BENEFICIARY PERCEPTIONS OF A LOW INCOME … · beneficiaries although the South African ......
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i BENEFICIARY PERCEPTIONS OF A LOW INCOME HOUSING SCHEME - MDANTSANE TOWNSHIP. By Unathi Cordelia Bandile SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF MASTERS DEGREE In DEVELOPMENT STUDIES At NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY 2015 Supervisor: Dr Tim Froise
Transcript of BENEFICIARY PERCEPTIONS OF A LOW INCOME … · beneficiaries although the South African ......
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BENEFICIARY PERCEPTIONS OF A LOW INCOME HOUSING SCHEME -
MDANTSANE TOWNSHIP.
By
Unathi Cordelia Bandile
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
MASTERS DEGREE
In
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
At
NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
2015
Supervisor: Dr Tim Froise
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DECLERATION
I, Unathi Cordelia Bandile, hereby solely declare that the work contained in this thesis
is my own and my original work and the work of other scholars referred to here has
been duly acknowledged. I also declare that this thesis has not been previously
submitted to any institution of higher learning at any point.
_________________ ________________
Unathi, Bandile Date
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PERMISSION TO SUBMIT DISSERTATION FOR EXAMINATIONS
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DEDICATION
This is a special dedication to my late father Ntembiso and my late brother, Viwe.
May your souls rest in peace boNcuthu.
I also dedicate this work to my mother and only son, Sihlumile as well.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord, God, Almighty for granting me the
strength and wisdom to pursue my studies and to protect me throughout.
A special thank you goes out to my Supervisor, Dr Tim Froise for the guidance,
perseverance, humility and his untiring support that he has given me during my
journey. From you Tim I have learnt a lot because you even went beyond the call of
duty in trying to empower me. I further convey my sincere thanks to my friend
Professor Stunky Duku for having faith and seeing the potential in me and
encouraging me to do this research.
Without you, the Unit P residents, my research would not have been a success, I
humble myself before you, thank you ever so much. You were always willing to assist
me in every way you could.
I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to all my friends and classmates who
were always willing to help. A special thank you is extended to you Elsie, you stood
by me through thick and thin, always ready to lend a helping hand in every way you
could.
Lastly, to you Mama Wam, thank you very much for being my pillar of strength and
taking care of my child when I could not because I had to meet deadlines. Sihlumile,
my son thank you for understanding and keeping granny company when I was away
at school.
To you all guys: May the good Lord shower you with abundant blessings.
Thank You again.
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ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the socio-economic perceptions of the
beneficiaries of the low income housing scheme in Unit P, of Mdantsane Township,
under Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised in this study. For instance,
questionnaires on the perceptions were administered amongst twenty (20)
beneficiaries of this low housing scheme. Semi structured interviews were conducted
amongst five (5) respondents who participated in the survey design. The study found
that the intervention of providing poor people with houses was not appropriately done
as these houses are too small and therefore fail to consider the families of the
beneficiaries although the South African government seems to have succeeded to
some extent in providing low income housing for the unemployed and those that
belong to the low income category.
The study also found that the location of Unit P poses a threat because it is located
away from all the amenities compelling the beneficiaries to travel more than 5km to
the amenities and essential services.
The study therefore recommends that the government employs competent
contractors that would do a proper job. State officials, tasked with overseeing the
various state funded housing projects, have to ascertain the success of these
projects by making sure that the contractors do not lack skills such as the ability to
facilitate projects of a high magnitude as that could lead to flawed projects. They
should be constantly monitored and post evaluated. This will help to minimize the
wasting of state resources.
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LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADB : African Development Bank
ANC : African National Congress
ASGISA : Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa
BESG : Built Environment Support Group
BCMM : Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
BNG : Breaking New Ground
DBSA : Development Bank of Southern Africa
DK : Don‟t Know
EU : European Union:
F : Frequency
GEAR : Growth Employment and Redistribution Strategy
IHS : Institutional Housing Subsidy
NDoH : National Department of Housing
NHF : National Housing Forum
NHSS : National Housing Subsidy Scheme
N U : Native Unit
PHP : People‟s Housing Process
RDP : Reconstruction and Development Programme
SPP : Statistical Package for Social Sciences
TBVC :Transkei,Bophuthatswna,Venda,Ciskei
UN : United Nations
UNDP : United Nations Development Programme
USAID : United States Agency for International Development
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ......................................................................... 1
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ..................................................................................... 3
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................................... 4
1.4.1 Sub problems ................................................................................................. 4
1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .......................................................... 4
1.5.1 The aim .......................................................................................................... 4
1.5.2 The objectives ................................................................................................ 4
1.6 HYPOTHESIS ...................................................................................................... 4
1.7 SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE RESEARCH ......................................................... 4
1.8 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 5
1.8.1 Definition of key concepts .............................................................................. 5
1.9 METHODOLOGY, RESEARCH DESIGN AND RESEARCH METHODS ............. 6
Questionnaires .................................................................................................. 7
Interviews.......................................................................................................... 7
1.10 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 7
2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 8
2.2 INTERNATIONAL HOUSING POLICIES .............................................................. 9
2.3 INTERNATIONAL HOUSING ADEQUACY STANDARDS ..................................11
2.4 LEGISLATION, HOUSING POLICIES, AND PROGRAMMES OF SOUTH
AFRICA IN THE POST- APARTHEID ERA. ..............................................................12
2.4.1 The South African Constitution 1996 .............................................................13
2.4.2 The White Paper on Housing 1994 ...............................................................13
2.4.3 The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and Growth,
Employment and Redistribution GEAR ..................................................................14
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2.4.4 The Breaking New Ground (BNG) .................................................................16
2.5 SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................17
3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................18
3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Mixed-Methods Approach .................................18
3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN: Sequential Design ...........................................................19
3.3.1 The population under study ...........................................................................21
3.3.2 The sample size and sampling procedure .....................................................22
3.4 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................22
Questionnaires .................................................................................................23
Interviews.........................................................................................................23
3.4.1 Data analysis .................................................................................................24
3. 5 ETHICAL ISSUES ON RESEARCH ...................................................................25
3.6 SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................25
4.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................26
4.2 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO
PARTCIPATED IN THE SURVEY DESIGN ..............................................................26
4.2.1 Age distribution of the respondents ...............................................................26
4.2.2 Gender of the study respondents. .................................................................27
4.2.3. The nationality of the respondents ...............................................................27
4.2.4 Occupation of the respondents ......................................................................28
4.2.5 Number of dependents per respondent .........................................................28
4.2.6 The race of the respondents..........................................................................29
4.2.7 Level of education of the respondents. ..........................................................29
4.2.8 Marital status of the study respondents. ........................................................29
4.3 INCOME LEVELS PER MONTH AND THE STATUS QUO OF THE
RESPONDENTS. ......................................................................................................30
4.3.1 Levels of income in Rands and status of ownership of the respondents. ......30
4.3.2 Recipients of Government Grants .................................................................30
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4.3.3 Type of Government Grant the respondents receive. ....................................31
4.3.4 Status of ownership of the respondents ........................................................31
4.3.2 Expenditure on electricity per month in Rands ..............................................32
4.3.3 Period when the beneficiary got a house. .....................................................32
4.3.4 Period the beneficiary waited for the house...................................................33
4.3.5 Type of accommodation the respondents in lived in before. .........................33
4.4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF THE FIVE (5) RESPONDENTS WHO
PARTCIPATED IN THE CASE STUDY DESIGN ......................................................34
4.4.1 Table illustrating the five (5) Case study respondents ...................................34
4.5 THE PERCEPTIVE LEVEL OF THE Unit P HOUSES. ........................................35
4.5.1 The perceived limitations of the houses ........................................................35
4.5.2 Quality of the houses .....................................................................................37
4.5.3 Areas of concern with regard to the quality of the houses .............................38
4.5.4 Limitations in the houses ...............................................................................39
4.5.5 Perception of the houses ...............................................................................40
4.6 SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE UNIT P HOUSING .................................................41
4.6.1 Access to amenities ......................................................................................41
4.6.2 Proximity to amenities in kilometres ..............................................................42
4.7 SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................43
5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................44
5.2 PROFILE OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS .......................................................44
5.2.1 Age distribution of the participants. ...............................................................44
5.2.2 Gender, Nationality and Race .......................................................................44
5.2.3 Levels of education and the marital status of the study participants..............45
5.2.4 Occupation and the number of dependents...................................................46
5.3 INCOME LEVELS PER MONTH AND THE STATUS QUO OF THE
RESPONDENTS. ......................................................................................................47
5.3.1 Levels of income in rands and the status of ownership of the houses. ..........47
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5.3.2 Expenditure on electricity per month in Rands ..............................................47
5.3.3 Period when beneficiary got a house ............................................................48
5.3.4 Type of accommodation respondents lived in before ....................................48
5.3.5 Recipients of Government Grants .................................................................48
5.3.5.1 Type of Government Grant recipients receive ............................................48
5.4 THE PERCEPTIVE LEVEL OF THE UNIT P HOUSES. ......................................49
5.4.1 What the houses have and have not. ............................................................49
5.4.2 Quality of the houses .....................................................................................49
5.4.3 Areas of concern with regard to the quality of the houses. ............................50
5.4.4 Other areas of concern in general .................................................................50
5.5 SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE UNIT P HOUSING .................................................51
5.5.1 Access and proximity to amenities. ...............................................................51
5.6 CONCLUSION .....................................................................................................52
5.7 RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................53
Appendix A: Research Questionnaire ........................................................................60
Appendix B: Pictures .................................................................................................66
Appendix C: Certificate of Editing ..............................................................................70
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this chapter a presentation of the introductory part of the study is made. It contains
the background to the study, problem statement, sub problems, hypothesis, the aims
and objectives of the study and the location of the study.
