ATLAS.ti was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings suggest that while open-plan offices can enhance teamwork, communication, accessibility and inclusivity, their design can negatively affect employees’ perceptions of social and mental health in the workplace. Specifically, open-plan designs are perceived to compromise privacy, shorten attention spans, lower productivity and increase stress levels. Interestingly, absenteeism was not reported by employees in this study, which contradicts previous research and requires further investigation.Practical implicationsThese findings can be valuable for human resource managers, facilities managers and office space designers.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the ongoing conversation surrounding the impact of open-plan offices on the mental and social well-being of employees in the public sector within the South African context. The contribution of this paper thus lies in the South-African context and the public sector angle plus a more in-depth insight on well-being through an extensive set of 54 interviews.

Spatial governance of the peripheries in South Africa: Past lessons and a look into the future

were initially based on race, but they are mutating to be based on class despite the majority of black Africans being confined in the urban peripheries.Aim: This article aims to examine how governance works in the peripheries to determine lessons that can be learnt to ensure future social cohesion.Setting: The study was conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa, with participants from the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Institute of Security Studies (ISS) and South African Local Government Association (SALGA).Methods: The study adopted a qualitative approach, interviews and a literature survey were used to obtain primary data. Data were analysed using content analysis.Results: This study reveals that spatial governance is a complex phenomenon, as there were factors that were not considered post-apartheid era. The adoption of neoliberalism and current approaches to governance have failed to fundamentally transform spaces in Johannesburg, spaces such as Soweto, Diepsloot and Alexandra.Conclusion: Spatial governance is still influenced by past legislations. There is a need to ensure that there is political will coupled with innovative measures to ensure spatial transformation in South Africa, especially in the peripheral spaces, and to minimise deprivation experienced in the peripheries.Contribution: This study contributes to understanding of spatial governance and its attributes in urban peripheral spaces.

Good Governance and Leadership as Stimuli for Quality Service Delivery: The Case of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

Good governance and good leadership as stimuli for quality and sustainable service delivery have become serious concerns in the way municipalities in South Africa are managed and led. Whilst this article employs the City of Johannesburg as a case study, it also uses social contract theory to evaluate good governance and good leadership as stimuli for quality service delivery. The researcher conducted structured face-to-face interviews and reviewed documents to collect data. To obtain primary material, elected, bureaucratic, municipal trade union and community leaders, as well as residents, were interviewed. Secondary data was obtained by reviewing relevant documents on good governance and good leadership. The study found that municipal leaders defied and undermined the rule of law and displayed uncaring, unethical and dishonest leadership qualities, thereby failing to deliver quality and sustainable services to residents. Instead of using the authority ceded to them in the form of a social contract to facilitate accountable and good leadership, municipal leaders used it to undermine good governance that could have otherwise yielded the accountability and ethical conduct expected of them by the residents whom they represent in the council. In confirming the appropriateness of the application of social contract theory here, the results showed that municipal leaders did not live up to the ideals of, and failed to conform to, qualities of good governance and good leadership, as they did not consult, listen to, or maintain relationships with the local people on a regular basis, and in so doing, undermined their own ability to enhance democracy at the local level. Eventually, municipal leaders did not mobilise or influence community members to become involved in the planning and implementation of budgeted projects and programmes to meet local needs. The significance of this study lies in its analysis of good governance and good leadership as stimuli for quality and sustainable service delivery in municipalities, while generating information and guidelines on how municipal leaders can practise good governance and good leadership to implement quality and sustainable service delivery.

