Urban land tenure, tenancy and water and sanitation services delivery in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of the study was to develop a clear understanding of the relationship between land tenure, tenancy and water and sanitation services development planning and delivery in the context of rapid urbanisation in post-apartheid South Africa. The study revolved around mismatches which exist due the largely binary polarisation of urban land tenure in the form of the 'formal' and 'informal' view by municipalities which rely on technocratic approaches on one hand, and fragmented, sectorial interventions, to basic services delivery on the other. In addressing the problem for the research, emphasis was on lower-income working class neighbourhoods in the Western Cape Province, City of Cape Town in particular. Using a mixed methods approach where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used, data was collected from the following study sites: Nkanini (Khayelitsha), Mshini Wam (Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton), Langa (Old Hostels) and Kensington. These study sites were carefully selected for contrast and comparison, as the initial research in the area has revealed various prior tenure arrangements.