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Mdantsane is a South African township, a part of the Buffalo City Metropolitan
Municipality (BCMM) situated between East London and King William's Town in the
Eastern Cape Province. It lies about 15 kilometres North West of East London Central
Business District. It is a big densely populated township with inhabitants who are mostly
Xhosa speakers (Mabindla, 2006). This township has its roots in the Apartheid era
(Urban Renewal Programme, 2006). This means that Mdantsane has its roots of being
as a result of the advancement of ideologies of the Apartheid system rather than a
development that would uplift the socio-economic status. This means that it was located
within an apartheid structure under the Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, Ciskei
(TBVC) States and was known by the name of Ciskei (Urban Renewal Programme,
2006).
The original inhabitants of Mdantsane were forcibly removed from what was known as
East Bank in East London (Urban Renewal Programme, 2006). This happened between
1964 and 1970, when thousands of families were resettled from the East Bank and put
in Mdantsane which was envisaged to grow into a city, but never materialised. Instead
there was a growth in population influx which consequently led to a growth in
unemployment, poverty along with violence and crime. (Mabindla, 2006).
This township is divided into eighteen Native Units (NU) which are still expanding, with
the newest unit known as Unit Postdam (Unit P). The Units are named numerically in
the chronological order of their establishment from Unit 1 to Unit 18( Mabindla 2006). It
is important to note that these Units were built in different times, and are not
homogeneous in terms of structure and size. For example, Units 1, 2, 3 and 5 have no
toilet facilities inside the houses. Also, none of the houses had complete bathroom sets.
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This is an illustration that before the dawn of democracy in South Africa, black people
were socially, politically and economically marginalised due to racial discrimination by
the apartheid government.
When the democratic government came into power in 1994, it was faced with enormous
task of redressing the imbalances caused by the apartheid regime. Human settlement
characterized by unacceptable living conditions, became a major problem that needed
to be addressed. The provision of housing for low-income families was stated as one of
the key pillars of the post-apartheid transformation. Housing was also identified as the
best instrument to fight poverty and inequality through the provision of services and
development of ownership (Hifab, 1998). The post-apartheid Ministry of Housing set a
target of providing one million low-cost houses within a period of five years from 1994 to
1999 as an integral part of the policy (Oldfield, 2000). The South African Housing
Department subscribes to the vision of the establishment of viable, socially and
economically integrated communities, situated in areas allowing convenient access to
economic opportunities, as well as to health, educational and social amenities in which
all South Africans will, on a progressive basis, have access to:
a) Permanent residential structures with secure tenure ensuring internal and external
privacy and providing adequate protection against the elements; and
b) Potable water, adequate sanitary facilities and domestic energy supply to low-income
homeless families. The goal is to improve the quality of living of all South Africans with
an emphasis on the poor and those who cannot independently satisfy their basic
housing needs.
Cullingworth (1967) also saw economic development, social development and
environmental protection as interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of
sustainable development, which are the framework for people‟s efforts to achieving a
higher quality of life for all. His view is also enshrined in Section 26(1) of the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa which states that everyone has the right to
adequate housing. It is also on the basis of the housing vision of South Africa that
sustainable housing will be the one which considers environmental, economic and
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social concerns in order to achieve the various objectives it is intended for and expected
to. There is however, some anecdotal evidence that the quality of most of these low-
cost houses is below the expected standards of living in that the size is very small and
its quality poor as well. In the townships these low income houses are even called
Vezinyawo, by implication meaning the small size of these. Even though there is also
some evidence in terms of photographs provided to support these expressions, some
believe that those who report on these are politically motivated, and that these cannot
be scientifically proven. Hence the aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of
beneficiaries of low-cost housing scheme at Unit P, in Mdantsane Township, of the
Eastern Cape.
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Literature indicates that during the Apartheid Era, black South Africans were
marginalized socially, economically and politically. This marginalization included the
sub-standard houses that were specifically built for blacks in Mdantsane. In an attempt
to improve the quality of lives of its citizens, the South African government introduced
low-cost housing schemes through its Reconstruction and Development Programme
which took effect after the democratic elections. This benefitted many historically
disadvantaged communities in the urban areas. The community of Unit P in the Buffalo
City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) is one of them.
Concerns about the poor quality of some of the houses delivered through government‟s
low-cost housing schemes have been expressed, mostly through the print media. Most
of these concerns were attributed to the defects which tend to show up in some of the
houses, shortly after being built. Some even believe that the Apartheid-built four
roomed houses were better off than the current low-cost houses. In light of such
concerns and the importance of the optimal utilization of the country‟s limited
resources, the researcher decided to undertake the study to research the perceptions of
the low-cost housing project, in a more scientific way. The main focus was on the
perceptions about the quality of these houses. The study revealed that not all of the
beneficiaries are satisfied with the quality of their houses. Hence recommendations for
addressing this situation are made.
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1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Main Research Question: What are the socio-economic perceptions of the low-income
housing beneficiaries of the Unit P project in Mdantsane?
1.4.1 Sub problems
What are the respondents‟ views of the quality and size of the low-cost houses?
What do respondents regard as the strengths and limitations of the low-cost
houses they have received from the government?
On the basis of these perceptions, what can South Africa learn about the
provision of low cost housing?
1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.5.1 The aim
The aim of this study is to determine the socio-economic perceptions of the
beneficiaries of low income housing scheme in Unit P of Mdantsane Township.
1.5.2 The objectives
To find out whether the houses in Unit P, Mdantsane are built in a manner that
satisfies their beneficiaries.
To learn of the successes and failures of the Unit P Project.
To make conclusions and recommendations based on the findings.
1.6 HYPOTHESIS
The provision of low-income houses should be of sufficient quality and improve the
quality of life and the standard of living of the beneficiaries.
1.7 SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE RESEARCH
This research is based on a study done on a sample of twenty households who are the
beneficiaries of low-cost housing scheme in Unit P in Mdantsane. Some of these
beneficiaries lived in sharing houses before and some lived in informal dwellings in
Mdantsane.
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Unit P is located to the west of Mdantsane NU15 and Fort Jackson Industrial area and
south of the N2 National Road joining East London to King Williamstown. Access to this
area is from the existing tarred road joining Potsdam South to the Mdantsane NU15.
This housing development is surrounded by an industrial development to the east.
Theoretically this study focused on the socio-economic perceptions of the beneficiaries
of the Unit P low cost housing scheme.
1.8 LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Brink (1996) a literature review is a process that involves reading,
understanding and the formation of conclusions about a theory and published research
on a particular topic. This is done in order to acquire knowledge for use in practice or in
order to provide a basis for conducting a study (Burns, 2003.).
In the literature review chapter, the researcher will have a look at what housing
adequacy means, and what the South African Constitution (1996), the Reconstruction
and Development Programme, the Housing White Paper and the Breaking New Ground
Policies say about the low income housing.
1.8.1 Definition of key concepts
Perceptions: A way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something. In
the context of this study, this relates to how the Unit P community regard their
houses and the socio economic conditions around them.
Beneficiaries: In the context of this study, beneficiaries are those that received
and are registered as owners of housing in Unit P, Mdantsane.
Low-income housing (in the South African context): Housing for people whose
combined monthly household incomes are below R3 500 per month.
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Socio-economic conditions: The social and economic status. In the context of
this study, this refers to the social conditions of the beneficiaries of the Unit P
low-cost housing as a result of their economic status.
1.9 METHODOLOGY, RESEARCH DESIGN AND RESEARCH METHODS
According to Silverman (2000) methodology defines how one will go about studying any
phenomenon. Holmes (2005) defines methodology as the philosophies and ideologies,
principles and values that underpin research.
