Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...

1. An Urban History of South Africa: From 1652 to the Present
to perpetuate the conflicts between the various ethnic groups), and the townships were
progressively administered by black municipalities that had neither funds nor technical
capacities. In this way, political separation was complete and allowed the government
to maintain a manipulative discourse touting independence and separate development
for populations in order to better match their different needs.
This spatial planning of separate development brought about an unbelievable
number of forced displacements, imposed long daily commutes, broke apart family units,
and divided the various ethnicities and populations to reign. This left a legacy for future
generations of an unfairly and lastingly divided territory when it came to urban
landscapes.
1.2. Since the End of Apartheid:
A Political Desire for Reconstruction
1.2.1. Progressive Changes Starting in the 1980s
The End of Apartheid
Starting in the 1970s, an anti-apartheid resistance movement grew stronger,
and strikes and demands became more and more frequent and formed what is called
the civic movement. The Soweto Uprising in 1976 was one of its most violent
manifestations. After having attempted to crush this resistance by declaring a state
of emergency, the government decided to give non-white populations more
manoeuvring room, and they progressively obtained the right to circulate freely, even
live anywhere, although this was rarely the case in practice. The Black Communities
Development Act in 1984 and then the Free Settlement Act in 1989 then allowed black
populations to own property; and the government withdrew from the management
of rental housing and progressively privatized real estate stocks in the townships.
Orderly urbanization was tolerated for black populations: cities could be established
in the homelands and renovation plans were launched for the principal townships such
as Khayelitsha in Cape Town and Alexandra in Johannesburg. Finally, the Upgrading
of Land Tenure Rights Act in 1991 explicitly ensured the right of all populations to own
land and residential real estate.
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© AFD 2009 Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities