HOW IS IT THAT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE LIVING IN SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS

POPULATION GROWTH
According to conservative estimate in 2011, between 1.1 and 1.4 million households, between
2.9 and 3.9 million people lived in informal settlements. The rate of population growth is more
a function of natural growth than other aspects such as in-migration to urban areas.
Despite stringent influx control measures to curb African urbanization, South Africa's
population grew steadily towards the end of apartheid.

POVERTY
In general the poor are inadvertently housed. The South African society is largely characterized
by extreme poverty, which is the leading social issue in the continuation of sprawling cities. The
rate of natural increase is highest among the poorest communities, which means that the poor
will constitute an ever increasing proportion of the total urban population for many years to
come
At present millions of South African face severe problems in accessing of the most basic
services, many of these ultimately become matters of life and death, particularly with regards
to issues of housing. More than 1 million families live in shacks, often sharing a single tap and a
mobile toilet.

CORRUPTION
In South Africa some staff members are involved in corruption activities which leading to among
other variables, people not on waiting list or people who do not qualify for government houses,
like foreigners, being granted preference in the allocation of houses.
Such conduct contradicts that every public official should display a sense of responsibility when
performing official duties, in other words the conduct should be above reproach. Corruption
has become widespread, particularly in the granting of housing subsidies, the selection of
building contractors and allocation of completed RDP houses between February 2010 and
January 2012 officials had charged of fraud and corruption leveled against them.

APARTHEID GOVERNMENT
The present government faced great difficulties and enormous backlog because of the
apartheid legacy. The apartheid state’s lack of investment in housing created an unprecedented
housing shortage and proliferation of squatter camps, then massive overcrowding was
inevitable.
The extent of the present informal settlements challenges derives not only from the enormous
size of the housing backlog and the desperation and impatience of the homeless , but steams
also from the extremely bureaucratic, administrative, financial and institutional framework
inherited from the previous government. The African National Congress admits that the
housing problems created by apartheid were however aggravated by the absence of a coherent
national housing policy, post apartheid.

UNAVAILABILITY OF LAND
Unavailability of land is the biggest housing delivery constraints I South Africa’s areas of
dolomite and shallow undermining. This is confirmed by one of the cities in South Africa the city
of Ekurhuleni annual report which states that a total surface area of the Ekurhuleni
Metropolitan Municipality area of jurisdiction is underlain by dolomite that needs to be
managed, controlled and developed in accordance with current legislation to prevent the
formation sinkholes and substances that can have a detrimental impact on infrastructure and
human life.

UNEMPLOYMENT
Increasing unemployment is one of the causes of informal settlements. The housing
development agency concurs in their statement that unemployment rate are noticeably higher
in informal settlements acting as “arrival cities” accommodating those seeking an entry point
the labour market.
A massive urban ward migration of population which the employment opportunities available
cannot absorb is one characteristic of the less developed.

POPULATION GROWTH
According to conservative estimate in 2011, between 1.1 and 1.4 million households, between
2.9 and 3.9 million people lived in informal settlements. The rate of population growth is more
a function of natural growth than other aspects such as in-migration to urban areas.
Despite stringent influx control measures to curb African urbanization, South Africa's
population grew steadily towards the end of apartheid.
POVERTY
In general the poor are inadvertently housed. The South African society is largely characterized
by extreme poverty, which is the leading social issue in the continuation of sprawling cities. The
rate of natural increase is highest among the poorest communities, which means that the poor
will constitute an ever increasing proportion of the total urban population for many years to
come
At present millions of South African face severe problems in accessing of the most basic
services, many of these ultimately become matters of life and death, particularly with regards
to issues of housing. More than 1 million families live in shacks, often sharing a single tap and a
mobile toilet.

CORRUPTION
In South Africa some staff members are involved in corruption activities which leading to among
other variables, people not on waiting list or people who do not qualify for government houses,
like foreigners, being granted preference in the allocation of houses.
Such conduct contradicts that every public official should display a sense of responsibility when
performing official duties, in other words the conduct should be above reproach. Corruption
has become widespread, particularly in the granting of housing subsidies, the selection of
building contractors and allocation of completed RDP houses between February 2010 and
January 2012 officials had charged of fraud and corruption leveled against them.

APARTHEID GOVERNMENT
The present government faced great difficulties and enormous backlog because of the
apartheid legacy. The apartheid state’s lack of investment in housing created an unprecedented
housing shortage and proliferation of squatter camps, then massive overcrowding was
inevitable.
The extent of the present informal settlements challenges derives not only from the enormous
size of the housing backlog and the desperation and impatience of the homeless , but steams
also from the extremely bureaucratic, administrative, financial and institutional framework
inherited from the previous government. The African National Congress admits that the
housing problems created by apartheid were however aggravated by the absence of a coherent
national housing policy, post apartheid.

UNAVAILABILITY OF LAND
Unavailability of land is the biggest housing delivery constraints I South Africa’s areas of
dolomite and shallow undermining. This is confirmed by one of the cities in South Africa the city
of Ekurhuleni annual report which states that a total surface area of the Ekurhuleni
Metropolitan Municipality area of jurisdiction is underlain by dolomite that needs to be
managed, controlled and developed in accordance with current legislation to prevent the
formation sinkholes and substances that can have a detrimental impact on infrastructure and
human life.

UNEMPLOYMENT
Increasing unemployment is one of the causes of informal settlements. The housing
development agency concurs in their statement that unemployment rate are noticeably higher
in informal settlements acting as “arrival cities” accommodating those seeking an entry point
the labour market.
A massive urban ward migration of population which the employment opportunities available
cannot absorb is one characteristic of the less developed.

HOUSING SHORTAGE
Housing is a contentious political issue in the country strictly social engineering during
apartheid meant that black people were disadvantaged. Cities were racially divided and the
black population forced to live far from places of economic activity and without public
amenities.
When it came into power in 1994 the new government tried to address these issues through
various strategies, initially focusing on building houses, then attempted to shift the focus from
“housing” to “ human settlements”.

 The rate of population growth is more a function of natural growth than other aspects
such as in migration to urban areas.
 Between 2.9 and 3.9 million people lived in informal settlements.
 The apartheid states lack of investment in housing created an unprecedented housing
shortage.
 The housing problem created by apartheid were aggravated by the absence of a
coherent national housing policy.
 Unemployment rates are noticeably higher in informal settlements.

 The poor are inadequately housed.
 The rate of natural increase is higher among the poorest communities.
 Staff members are involved in corruption activities which lead to among other variables,
people not on housing waiting list being granted preference in the allocation of houses.
 Corruption has become widespread, particularly in granting of housing subsidies.