According to Durrheim (2006), the term methodology refers to the methods that the
researchers utilise in carrying out research, while according to Neuman (2006), these
methods are either qualitative, quantitative or a triangulation of both qualitative and
quantitative methods. This study will triangulate both quantitative and qualitative
approaches with the quantitative approach being the dominant while the qualitative
approach will be less dominant.
The researcher will therefore be able to explore, assign and establish meaning as well
as unearth the quantified magnitude of the extent to which the Unit P housing project
meets the needs of the targeted beneficiaries in Mdantsane. Qualitative methods enable
the researcher to obtain more in-depth information about perceptions (Neuman 2006).
This means that by using qualitative methods the researcher will be able to know how
the Unit P housing beneficiaries perceive their houses. According to Durrheim (2006)
quantitative methods ensure high levels of reliability of the gathered data.
The purpose of this study is to determine if the initiative of the low income houses in
Unit P in Mdantsane improves the quality of life of the beneficiaries by obtaining their
perspectives.
Denzin and Lincoln (2000) define qualitative research methodology as a situated activity
that locates the observer in the world. It consists of a set of interpretive, material
practices that make the world visible.
As a means of collecting data from the twenty respondents sampled from the Unit P
population, the researcher will do the following:
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Questionnaires
For this study, a closed ended questionnaire will be used with a Likert-scale
design type of questions to measure the level of satisfaction of beneficiaries of
the low income housing scheme.
Interviews
These will be done in order to get the perceptions, views and thoughts of the
beneficiaries on their houses. There will be structured face to face interviews.
These will be used to gather data and the researcher will note their body language
and facial expressions when responding to a question.
The data collected will then be analysed and the results presented in the form of
graphs, pie charts and tables and a written report with recommendations will also be
done.
1.10 SUMMARY
This chapter entailed a presentation of the introductory part of the study. The
background to the study, problem statement, sub problems, hypothesis, the aims and
objectives of the study and the location of the study were done. A review of the literature
will be done in chapter two.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
A literature review steers a study to help it answer the research questions (Neuman,
2006). It is a platform for the researcher to disclose other valuable available insights on
the study topic from other researcher‟s point of view (Cooper, 1984, Marshall &
Rossman, 2006 as cited by Creswell, 2009). This study reviews the literature on the
delivery of the low cost houses and policies that are implemented by the South African
government during the post-apartheid era in the Unit P. This is also done in order to
understand the perceptions of the beneficiaries of the low cost housing scheme in Unit
P, specifically seeking to establish whether these do adequately meet the basic housing
standards required.
As already alluded to before, in the literature review chapter, the researcher will have a
look at the United Nations Housing Programme, at what housing adequacy means in
terms of the International Housing Adequacy Standards. The South African Constitution
(1996), Reconstruction and Development Programme, Housing White Paper, Breaking
New Ground Policies will also be looked at in terms of what they say about the low
income housing.
Snowman and Urquhart (1998) claim that for a house to be proper, it should and must
provide shelter, but shelter alone is not enough. It is a must that it also satisfies a
person‟s needs for a home of their own and a place for family life. They further maintain
that for low-cost housing, and any other housing to be sustainable, it has to be:
Socially sustainable – it must promote a sense of community and
safety, and must contribute to the physical and psychological well-
being of the inhabitants. Housing should promote community
involvement and responsibility.
Economically sustainable - it must be affordable and accessible
to the beneficiaries and for the local authorities responsible for the
maintenance of services. Affordability includes both initial capital
costs and on-going maintenance costs.
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Technically sustainable – it must use appropriate technology for
specific situations, so that the users of the technology can carry out
on-going maintenance. Technology must also be appropriate in
terms of environmental conditions.
Ecologically sustainable – this means that development activities
must not produce more waste and pollution than the natural
environment can absorb. Both renewable resources, like water,
wood and grass, and non-renewable resources like coal and metal,
must be conserved. Damage to the environment must be avoided.
A home, a roof over one‟s head, is a necessity, but for the average household it is an
expensive necessity (Needleman 1965). The difficulty of creating sufficient individual
units is compounded by growing urbanization in almost every country, especially
developing countries. Willis and Tipple (1991) noted prior to the democratically elected
government that the major housing problem is the shortage of affordable
accommodation for the urban poor, the low-income majority of people. More recently,
Ojo-Aromakudu (2013) noted that this problem still exists.
2.2 INTERNATIONAL HOUSING POLICIES
Most international housing policies have been influenced by neo-liberal policy positions
of the UN-Habitat and World Bank and by other international, bilateral and regional
development agencies and donors. These organisations advance the neo-liberal
development policies of the West, while dealing with broader humanitarian and
governance issues in developing countries. Some examples of the organisations are:
the European Union (EU); the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). There are also a
few Africa-based organisations supporting aspects of housing, e.g. the African
Development Bank (ADB) and in Southern Africa, the Development Bank of Southern
Africa (DBSA) (Omenya, 2006)
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The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat 11) met at Istanbul
from 3-14 June 1996 and adopted the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements and
the Habitat Agenda in which paragraph 39 pledges the following:
“We reaffirm our commitment to the full and progressive realization of the right to
adequate housing, as provided for in international instruments. … We commit ourselves
to the goal of improving living and working conditions on an equitable and sustainable
basis, so that everyone will have adequate shelter that is healthy, safe, secure,
accessible and affordable and that includes basic services, facilities and amenities, and
will enjoy freedom from discrimination in housing and legal security of tenure. We shall
implement and promote this objective in a manner fully consistent with human rights
standards.”(Habitat Agenda, paragraph 39.)
This therefore means that to have a place to live in a secured and peaceful habitat in
order to establish one‟s personal habitat is not a luxury, but a basic and fundamental
human right. There should be no citizen that is without adequate shelter in any part of
the world.
Also, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25(1) clearly states that:
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and wellbeing of
himself [or herself] and his [or her] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical
facilities.
The Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 also asserts that:
“The right to adequate housing is universally recognized by the community of nations...
All nations without exception have some form of obligation in the shelter sector, as
exemplified by their creation of ministries or housing agencies, by their allocation of
funds to the housing sector, and by their policies, programmes and projects... All
citizens of all States, poor as they may be, have a right to expect their Governments to
be concerned about their shelter needs, and to accept a fundamental obligation to
protect and improve houses and neighbourhoods, rather than damage or destroy them.”
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The Istanbul Declaration and the Habitat Agenda together constitute a reaffirmation of
the commitment to better standards of living and increased freedoms for all humankind,
as well as to improvement of the quality of life within human settlements and the
progressive realization of the human right to adequate housing. (Satterthwaite, 1997.)
2.3 INTERNATIONAL HOUSING ADEQUACY STANDARDS
“Adequate shelter means more than a roof over one‟s head. It also means adequate
privacy; adequate space; physical accessibility; adequate security; security of tenure;
structural stability and durability; adequate lighting, heating and ventilation; adequate
basic infrastructure, such as water supply, sanitation and health related factors; and
adequate and accessible location with regard to work and basic facilities: all of which
should be available at an affordable cost. Adequacy should be determined together with
the people concerned, bearing in mind the prospect for gradual development. Adequacy
often varies from country to country, since it depends on specific cultural, social,
environmental and economic factors. Gender specific and age factors, such as the
exposure of children and women to toxic substances, should be considered in this
context”. (UN Habitat, 2000)
It therefore becomes universally accepted that every citizen in every country does need
an adequate place to live peacefully with other citizens and, it is the obligation of every
government to provide means by which the dream of being adequately housed is
actualised.
The Built Environment Support Group BESG, (2000) notes that the right to adequate
housing is not only dependent on available resources but on appropriate legislation and
the way the housing development is carried out.
The (UN-Habitat, 2000) and (BESG 2000) therefore came up with principles upon
which housing adequacy should be based on, and for the purpose of this research only
the relevant ones are highlighted below:
Adequate housing should be culturally adequate in order to protect the cultural
identity of the people.
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Adequate housing must be in a location that allows access to employment
options, healthcare services, schools and other social facilities that make life
meaningful to the people.
Adequate housing must be habitable and the physical safety of occupants must
be guaranteed.
Certain facilities essential for health, security, comfort and nutrition should be
available.
Adequate housing should be sustainable and contributes towards larger
developmental objectives.
Adequate housing must be accessible to those entitled to it.
“The establishment of viable, socially and economically integrated communities in areas
allowing convenient access to a range of amenities and opportunities is without a doubt
the main challenge confronting housing policymakers and practitioners alike (Khan &
Thring 2003).
2.4 LEGISLATION, HOUSING POLICIES, AND PROGRAMMES OF SOUTH
AFRICA IN THE POST- APARTHEID ERA.