THE FISCAL AUTONOMY OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUNICIPALITIES TO LEVY RATES: AN APPRAISAL OF City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Zibi [2021] ZASCA 97

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 protects the fiscal autonomy of local government. Integral to this autonomy, is the original power given to municipalities to impose rates on property. This power is regulated by the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004 (MPRA). In City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Zibi (234/2020) [2021] ZASCA 97 (9 July 2021), the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) had to decide on whether the City of Johannesburg was entitled to levy a rate in the form of a penalty on residential property for illegal or unauthorised use, without first changing the category of the property on its valuation roll or supplementary roll, from “residential” to “illegal or unauthorised” use and publishing this in the provincial gazette. The majority judgment held that the City’s decision to levy a penalty in respect of the use of the property within its jurisdiction was not ultra vires its constitutional and legislative powers because it had done so as part of a validly adopted property rates policy. On the contrary, the minority judgment came to the conclusion that the City was not empowered under section 8 of the MPRA to determine “illegal use” as a category of rateable property, nor to include such category in its rates policies. The minority judgment held that the action of the City of Johannesburg was illegal. This article appraises the judgments of the SCA in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Zibi. It argues, inter alia, that although the reasoning of the majority judgment was correct, it overlooked the transitional arrangements in section 93B of the MPRA that was introduced by section 35 of the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Amendment Act 29 of 2014. In addition, it is argued that the position adopted in the minority decision is wrong because it reflects the closed list of ratable properties that municipalities must comply with after 1 July 2022. This overlooked the wide discretionary powers municipalities enjoyed in relation to differentiation and categories of rateable properties as a result of transitional legislative arrangements.

Rethinking Public Spaces in Africa

The struggles for land and spatial justice feature very strongly in the modern history of the African continent, which has not only deeply shaped the continent’s history, but continues to shape its present and unfold in its future. In such contexts, geographic space as well as public space is layered with physical, symbolic and political meanings. Who has access to the benefits and resources of the city and who does not, who is able to flourish and who cannot, are therefore part of much larger historical and societal questions, reflecting the beliefs and values we hold and pursue as communities, governments, nations, and perhaps also as Africans.The centrality of public spaces in Africa informed the formation of the Centre on African Public Spaces (CAPS). Initially established by the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality in response to the 2018 Africities Summit’s call for a regional knowledge-sharing platform on public spaces, CAPS is the first multidisciplinary initiative formed through international collaborations with the ‘UN-Habitat Global Public Space Programme’ and the ‘GIZ Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention Programme’. CAPS also brings together municipalities and provincial governments across the continent, universities and civil society organisations.

Detecting land use and land cover change for a 28-year period using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images in the Jukskei River catchment, Gauteng, South Africa

The Jukskei River catchment is one of the urban catchments in the central part of Gauteng province covering a large part of City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and small part of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipalities that have witnessed tremendous land use/land cover (LULC) change over time. Jukskei River catchment is one of the fastest growing catchments in terms of population and change in LULC over time. Therefore, it is very important to detect the nature and extent of these changes in order to identify the direction and future expansion of LULC within the catchment area. To accomplish that, multi-temporal satellite remotely sensed data acquired from Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) 1987, Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) 2001 and Landsat-8 Operational Land imager (OLI) 2015 were used to detect LULC change in Jukskei River catchment area. The Jukskei River catchment was classified into four major LULC classes including: Built-up area, bare surface, sparse vegetation and intact vegetation. The analysis of the results revealed that for the past 28 years (i.e., 1987-2015), built-up and bare surface areas have increased by 56.2% (42713.1 ha) and 8,2% (6225.1 ha) while intact and sparse vegetation have decreased by 9.8% (7455.0 ha) and 25.8% (19659.6 ha), respectively. The overall accuracies for 1987, 2001, and 2015, were 85.9%, 87.5%, and 92.5% respectively, with Kappa Index of Agreement (KIA) of 81.3%, 83.3%, and 90% which indicates the accuracy of classified images with the reference images. The results revealed by this study can be used for decision-making activities and policy development regarding land use management within the catchment.

