The influence of informal settlement housing on the social citizenship of informal settlement residents in the Cape Metropolitan Area

Abstract

People by their nature stay in groups that eventually become the communities they live in and belong to, thus developing social norms. These norms are primarily expected to be the guiding principle and determinant of the quality of life amongst the community members. Of particular interest is the relationship between the communities, culture and language, which informs the norms. South Africa is divisible into 11 languages suggesting eleven cultural groupings living in the same country, and these have eleven different value systems which have now been integrated to some degree. The country's economic situation has negatively impacted the maintenance of the cultural values, compounded by the need for the people to move away from their communal groupings into new hitherto unexpected situations. With the country's economy strongly urbanised, the tendency of the national populations has been going to migrate to areas where life quality is perceived to be better. The study focuses on the sudden change of the residence within the country, the effect on cultural values and the change in the whole structural dynamics for the individuals. A mixed research methodology using a descriptive research design was used to enable the phenomenon's comprehensive understanding. Most of these “relocators” had no formal accommodation and thus stayed in informal settlements; the study sought to identify the difficulties they encounter. The research has shown that people who are living in this informal settlement experience unemployment and poverty. The majority of the informal settlement dwellers here come from the Eastern Cape. Recommendations are provided at the end of the study.