This section focuses on legislation, policies and programmes that govern and regulate
housing provision in South Africa. The South African government has developed
legislation, policies, and programmes that give clear guidance and mandate to all the
responsible parties in terms of providing for the housing needs of the country. These are
largely influenced by a need to address the negative effects of decades of the apartheid
system and at the same time, respond to regional and international laws and standards
on development, especially sustainable development. It is imperative to note that the
housing policy of South Africa is based on a once-off housing subsidy, to be used for
the provision of a nuclear home that can be extended over time
According to Victor (2006) the White Paper on Housing (1994) which forms the key
basis for most of the housing legislation and laws was first drafted by the NHF (National
Housing Forum), and has since been adapted in instituting policies and programs such
13
as the National Housing Code (2000), Breaking New Ground (2004), Inclusionary
Housing Policy (2007) and the Housing Act (1997)
These programmes, laws and legislations are aimed at bringing into law the
implementation strategies for housing and to set up the various governmental agencies
that are to act on them. Low cost housing provision is achieved through a policy such as
the National Housing Subsidy Scheme (NHSS) where subsidies are provided for low
income households, the People‟s Housing Process (PHP) where communities
benefiting from housing programmes take part in the decision making and
implementation level and the Institutional Housing Subsidy (IHS) where private housing
entities are involved in the housing process in the form of social housing (COHRE,
2005), (Omenya 2009).
2.4.1 The South African Constitution 1996
In line with the International Housing Adequacy Standards, the Constitution of South
Africa(1996) provides in Article 26 of the of Bill of Rights that everyone has the right to
have access to adequate housing. Adequate housing is the type of housing that is not
just merely the four walls of a dwelling and a roof over one‟s head. (Oldfield, 2000).
Moller & Dickow (2002) acknowledge that South Africa has one of the most enlightened
Constitutions which support the advancement of the historically disadvantaged South
African citizens which also guarantees basic human rights just as Cullingworth (1967)
also sees the right to adequate housing as a basic human right too.
2.4.2 The White Paper on Housing 1994
The White Paper on Housing is seen as a very significant document as it discusses the
new housing policy strategy meant to counteract the apartheid approach and thereby
reaches out to improve standards of living of the poor and marginalised.
(Gardner, 2003) describes the White paper on Housing (1994) as the „new deal for
housing‟ in South Africa as its visions and target were not like any other in the history of
the country. The vision for the strategy was to „create viable, socially and economically
integrated settlements where households could access opportunities, infrastructure and
14
services, within which all South Africa‟s people will have access on a progressive basis
to:
A permanent residential structure with secure tenure, ensuring privacy and
providing adequate protection against the elements; and
Potable water, adequate sanitary facilities including waste disposal and
domestic electricity supply‟‟ (NDoH,1994)
According to (Tissington, 2011) the White Paper on Housing demonstrates the ways in
which the government‟s entire programmatic approach to the housing problem is
designed to harness and organize the joint resources, efforts and initiatives of
communities, the state, and the private and commercial sectors.
2.4.3 The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and Growth,
Employment and Redistribution GEAR
In view of the housing challenges in South Africa, the post-apartheid government
adopted macro-economic policies which sought to address housing problems which
were inherited from the apartheid regime. Two policy documents have had significant
impacts on national housing programmes, the Reconstruction and Development
Programme (RDP) and the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR)
programme.
The RDP was used by the ANC as its election manifesto in 1994. After the 1994
democratic elections, it was then adopted by the African National Congress (ANC)
government as its official policy. The RDP sought to address, amongst other apartheid
legacies, the housing needs and aspirations of the poor, politically marginalised and
economically exploited people (Kallis & Nthite). Central to the RDP mandate was to
establish housing as a human right, which was formulated in a 1994 White Paper and,
critically, recognized in the 1996 final Constitution (Bond & Khosa 1999).
According to Wicht (1999) the key component of the RDP was the provision of adequate
housing and the creation of viable safe living environments that would contribute to
economic growth and job creation.
15
This (RDP) was the main policy programme on housing and development, through
which the National Housing Subsidy Scheme (NHSS) was able to have delivered over 1
million houses but never achieved much because of the economic empowerment and
social integration it sought to attain.(Omenya, 2006)
As this was the first post-apartheid policy framework, the Reconstruction and
Development Programme (RDP) was the political manifesto that provided the
overarching policy framework for subsequent development of wide ranging socio-
economic policies (Omenya, 2006). The RDP was therefore meant to redress the
wrongs of the past, which were the spatially and racially divided cities of South Africa. In
the RDP policy, housing was regarded as a basic need (Huchzermeyer, 2001). This
means that the RDP defined the basic housing unit as being composed of an adequate
living space with privacy and considered housing as a basic human right.
Nkambule (2007) maintains that even under the RDP, the South African state tended to
prioritize economic goals and, in this way, social sustainability became sacrificed at the
altar of economic sustainability. This according to Nkambule (2007) was further
reinforced by the shift from RDP to GEAR in 1996.
GEAR is a classic example of a straightforward neo-liberal macro-economic policy
(Goodlad, 1996).It was based on the claim that redistribution was contingent on
sustained economic growth (Du Plessis & Landman 2002). The shift to GEAR therefore
limited “policy manoeuvrability” and resulted in the “consequent neo-conservative
straightjacketing of development policy deliberations”. (Khan &Thring 2003).
GEAR had a negative impact on housing service delivery, in part because it required
the government to spend less on public services while emphasizing cost-recovery
measures (Khanya College, 2001). Both RDP and GEAR are premised on the view that
housing contributes positively to the economy. As the government seeks to provide
housing to its less-privileged citizens, the demand for materials required in building of
houses would increase (Nkambule, 2012).
16
2.4.4 The Breaking New Ground (BNG)
The Department of Housing introduced the Breaking New Ground (BNG) Housing
Programme at the end of 2004, which was aimed at directing housing development over
the next five years. The BNG arose as the main national policy document for housing
delivery (Goss et al. 2010) It marked a significant shift in housing policy, with an
emphasis now not simply on housing and physical infrastructure but on developing
sustainable human settlements; this would entail that all spheres of government are
involved in bringing about in practice the right to human settlements (Victor, 2009).
It also recognised the limitations of the housing policy and existing housing
programmes, notably providing houses only (without focusing on human settlements
broadly) and the emphasis on quantity of houses delivered instead of quality (Mthembi-
Mahanyele, 2002). The key expectations of BNG were to redirect and enhance
existing mechanisms to move towards more responsive and effective delivery and
to promote the achievement of a non-racial, integrated society through the
development of sustainable housing settlements and quality housing (Department of
Local Government and Housing, 2005).
The BNG entailed a re-assessment of housing delivery processes and mechanisms,
and set out the following objectives, amongst others:
Facilitating the delivery of housing as a main strategy for poverty
reduction;
Using the provision of housing as an employment creation strategy;
Fighting crime, promoting social cohesion and improving the quality of life
for the poor;
Using housing as the foundation for the development of sustainable
human settlements, including spatial restructuring;
Supporting and facilitating an affordable rental and social housing market;
Promoting upgrading of informal settlements; and
Providing community support services through housing delivery.
(Victor 2009)
17
The BNG therefore aims at ensuring that present and future residents will be provided
with sustainable human settlements, and will therefore live in a safe and secure
environment with sufficient access to economic opportunities, a combination of safe
and secure housing and tenure types, reliable basic services and educational,
environmental, cultural, health, welfare and police services (Department of Local
Government and Housing, 2005).
The BNG found it essential to develop proper settlement designs and housing products
and to ensure appropriate housing quality.
2.5 SUMMARY
This chapter entailed a look on what policies on housing say, both internationally and
nationally. The following chapter will present the methodology, the research design,
methods of data collection and the ethical issues in research.
18
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter entails an explanation of the manner in which the data were collected,
methods of data collection, the research design, and research instruments used on the
population under study. The sampling and sampling procedure, data collection process
and ethical issues that were applied for this study to avoid any lapses that are ethical
was also described.
3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Mixed-Methods Approach
Durrheim (2006) refers to methodology as the methods that researchers use in carrying
out research. Holmes (2005) describes research methodology as the principles and
values, philosophies and ideologies that underpin research. According to Neuman
(2006) the research methods can either be qualitative, quantitative or a triangulation of
both qualitative and quantitative methods.
This study triangulated both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative
approach was used as the dominant methodology. The nature of the research questions
was such that questionnaires are used to identify patterns in the study. Qualitatively, the
research entailed informal in-depth interviews. This qualitative research work was
specifically aimed at providing a basis for capturing the day-to-day experiences of the
Unit P residents.
After the quantitative data were collected, qualitative methodology, using interviews was
used. This was done so as to gather more in-depth information on the patterns identified
during the quantitative phase. These two methodologies enabled the researcher to use
the triangulation approach. The qualitative approach enabled the researcher to get a
qualitative deeper meaning of issues that pertain to housing, and to be able to measure
the perceptive level of satisfaction experienced by the beneficiaries of the Unit P
housing while the quantitative approach was pivotal in presenting the quantitative levels
of the problems and challenges they face.