FACTORS IMPEDING SERVICE DELIVERY IN SOUTH AFRICAN MUNICIPALITIES: THE CASE OF CITY OF JOHANNESBURG

Ponte Academic JournalAug 2022, Volume 78, Issue 8 FACTORS IMPEDING SERVICE DELIVERY IN SOUTH AFRICAN MUNICIPALITIES: THE CASE OF CITY OF JOHANNESBURGAuthor(s): Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad ,Itebogeng MasibigiriJ. Ponte - Aug 2022 - Volume 78 - Issue 8 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2022.8.9 Abstract:Municipal government faces a number of difficulties in providing improved services, which occasionally sparks protests from the local communities. The study’s objective was to look at the institutional factors that affect how services are delivered by the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (CoJ). The research approach used is a qualitative one. Document analysis was utilised to gather secondary data, while interviews with CoJ employees were used to get primary data. The article's main emphasis is on Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Local Economic Development (LED) policy considerations. The effective service delivery theory was chosen as the study's theoretical framework.The findings show that the statutory framework for service delivery in South Africa is appropriate and offers clear recommendations for local municipalities. Furthermore, municipalities may find a solution in the theoretical framework of effective service delivery. This theory places a strong focus on the concepts of effectiveness and appropriateness in service delivery. Despite the theoretical, legal, and conceptual frameworks for service delivery, there is little indication that they are being utilised and valued in South African municipalities. In the context of CoJ, it is evident that the city's designation as ‘The City of Gold’, the discovery of minerals like gold and copper in Johannesburg, as well as vacant land and the city's name, have all contributed to the significant influx of migrants looking for a better life. There is no question that the CoJ has a well-run administrative structure, but a chain reaction has rendered the intended service delivery insufficient. Additionally, there are concerns about the dedication of individuals who have been given the responsibility of providing services. In light of the findings, political and policy proposals have been made that might help the CoJ and other South African municipalities provide better services to their citizens. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

Anchoring human resource management to sustain employee performance at Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

Orientation: Practices employed to manage the human resources at Johannesburg (JHB) Metropolitan Municipality were explored to unearth their impact on employee performance.Research purpose: The study sought to reveal the human resource management (HRM) practices that could support employee performance at local government.The motivation for the study: The achievement of organisational goals depends on HRM practices that enhance employee competencies. Employee performance in municipalities is often considered to be substandard. This study aimed to strengthen HRM practices to enhance performance at JHB Metropolitan Municipality.Research approach/design and method: The qualitative inquiry adopted an interpretive stance to reveal participants’ experiences that relate to employee performance. Ten participants were identified purposively and the obtained data were analysed with the assistance of the Atlas.ti software.Main findings: Whilst the organisation’s employee-attraction practices were strong, its retention practices were weak. Employees generally felt undervalued, which negatively affected their morale and the organisation’s goal attainment.Practical/managerial implications: The organisation should introduce effective employee-retention strategies, focussing on thorough needs analyses, skills development and rewards linked to performance. Building employee commitment should be prioritised.Study contribution: Human resource management effectiveness in the Johannesburg Municipality would be enhanced by appropriate soft HRM investment in senior management either through recruitment or development or both. Furthermore, the municipal culture should change from HRM practices that are influenced by tradition to an adaptive approach that responds to public-sector dynamics and varying employee expectations.

Appropriate Internal Appeal Mechanisms for Approval of Building Plans: Exploring the Gaps Left by the Constitutional Court

This article explores the gaps left by the Constitutional Court's jurisprudence in relation to what the appropriate internal appeal mechanism should be at the level of municipalities for the approval of building plans. This follows the unanimous judgment of the Constitutional Court in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Chairman of the National Building Regulations Review Board 2018 5 SA 1 (CC) in which the Court found section 9 of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977 (NBR Act), subjecting municipal building decisions to appeal by a "Review Board" appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, to be inconsistent with the original constitutional powers of municipalities over planning and building regulations. We argue that although the ground for holding section 9 of the NBR Act unconstitutional is already deeply entrenched in the Court's planning jurisprudence, the judgment has left a whopping gap on where prospective/future appeals can be lodged and the nature of such an appeal mechanism, where municipal officials disapprove building plans in terms of section 7 of the NBR Act. It is submitted that the invalidation of section 9 by the Court has completely left it up to each individual municipality to decide on whether and how an internal appeal for the approval of building plans is to be pursued. After exploring the options available in terms of other local government legislation, we argue that the most appropriate way to close the gap left by the Court is for Parliament to enact an amendment to the NBR Act providing for an internal appeal mechanism that allows for a measure of coherence and uniformity across municipalities, and yet respects the autonomy of local government.

Service delivery challenges in Protea Glen, Johannesburg

Background: Protea Glen is located in the north of Lenasia and west of Soweto. The face value of Protea Glen is massively disappointing, as the streets are dirty, sewerage pipes are always leaking, rubbish is dumped on every street corner and the streets have potholes and are in a poor condition. Aim: This article, within the framework of good local governance theory, examines the status of service delivery and institutional measures for improvement in Protea Glen. Setting: The study is based in Protea Glen, Region D: wards 13 and 135. It falls within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng province, South Africa. Methods: The study adopted a mixed-method data collection approach in conducting the research, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys, supplemented with a literature and document review. Results: The findings revealed several causal factors leading to poor access to water, poor sanitation, inappropriate sewerage services, lack of refuse collection and inadequate electricity services in Protea Glen. Conclusion: The study proposes recommendations, such as the use of effective technology, educating the community, improving communication and enhancing citizen participation, which all municipalities in general and Protea Glen in particular should take into consideration.

Household’s Satisfaction with Water Supply in Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

When Cape Town was hit by drought in 2017, Johannesburg dam levels were also been affirmed as low affecting some parts of Johannesburg areas. At the time of famine, other cities including Johannesburg contributed water through various projects to the residents of Cape Town. South Africa being one of the water strained countries is worsened by the growing inequality among the poor and the rich with the former having the feeling that the later are treated better. The study was piloted in Johannesburg within Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (JMM). The population size was sampled from the households within the municipality’s regions namely A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The aim was to assess household’s thoughts in view of service quality offered by the municipality on water supply. Even though the study focused on the efficiency of water supply, the inquiry was limited only to service quality provided to households and not the product quality. Despite the fact that households in this municipality proclaim their satisfaction regarding the quality of supplied water, a majority expressed trepidations about communication breakdown between the municipality and households. People indicated that the municipality does not care about people’s good health and wellbeing. According to results, there are no active engagements between the municipality and households. The study discovered that household water consumers have no or little acquaintance about water endeavors. For an example, there was a high ambiguously when people were asked their opinions on the accuracy of billing for consumed water, per household. At the time of this study, only 28% of respondents were convinced that billing is in fact accurate; 30% alleged that it is not accurate and a massive percentage of 41% expressed that they are not sure about the level of accuracy where billing is concerned. Household views on water conservation also substantiate the limited knowledge that people have about water. Generally, people assume that because they are taking a short shower instead of a bath and close a tap while brushing teeth; therefore, they are saving water. The municipality should first increase its transparency to all water users in the city to ensure that the awareness is satisfactorily created.

Parallel Planning Mechanisms as a "Recipe for Disaster"

This note offers a critical reflection of the recent landmark decision in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Gauteng Development Tribunal which lay to rest the negative consequences of employing the DFA procedures of the Development Facilitation Act 67 of 1995 (DFA) alongside those of the provincial Ordinances to establish townships (or to use DFA parlance, “land development areas”). The welcome and timely decision in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Gauteng Development Tribunal has declared invalid chapters V and VI of the DFA. Moreover, it has formalised planning terminology in South Africa, delineated the boundaries of “municipal planning” and “urban planning and development” as listed in Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and, in the process, clarified the structure of planning law. This note examines the decision of the SCA and focus on the role it will clearly have in reforming some of the law relating to planning. It considers the facts of the case, uncertainties around terminology, the structure of planning in South Africa, the content of municipal planning, the role of the DFA and the consequences of the declaration of invalidity by the SCA.