The critical goal of triangulation is to enhance increased result reliability and validity as
different data collection methods serve to reinforce, confirm and validate one another
19
(De Vos, 2005). According to Kobus (2007), Leedy & Ormrod,( 2001) qualitative
research is the one that studies people by interacting with the participants where they
live and focus on the meaning and interpretations of their social lives. Bryman (2004.)
also sees qualitative research as a form of social interaction in which the researcher
converses with, and learns about the phenomenon being studied. On the other hand,
De Kock & Hanyane (2005) argue that the researcher is the tool of collecting data as
he/she interacts with the participants. Data is information in the form of words and
pictures, which is analysed in order to give a clear picture about the situation of the
participants (Bryman 2004). The advocates of qualitative research therefore advance
the use of qualitative methodology when studying people for it enables the researcher to
see through the eyes of that which is researched (Bryman, 2004).
Quantitative research methods use numerical analysis. It reduces the data into
numbers. The researcher knows in advance what he/she is looking for and all aspects
of the study are carefully designed before the data is collected. The objective of
quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or
hypotheses pertaining to phenomena (Hughes 1997).
Quantitative methods involve the collection of numerical data in order to explain, predict
and control phenomena of interest. The data collected is presented as a table in
numbers (Durrheim 2006). The numerical data obtained is used to explain the social life
of the people of the Unit P. These methods include administering a questionnaire,
interviewing and observation methods.
Quantitative research methods may be mostly used for testing theory and exploring an
area. These are also used to generate hypotheses and theory. Quantitative methods
therefore ensure high levels of reliability of the gathered data and are efficient at getting
at the structural features of social life (Durrheim 2006).
3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN: Sequential Design
Research design is the plan according to which one obtains research subjects and
collects information. Here one gives a description of what one is going to do with the
20
participants, with intentions of reaching conclusions about the research problems.
(Kruger and Welman 1999).
Research design is seen as a plan or strategy which moves from the underlying
philosophical assumptions to specifying the selection of respondents, the data gathering
techniques to be used, and the data analysis (Babbie & Mouton 2001). The choice of
research design is based on the researcher‟s assumptions, research skills and research
practices, and influences the way in which the researcher collects data.
Research design is therefore the common sense and the clear thinking necessary for
the management of the entire research endeavour, the complete strategy of attack upon
the central research problem. The researcher must have some structural concept, some
idea of the manner in which the data will be secured and how they will be interpreted so
that the principal problem under research will be resolved. All this must be conceived
and formulated in the researcher‟s mind before he or she begins to write the research
proposal (Leedy, 1989).
As the researcher sought to gain insight into the conditions of the Unit P housing project
by obtaining feelings, thoughts and perceptions of the Unit P housing beneficiaries, a
descriptive study which is qualitative and a survey that is quantitative were deemed the
most appropriate. This study used sequential design where the researcher began with a
quantitative method in which theories or concepts are tested, to be followed by a
qualitative method involving detailed exploration with a few cases or individuals.
(Creswell 2009).
In terms of quantitative research, the survey undertaken was based on a fixed
questionnaire (Bryman 2004) and a selected sample of Unit P residents. The survey
sought to provide an overview of the socio-economic conditions in Unit P housing by
also using statistical records like graphs, pie-charts and tables. The survey was also
particularly important because it sought to provide an overview of socio-economic
conditions in Unit P, including the status and character of the houses occupied by
residents. Qualitatively, the research entailed informal in-depth interviews. This
21
qualitative research work was specifically aimed at providing a basis for capturing the
day-to-day experiences of the Unit P residents.
The main purpose of this research is to assess the conditions of the houses delivered to
the Unit P beneficiaries by obtaining their experiences and views, feelings and
perceptions on their houses.
In qualitative phase, the study used a case study design. According to (Yin, 2003.) a
case study design should be considered when:
the focus of the study is to answer “how “and “why” questions;
you cannot manipulate the behaviour of those involved in the study;
you want to cover contextual conditions because you believe they are relevant to
the phenomenon under study; or
the boundaries are not clear between the phenomenon and context.
The explanatory type of case study was used and it seek to explore those situations in
which the intervention being evaluated has no clear, single set of outcomes (Yin, 2003).
3.3.1 The population under study
According to (Neuman, 2006) the population under study is the entire group from which
a researcher draws samples from. The chosen research population carried the
desirable research traits such as the low income housing scheme information, the
perceptions they had of the government implementation of the housing schemes and
the quality of their houses among other things. The population under study was all
the Unit P low income housing beneficiaries. During this study the official total number
of beneficiaries could not be ascertained, however unofficial information indicated that
about one hundred and eighty (180) individuals had benefited.
This population is in Mdantsane township, in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
under the Amatole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa (Amatole District Municipality, 2014). The choice of this population was right as
these are the beneficiaries of the low income houses in the Unit P area.
22
3.3.2 The sample size and sampling procedure
A sample can be defined as a smaller selection of the total population from which
investigations will be conducted (Neuman, 2006). The study adopted both probability
and non-probability sampling methodologies in selecting its participants by using
simple random and stratified sampling techniques for the questionnaires and
purposive sampling for the interviews.
Simple random sampling is a type of probability sampling that assigns numbers
to units of a population and then a set of random numbers are produced and
units with those numbers are selected (Babbie, 2010). Non probability is the opposite
of probability as it is specifically utilized where probability theory cannot be utilized. Non
probability purposive sampling was utilized in selecting samples for the key informant
method and for the interviews with beneficiaries. Purposive sampling techniques are
very useful as they lead the researcher to investigate the samples with the expected
desirable attributes (Neuman, 2006).
The sample size or unit of analysis is the focus unit of investigation with the
attributes that validate the study or the actual number from each category of
participants that will form the study.
In this study (20) twenty Unit P dwellers participated in the survey phase. These
respondents filled in the questionnaires. Out of these respondents, five (5) were
requested to participate in the case study phase, and participated in the interviews.
3.4 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
Here the processes and or procedures that were used in collecting data are explained.
The population under study is looked at, the sample size, research instruments and
sampling procedures are also looked at.
The following research methods were used as a means of collecting data because of
their usefulness and applicability to the study in question. The methods were used as
follows:
23
Questionnaires
The first research strategy the study administered were questionnaires, amongst 20
respondents who were beneficiaries of the Unit P low cost housing scheme. For this
study, a closed ended questionnaire was used with a Likert-scale design type of
questions to measure the level of satisfaction of beneficiaries of the Low income
housing scheme. In developing the questionnaire, the use of close-ended questions
was used for the following reasons:
• The respondents have minimal writing to do which makes it easier to fill the
questionnaire.
• The answers are easier to code and to analyse.
• The answers obtained make comparisons between respondents easier.
• The meaning of close-ended questions is clearer which minimises the chance of
respondents not answering questions.
The questionnaire was divided into four sections namely A, B, C, and D. Section A
comprised of questions that were meant to capture the demographic aspects of the
respondents such as age, gender, nationality, race, to mention just a few. The
responses gathered from these questions in this section were meant to find out about
the background of the beneficiaries of the low income Housing in Unit P. Other sections
had questions related to income and perceptive levels and the social aspects of these
low income houses.
Interviews
After the questionnaires were administered and analysed, interviews were conducted
from five (5) respondents out of the twenty who participated in the survey design.
Interviews were implemented to collect in-depth data on the views, perceptions and
thoughts of the Unit P low income housing beneficiaries. An interview schedule was
used as a data collection tool. The interviews were used to solicit in-depth and rich
descriptions on the perceptions of the respondents regarding the socio-economic issues
about the low-cost houses. This research utilized unstructured interviews. The study
24
utilized in-depth interviews for individual participants and these were particularly
useful to this study because they encouraged the participant to respond freely and for
the researcher to probe for more data capturing(Babbie, 2010).
The researcher conducted personal interviews on the respondents‟ perceptions about
the socio-economic issues of the low-cost housing scheme. These were tape-recorded
after the permission was sought and granted. The semi-structured interviews were
used. The interviewer‟s presence, how questions were phrased, constructed and
delivered constituted a very crucial part of the interview process (Neuman, 2006). For
practical purposes, both English (the language of teaching and learning at NMMU) and
IsiXhosa, the respondents‟ mother tongue was used.
3.4.1 Data analysis
Data analysis means a search for patterns in data recurrent behaviours, objects, or a
body of knowledge (Creswell, 2009, Neuman, 2006). Since this study triangulated
both qualitative and quantitative approaches, qualitative and quantitative data
analysis processes were utilized. This study adopted content thematic analysis for
qualitative data analysis. Qualitative data analysis involved the categorization,
grouping, rearrangement and ordering of data through coding. This data was in
words, gestures, proverbs, concerns, exclamations as given by the participants in
the field. In qualitative data analysis, data collection and data analysis occur
concurrently which means analysis occurred even as data was being collected and after
data collection.
Quantitative data analysis involved the process of translating raw data into a family
of codes and then translating the dummy data for analysis and translating it into tables
and graphs for visual explanation and interpretation. Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) is a package that is essentially useful as it assigns and demarcates
raw data into variables that can be presented graphically or in table form. It can
also present data through cross tabulation or through descriptive statistics that also
shows pertinent answers as to the average and the mean among other things
(Neuman, 2006).
25
3. 5 ETHICAL ISSUES ON RESEARCH
In any research the ethical issues play a vital role in research in order to give
participants the right to privacy, confidentiality and anonymity (Leedy & Ormrod 2001).
The researcher focused on the protection of respondents from harm, not exposing
research participants to unprotected incidents, and the people in this study participated
strictly on a voluntary basis. The respondents had a right to withdraw anytime they so
wished. The full voluntary and informed participatory consent of all the people taking
part in this study was obtained before being undertaken, and confidentiality and
anonymity of respondents was respected as well Maree (2007). Mason and Bramble
(1989) on the other hand maintain that
1. The subjects of any research must provide an informed consent – subjects must be
willing to take part in the study after they have been informed of all the aspects of the
research that might have an influence on the decision. The subjects must have all the
necessary information about the study that they need to make a decision on. The
researcher should not mislead them.
2. Subjects must not be coerced – They must not be coerced to participate in the
research.
3. The subjects have the right to anonymity and confidentiality – subjects have the right
to insist that their anonymity as participants in the research be observed. There should
be assurance that they will not be identified by their performance or the nature of their
participation in the study.
3.6 SUMMARY
This chapter has provided an insight into the research design, methodology and the
population under study. The ethical issues in research were also highlighted. Sample
size and the sample procedure, and the instruments that were used were also
highlighted. How the data was analysed was also looked at. The following chapter
will outline the presentation and analysis of the data that was collected in chapter 3.
26
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION OF
FINDINGS.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents an analysis of the data collected, the findings and the
interpretations from the twenty (20) participants in the research study that examined the
socio economic perceptions of beneficiaries of the low cost housing scheme in the Unit
P area in Mdantsane. Out of these respondents, five (5) were requested to participate in
the case study phase, and participated in the interviews.
4.2 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO
PARTCIPATED IN THE SURVEY DESIGN
Under the biographical information, the reader can expect to find out the age groups of
the beneficiaries, gender, nationality occupation, and number of dependent. Race, level
of education, and their marital statuses was also important part of the research process.
For the researcher, this information was deemed necessary to check who exactly the
beneficiaries are.
4.2.1 Age distribution of the respondents
Figure 4.1
Figure 4.1 above indicates that the age categories of the respondents ranged between
20- above 66 years. This study found that most of the participants of this study were in
the age range of between 36 –above 66 years. The majority (50%) however belonged in
the category 36-50 years of age. The minority (10%) belonged in the 66 years and
above category. None of the respondents were of the teenage category. This is an
0%
25%
50%
15%
10%
Age range
14-19
20-35
36-50
51-65
66 and above
27
indication that teenagers are still under the guidance of elders and that there are no
child-headed families in this survey.
4.2.2 Gender of the study respondents.
Gender F %
Males 06 30
Females 14 70
Total 20 100
Table 4.1
Table 4.1 above illustrates that 30% of the respondents were males and 70% females.
This percentage may indicate that females have a responsibility to care for their
families.
4.2.3. The nationality of the respondents
Figure 4.2
Figure 4.2 above indcates that 90% of the respondents are South Africans and 10%
foreign nationals but of African origin.The 10% were not beneficiaries but were
renting.This is to the researcher is an indication that the South African government has
adhered to the guidelinesof the South African Housing to give South African citizens
houses.
FrequencyPercentage
18 90 2
10
Nationality
South African Other
28
4.2.4 Occupation of the respondents
Figure 4.3
Figure 4.3 above illustrates that 65% of the respondents are unemployed, 15% are self-
employed, 10% are pensioners and only 10% are employed. Of those that are
employed none are in the formal job market. This fact was revealed during the
interviews when they confirmed that they are either employed as domestic workers or in
local Agricultural projects. Those who were self–employed revealed that they sell
vegetables and fruits from their own backyards or have spaza shops that they rent from
people who rent their houses out in a bid to earn a decent living.
4.2.5 Number of dependents per respondent
Figure 4.4
Figure 4.4 illustrates that 50% of the respondents have between 3-4 dependents. When
some of these respondents were asked during the interview who they manage, they
reported that they either receive Child Support Grant or Foster Care Grant in order to try
and make ends meet. The researcher also found out that those with the most
dependents are mostly single females between the ages of 36-50 which is the child –
bearing age.
65% 10%
15%
10% 0%
Occupation
Unemployed Employed Self-employed
Pensioner Other
5%
30%
50%
15%
Number of dependents
0-0 1 to 2 3 to 4 5 or more
29
4.2.6 The race of the respondents
Figure 4.5
Figure 4.5 above illustrates that all the respondents were blacks.This is also an
indication that it is still blacks who reside in townships as it was the case before the
dawn of democracy in South Africa.
4.2.7 Level of education of the respondents.
Level of Education F %
Primary 04 20
Secondary without Matric/Grade 12 14 70
Matric/Grade 12 02 10
Total 20 100
Table 4.2
Table 4.2 above indicates that 70% of the participants did go to Secondary school, but
did not attain a matric certificate (Grade 12).There were no participants that have a post
matric. This indicates that the beneficiaries of these houses have little educational
background.
4.2.8 Marital status of the study respondents.
Table 4.3
Table 4.3 revealed that 65% of the participants are single people, with 10% being
married, 10% cohabiting, 5% divorced, 10% widowed and none classified as other.
100%
0% 0% 0%
0% Race
Black White Coloured Indian Other
Marital Status F %
Single 13 65
Married 02 10
Cohabiting 02 10
Divorced 01 5
Widowed 02 10
Total 20 100
30
4.3 INCOME LEVELS PER MONTH AND THE STATUS QUO OF THE
RESPONDENTS.
4.3.1 Levels of income in Rands and status of ownership of the respondents.
Income levels F %
None 13 65
Less than 1000 05 25
1000-1500 02 10
Total 20 100
Table 4.4
Table 4.4 above revealed that 65% of the respondents are not working, therefore have
no income. Asked during the face to face interviews how they earn a living, 60%
reported that they depend on Government Grants, and 5% reported that they get
support from either boy/girlfriends or siblings. Also, 25% of the respondents earn less
than a thousand rands per month and only 10% of the respondents earn between a
thousand and a thousand five hundred rands per month.
4.3.2 Recipients of Government Grants
Figure 4.6
Figure 4.6 above revealed that 65% of the respondents are recipients of the
Government grant, and 35% of the study population do not receive any form of grant
from the government.
FrequencyPercentage
13 65 7 35
Recipients of Government Grants
Yes No
31
4.3.3 Type of Government Grant the respondents receive.
Type of Government Grant F %
Old Age Grant 01 08
Disability Grant 03 23
Child Support Grant 05 38
Foster Care Grant 04 31
Total 13 100
Table 4.5
Table 4.5 above indicates that 8% of the respondents receive Old Age Grant, 23 % of
them receive Disability Grant, 38% receive Child Support Grant, and 31% receive
Foster Care Grant. It therefore means that the majority of the respondents of my
sampled population rely on either Child Support or Foster Care Grants in order to
sustain a living. It must be noted that there is only 65% of the respondents that receive
government grant, the rest do not, and hence the frequency is 13 and not 20.
4.3.4 Status of ownership of the respondents Status of ownership F %
Beneficiary 14 70
Tenant 04 20
Accommodated 02 10
Total 20 100
Table 4.6
Table 4.5 above revealed that 70% of the respondents were in fact beneficiaries of
these low-cost houses. Also 20% of them were tenants whose landlord or lady were
either living back in informal dwellings because they claim that they cannot afford to be
there, or were working in the cities, this according to the tenants. About 10% of the
respondents were accommodated. When asked how they were accommodated, they
revealed that they were accommodated by their boy/girlfriends and do not pay any rent,
unlike the tenants.
32
4.3.2 Expenditure on electricity per month in Rands
Expenditure on electricity per month F %
Between R0 – R50 02 10
Between R50 –R100 11 55
Between R100 and above 06 30
Do not know 01 5
Total 20 100
Table 4.7
Table 4.7 above revealed that 10% of the respondents spend between R0-R50 per
month, 55% spend between R50 – R100 on electricity per month. Also 30% of the
respondents spend between R100 and above on electricity, while 5% of them do not
know how much they spend on electricity per month.