Megaprojects and urban visions: Johannesburg's Corridors of Freedom and Modderfontein

The purpose of this article is to examine the urban visions articulated in two large projects in Johannesburg. Using the Corridors of Freedom project, led by the Johannesburg metropolitan municipality, and Modderfontein, initiated by a Shanghai-based developer, we show that the intention of large projects varies significantly despite often similar rhetoric. We show also that the actors and interests involved are more diverse than may initially appear, and that the outcomes are less certain than the confident public pronouncements suggest. Each project promises to make a distinct and positive impact on the morphology of the city, with the Corridors of Freedom project attempting to densify and diversify urban use along transit corridors through a long-term process of encouraging transformation within existing areas of the city. Modderfontein, by contrast, is intended as one of the largest privately-led residential, commercial and industrial developments in South Africa and would occur on previously undeveloped land. Both projects speak languages of sustainability and of inclusion, although neither is likely to address the housing needs of the poorest populations in Gauteng Province. The article underscores the sometimes arbitrary uptake of these projects into policy frameworks at different levels of government. With the Gauteng provincial government having defined megaprojects in terms of new cities, it enthusiastically endorsed Modderfontein, and left Corridors of Freedom somewhat outside of its initial frame of interest.

Outcomes of treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis at public sector primary healthcare clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa: A retrospective cohort study.

Despite the large number of tuberculosis (TB) patients treated in South Africa (SA), there are few descriptions in the published literature of drug-susceptible TB patient characteristics, mode of diagnosis or treatment outcomes in routine public sector treatment programmes. To enhance the evidence base for public sector TB treatment service delivery, we reported the characteristics of and outcomes for a retrospective cohort of adult TB patients at public sector clinics in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (JHB), SA. We collected medical record data for a retrospective cohort of adult (≥18 years) TB patients registered between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012 at three public sector clinics in JHB. Data were abstracted from National TB Programme clinic cards and the TB case registers routinely maintained at study sites. We report patient characteristics, mode of diagnosis, mode of treatment supervision, treatment characteristics, HIV status and treatment outcomes for this cohort. A total of 544 patients were enrolled in the cohort. Most (86%) were new TB cases, 81% had pulmonary TB, 58% were smear-positive at treatment initiation and 71% were HIV co-infected. Among 495 patients with treatment outcomes reported, 80% (n=394) had successful outcomes, 11% (n=55) were lost to follow-up, 8% (n=40) died and 1% (n=6) failed treatment. Primary healthcare clinics in JHB are achieving relatively high rates of success in treating drug-susceptible TB. Missing laboratory results were common, including follow-up smears, cultures and drug susceptibility tests, making it difficult to assess adherence to guidelines and leaving scope for substantial improvements in record-keeping at the clinics involved.

Evaluating procedural modelling for 3D models of informal settlements in urban design activities

Three-dimensional (3D) modelling and visualisation is one of the fastest growing application fields in geographic information science. 3D city models are being researched extensively for a variety of purposes and in various domains, including urban design, disaster management, education and computer gaming. These models typically depict urban business districts (downtown) or suburban residential areas. Despite informal settlements being a prevailing feature of many cities in developing countries, 3D models of informal settlements are virtually non-existent. 3D models of informal settlements could be useful in various ways, e.g. to gather information about the current environment in the informal settlements, to design upgrades, to communicate these and to educate inhabitants about environmental challenges. In this article, we described the development of a 3D model of the Slovo Park informal settlement in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa. Instead of using time-consuming traditional manual methods, we followed the procedural modelling technique. Visualisation characteristics of 3D models of informal settlements were described and the importance of each characteristic in urban design activities for informal settlement upgrades was assessed. Next, the visualisation characteristics of the Slovo Park model were evaluated. The results of the evaluation showed that the 3D model produced by the procedural modelling technique is suitable for urban design activities in informal settlements. The visualisation characteristics and their assessment are also useful as guidelines for developing 3D models of informal settlements. In future, we plan to empirically test the use of such 3D models in urban design projects in informal settlements.