4.3.3 Period when the beneficiary got a house.
Figure 4.7
Figure 4.7 above revealed that from the sample taken of the beneficiaries of these low-
cost housing schemes,43% received their houses between 2005 and 2009,and 67% of
them got these between 2010 and 2014.Here the frequency is 14 and the percentage is
67, because only 67% of the respondents were beneficiaries, while the rest are tenants.
Frequency
Percentages
6 43
8 67
Period when got the house
2005-2009 2010-2014
33
4.3.4 Period the beneficiary waited for the house
Figure 4.8
Figure 4.8 revealed that 71% of the beneficiaries of the population study waited for
more than 5 years before they got their houses. Also 29% of the other respondents
waited between 3-4 years before they got their houses. There are no respondents who
waited between less than a year and two years to get their houses. The study revealed
that the process of getting people to their own houses during the initial stages of this
project was somehow slow. Here the frequency is 14 and the percentage 67, because it
is only 67% of my respondents that are beneficiaries, the rest are tenants.
4.3.5 Type of accommodation the respondents in lived in before.
Type of accommodation before F %
Sharing house 10 50
Shack (Igali) 05 25
Other 05 25
Total 20 100
Table 4.8
Table 4.8 above revealed that 50% of the respondents lived in sharing houses before,
25% in shacks and another 25% lived in other dwellings. The study therefore revealed
that most the respondents in the researcher‟s study resided in sharing houses before.
Less thana year
1-2 years3-4 years
More than5 years
0 0 4 10
0 0 29 71
Period the beneficiaries waited for houses
Frequency Percentages
34
4.4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF THE FIVE (5) RESPONDENTS
WHO PARTCIPATED IN THE CASE STUDY DESIGN
Here the researcher will supply biographical information of the five (5) respondents who
participated in the case study design. The respondents have been named respondent
number 1-5.This will be done by means of a table.
4.4.1 Table illustrating the five (5) Case study respondents Respondents Gender Occupation No of dependents Level of Ed Age Marital Status
1 F Unemployed 3-4 Primary 36-50 S
2 F Unemployed 5 and more Primary 20-35 S
3 F Unemployed 1-2 Secondary 36-50 S
4 M Selfemployed 3-4 Secondary 20-35 S
5 F Unemployed 3-4 Primary 36-50 M
Table 4.9
35
4.5 THE PERCEPTIVE LEVEL OF THE Unit P HOUSES.
4.5.1 The perceived limitations of the houses
Figure 4.9
These include the structure, quality of materials making these houses and the fencing
around the houses. Figure 4.9 above illustrates that in the survey design, the
respondents reported on certain structural defects, poor quality of the material for the
houses, poor workmanship. The following will unpack these and provide rich data from
the interviews as well.
All the respondents revealed that all the houses (100%) do not have gutters.
Respondent number 1 echoed the following sentiments
“It is always a struggle each time it rains because the rain falls down heavily especially
in the door areas, and the water dumps just in front of the doors”
The study also revealed that 15% of the respondents have ceiling in their houses and
85% of the respondents do not have ceiling in their houses. Those that have ceilings
are reportedly those who are employed and fitted ceiling on their own. Similarly with the
plastered walls the minority of the respondents (10%) who have reportedly plastered
walls are employed and can afford to upgrade their houses. This is contrary to the
majority (90%) that do not have plastered walls, as the houses were not plastered upon
0 3 2
20
1 2
20 20
0 15 10
100
5 10
100 100
20 17 18
0
19 18
0 0
100 85 90
100 95 90 100 100
Gutters Ceiling Plasteredwalls
Dividingwalls inside
Doors onthe inside
Fencingaround the
house
Electricitymeter box
Zinc roofing
THE PRCEIEVED LIMITATIONS OF THE HOUSES
Yes Percentage No Percentage
36
receipt. Every respondent‟s house (100%) has dividing walls inside, although these only
separate the bedrooms and not the whole house The kitchen and the living room are
not separated by any walls (have open plan facility).
The study also revealed that 95% of the respondent‟s houses do not have doors in their
bedrooms and the 5% that do have doors in their bedrooms fitted those themselves. It
was also revealed that only 10% of the respondents‟ houses have fencing around whilst
the majority (90%) of them are not fenced. During the face to face interview sessions
these are some of the qualitative sentiments that some had to share with the
researcher:
Respondent no 1 echoed the following again:
„‟We do not have gutters in our houses in order to prevent water from getting into the
house. When it rains too much it becomes very difficult to try and control the water from
getting into the house.”
Respondent no 2 echoed the following sentiments:
„‟The houses that you see with doors on the inside and with fencing around belong to
those people who work and earn a living. As I only depend on the Government Grant in
order to feed my family means that I am never going to be able to do other necessities
in my house, which I feel are a necessity to me.”
It was also revealed by the study that 100% of the respondents in have prepaid
electricity meter boxes and asbestos roofs which come standard with each of the
houses.
For the researcher, it was ascertained that in building these houses the UN Habitat
(2000) guidelines to adequate shelter were not adhered to because there is no
adequate privacy and adequate security.
37
4.5.2 Quality of the houses Quality of the houses F %
Excellent 01 5
Very good 09 45
Good 05 25
Poor 03 15
Very poor 02 10
Total 20 100
Table 4.10
According to Table 4.10 above, the minority of the respondents (5%) regard the quality
of these houses as excellent.
The following are some of the sentiments expressed by respondent no 4 during the
face to face interviews:
“Before I was allocated a house here, I lived in an informal settlement in a shack.
I have found my house to be of excellent condition because each time it rained,
we (me and my kids) stayed awake for as long as it rained scooping water from
inside the shack. Again in winter, it was the same story because we still stayed
awake fearing that the shack would be blown away by the fierce winter winds.
Now that I have a house I can call my own, we no more live in fear of anything
because we feel secured in this house. We do not have to go outside when
nature calls”
It is therefore evident that some of the respondents do appreciate the fact that
they have a shelter over their head.
On the contrary, the majority (45%) considered the quality as very good. Within this
category, 25% considered the quality as good, 15% considered it as poor, whilst 10%
considered the quality as very poor.
The following are some of the sentiments expressed during the interviews by
respondent no 5:
“I consider these to be of a very poor quality because before I came to live here, I
lived in a sharing house. There is a clear partition between the rooms, a living
room is separated from the kitchen. The quality of the bricks that make up the
38
house is not of good quality because if it rains, one sees rain penetrating through
the bricks. Also there is no fencing around, although where I come from, each
house has its own fence that separates it from the neighbour. Again the quality of
the floor surface is not smooth at all. There are no gutters so when it rains, water
easily makes its way into the house.”
4.5.3 Areas of concern with regard to the quality of the houses
Figure 4.10
The study revealed that the respondents have diverse concerns with regards to their
satisfaction with the houses. For instance, 50% expressed dissatisfaction with regards
to the size and the adequacy of the space in the house. These perceptions were
corroborated by the following qualitative sentiments which were shared by respondent
no 2 during the ace to face interviews.
“I was very disappointed to find the house was too small and that space was very
inadequate.”
Similarly respondent no 4 echoed the following sentiments:
The space in this house is not sufficient for all six (6) of us, it is always a hassle
when we have to move around in the house. My shack was very big than this
house
Size ofthe
house
LeaksCracking
wallsRust
None ofthe
above
10 9 9 2 3
50 45 45
10 15
Areas of concern
Frequency Percentages
39
Another concern raised by the 45% of the respondents was the leaks from the roof, as
well as the walls that were cracking. Only 10% of the respondents were concerned
about rust, while another 10% did not see anything that needed attention in their
houses. Below is what respondent no 5 had to say:
“At times we have to put buckets under where there is a leak so that it does not
destroy your furniture. For me this always brings back bad memories of the times
when I still lived in a shack.”
“The walls already have cracks but I only have been here for less than two years,
I need to do some repairs but I do not have money because I am without a job.”