Automatic Classification of Roof Objects From Aerial Imagery of Informal Settlements in Johannesburg

Improving the planning and provision of public services for those living in informal settlements depends on the availability of accurate demographic information. However, such data frequently do not exist because traditional survey and census methods are rarely successful in these environments. In this paper, the use of automatic feature extraction from aerial imagery is proposed as an alternative to these ground-based methods. We focus on the identification of roof and non-roof objects in an informal settlement called Diepsloot, situated close to Johannesburg in South Africa and home to approximately 200,000 people. Reference data provided by City Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality authority is used to validate the results of our automated analysis, which achieved an overall accuracy of 80.5 % when compared to manual delineation.

A survey of online social networking used to support health awareness campaigns in the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality

Background: The Department of Health (DoH) at the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality in South Africa develops various health awareness campaigns aimed at creating awareness of general health risks within the Johannesburg area. According to staff members of the DoH, the resources utilised in the current campaigns fail to reach a sufficiently broad audience and the campaigns struggle to deliver the intended messages. Furthermore, the development and implementation of campaigns are time consuming and costly.Objectives: This research focused on how online social networking (OSN) can support health awareness campaigns for the DoH in the Johannesburg region. OSN may be regarded as a tool that will assist the DoH to reach a wider audience, send health-related messages and provide a two-way communication channel.Method: The research used an exploratory research design with a purposive non-probability sample. A survey was used as the data collection instrument. Statistical analysis was performed on the data obtained from the surveys.Results: The results indicate that the DoH can benefit from the use of OSN in health promotion campaigns. The benefits include, but are not limited to, an increase in engagement with the target market, ease of use and reach within the specified audience.Conclusion: Although there are numerous advantages associated with the integration of OSN by the DoH, the DoH needs to develop training and development programmes for OSN to encourage its use by DoH staff members. The main aim of the programmes is to create internal OSN capabilities to support the OSN strategy.

The effects of greening the supplier and innovation on environmental performance and competitive advantage

Companies in South Africa should realise the important influence of greening their suppliers and of innovation to achieve environmental goals and competitive advantages. In order to prove this, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 75 companies from 11 industries in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality region, South Africa. A confirmatory factor analysis was done, followed by bivariate correlations to determine the strength of association between the latent constructs. Correlations between greening the supplier, innovation, environmental performance and competitive advantages were done. The research found that a green innovative process had a significant effect on environmental performance. Green managerial innovation further had a significant correlation with competitive advantage. The primary result of the study indicated that all the constructs positively related to each other, meaning that greening suppliers, by means of green innovation, leads to an enhanced environmental performance and to competitive advantages.

Blue Moonlight Rising: Evictions, Alternative Accommodation and a Comparative Perspective on Affordable Housing Solutions in Johannesburg

The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Blue Moonlight Properties 39 (Pty) Ltd is a welcomed addition to the eviction jurisprudence in South Africa. Courts have jostled for years with the question of whether socio-economic rights should be enforced in the context of adequate housing and evictions. Today, the central questions in comparative constitutional law deal with how courts should enforce such rights. In other words, what are the remedies for violations of socio-economic rights? The usual proposed remedies are coercive orders aimed at guaranteeing occupiers the denied rights directly, planning orders, or procedural benefits. Amidst Blue Moonlight’s increased interest amongst academics, practitioners and jurists, as an example of South Africa’s ‘new normality assumption’ and its realisation of procedural benefits to people facing imminent eviction from private property, is a comparative housing policy yet to be discovered and considered in South Africa. A policy-oriented interpretation of the text of the lower Court’s opinion in Blue Moonlight reveals the policy blueprint of several housing voucher programmes currently operating in the United States that may serve as a new model on how to enforce socio-economic rights for occupiers facing imminent eviction – the Blue Moonlight remedy. Vouchers are a primary mechanism for providing affordable, safe and decent housing to the poor in the US and ought to be considered by academics, policy-makers, jurists and public officials as one of many potentially innovative solutions to Johannesburg’s housing woes.