4.5.4 Limitations in the houses
Limitations in the houses F/Yes % F/No % F/DK %
Are house walls cracking 12 60 5 25 3 15
Does the roof leak 10 50 6 30 4 20
Quality of the surface smooth 1 5 18 90 1 5
Waste bins supplied by the Municipality 0 0 20 100 0 100
Municipality dispose the waste bins 20 100 0 0 0 100
Tarred road 0 100 20 100 0 100
Do you feel secure in your house 5 25 14 70 1 5
Houses given to deserving people 0 100 0 100 20 100
Get free electricity 2 10 16 80 2 10
Table 4.11
According to Table 4.11 above, 45% of the respondents find the walls of their houses to
be cracking, while 25% do not find them to be cracking, 15% do not know whether or
not the walls are cracking. Also 50% of the respondents find the roof to have leaks,
while 30% do not have leaks in their houses and 20% of them do not know if there are
any leaks. This study also revealed that 5% of the respondents find the surface of their
floors to be smooth, while 90% experience rough floors and 5% do not know the quality
of their floors. All the respondents (100%) reported that they were never given waste
bins by the Municipality. They however reported receiving black plastic bags from time
to time, and that the waste is collected once a week by the Municipality. The
respondents all (100%) agree that there is no tarred road in their neighbourhood.
40
This study also revealed that 25% of the respondents do feel safe in their houses, 70%
do not and 5% do not know whether they are safe or not. Again, all of the respondents
(100%) do not know whether the houses were given to the deserving people or not
because they claim that they only went to that location only when they went to occupy
their houses and never asked any questions at all. This study revealed that 10% of the
respondents do get free 50 units of electricity per month, 80% do not get any free units,
while a 10% of them knew nothing about free electricity units.
The Housing typology has failed the Unit P low income group of Mdantsane in that
some of these houses do not guarantee the physical safety of the beneficiaries.
4.5.5 Perception of the houses
Perception of the houses F/Good % F/Fair % F/Poor %
Material of the doors 15 75 10 50 4 20
Quality of the surface of the floors 6 30 2 10 18 90
State of sanitation 15 75 5 25 0 0
Quality of the material making the windows
4 20 13 65 3 15
As a beneficiary, extent of benefit of the house
14 70 6 30 0 0
Space adequacy 1 5 7 35 12 60
Population density 0 0 15 75 5 25
Table 4.12
The majority of the respondents (75%) regard the material of the doors as good
because they do feel secured in their houses. Literature indicates that housing should
be habitable and the physical safety of the occupants be taken care of .UNHabitat
(2000). In terms of the material making windows, 20% regard it as good, 65% as fair
and only 15% as poor. However in this study it was revealed that 50% consider the
quality of the surface of the floors as fair and 20% respectively regard the door material
as poor .
In terms of the quality of the surface of the floors, 30% regard it as good. Whilst only
10% regarded it as fair. The overwhelming majority of the respondents (90%) regarded
the floor surface as poor. This is an indication that a large percentage of the
41
respondents are not satisfied with the quality of the surface of the floors of their houses.
In some houses the floors were found to be rough as it is shown in the appendices.
With regards to sanitation provision within these houses, the majority (75%) of the
respondents regard the state of sanitation of their houses as good. On the other hand, a
few of the respondents (25%) regard the provision of sanitation as fair.
In terms of space adequacy 5% of the respondents found it to be good, 35% found it as
fair and 60% as poor and in terms of population density none of the respondents find it
as good, 75% as fair and 25% as poor. It was also revealed that 70% of the
respondents have found these low income houses to be of good benefit to them while
30% has found these houses to be of fair benefit to them while none of the respondents
have found these houses to be of poor benefit. This is an indication that the South
African Government has done well by giving the needy a roof over their heads.
4.6 SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE UNIT P HOUSING
4.6.1 Access to amenities
Figure 4.11
This study revealed that all the respondents (100%) have no access to the clinic,
hospital, primary and secondary schools. When asked during the interviews the echoed
0
12
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0
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0
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85
0
0
40
0
Clinic
Creche
Hospital
Primary school
Secondary school
Social Welfare Office
Police Services
Community hall
Churches
Shopping mall
Community Library
Sporting grounds
Street lights
0 50 100 150 200 250
Access to amenities
Yes Frequency Percentage No Frequency
Percentage Don't know Frequency Percentage
42
that it becomes a struggle for them to get to the clinic as most of them do not work and
usually do not have money to catch a taxi.
Other equally important amenities that the respondents do not have access to, also
include, Social Welfare Offices, Police Services, Community hall, Shopping mall
community library sporting grounds and street lights.
The majority of the respondents (60%) revealed that they do have access to crèche,
and these were those between ages 36-50.This is probably because this is the child
bearing age, whilst 40% do not know whether there are crèches or not. Only 10% of the
respondents have access to churches.
4.6.2 Proximity to amenities in kilometres
Type of infrastructure 0-1 F % 2-3 F % 4-5 F % >6 F %
Clinic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Crèche 3 3 15 7 7 35 5 5 25 5 5 25
Hospital 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Primary school 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Secondary school 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Social Welfare Office 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Police Services 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Community Hall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Churches 2 2 10 4 4 20 12 12 60 02 02 10
Shopping Mall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Community Library 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Railway station 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 100
Taxi Rank 3 3 15 5 5 15 5 5 25 7 7 35
Table 4.23
It was revealed through this study that all the respondents (100%) travel 6 kilometres or
more to all amenities (clinic, hospital, primary and secondary schools, Social Welfare
Offices, Police Services, Community hall, shopping mall and railway station) except for
crèche, church and taxi rank.
43
With regards to the distance travelled to the early childhood centres, 15% of the
respondents travel between 0 -1 km to the crèche. On the other hand, 35% travel 2-3
km, and 25% travel 4 -5 and more than 6km to the crèche. It was not clear if these
respondents are travelling to the same crèche, or make use of different crèches. Again
10% of the respondents travel 0-1 km, 20% travel 2-3 km, 60% travel 4-5 km and 10%
travel more than 6 km to church. This is also in South Africa there is freedom of
association so this is not too much of an issue.
The study also revealed that 15% of the respondents travel 0 -1and 2-3 km to the taxi
rank, whereas 25% travel 4-5 km and 35% travel more than 6 km to the taxi rank.
4.7 SUMMARY
This chapter has presented the data analysis of the data collected, the findings and the
interpretation thereof. This was a very useful exercise to the study as it enabled the
researcher to order, categorise and arrange the data so as to come up with
interpretations that are relevant and authentic.
The next chapter discusses the study findings, concludes and gives recommendations
to the low income housing project in South Africa with particular emphasis on the
Mdantsane area.
44
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS.
5.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the discussion and consolidation of the
findings. From these findings the study conclusions and recommendations will be
elucidated. As explained earlier in this document, the main aim of this research was to
determine if the initiative of the low income houses in Unit P in Mdantsane does improve
the quality of life of the beneficiaries by obtaining their perspectives. This was to be
achieved by determining the following objectives:
To find out whether the houses in Unit P, Mdantsane are built in a manner that
satisfies their beneficiaries.
To learn of the successes and failures of the Unit P Project.
To make conclusions and recommendations based on the findings.
5.2 PROFILE OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS
5.2.1 Age distribution of the participants.
This study revealed that most of the participants (50%) were between the ages of 36
and 50, the child-rearing group and 25% was between 20 and 35 considered as the
child-bearing group. Only 15% were between the ages of 51 and 65 and only 10% were
66 years and above.
According to this research, many of the beneficiaries are those that are in the child
rearing age group. It was also evident from these findings that the elders that are
beneficiaries in this area are few, meaning that they either reside in villages or with their
children.
5.2.2 Gender, Nationality and Race
The findings in this study revealed gender discrepancy that is a common feature in
South Africa in that 70% of the participants were females and only 30% were males. For
this study, the fact that females outnumber the male counterpart can be attributed to
some of these factors:
45
The females were readily available at home when the study was
conducted because the majority of them (60%) are unemployed.
Males were out in search of jobs away from home either in town or in
cities and come back occasionally ,
That females are left back at home to look after the home and kids.
The findings from the study also revealed that 90% of the respondents were South
Africans and only 10% were foreign nationals, of African origin. It also transpired that
even the 10% foreign nationals that occupy these houses, they are not the sole
beneficiaries, but are renting out from the owners. For the researcher, this clearly shows
that the right to shelter that is enshrined in the Constitution, is a right that people need.
Also it was evident that although people do need shelter as the low income group, they
still need to devise means of earning a living by renting out their houses and going back
to live in backyards and shacks because of the high poverty rate.
It was not a surprise that 100% of the participants were blacks because Mdantsane and
Unit P is a predominantly black populated township. Also, as one of the policy goals of
the low income housing project is to address the housing problem in South Africa, it now
may now be deduced that it is the black people who constitute the majority targets for
these low income houses. This is also because it is the black people who suffered all
forms of discrimination during the apartheid era (Gardner, 2003).
5.2.3 Levels of education and the marital status of the study participants
In any nation, education has a pivotal role in order for effective development to take
place (Mabindla 2006). The level of education of the participants in this particular study
had to be established in order to know who receives the low income houses as part of
the development process. The study revealed that 70% of the participants have been to
school but did not attain a matric (Grade 12) certificate. The minority (10%) do possess
a matric (Grade 12) certificate, and the remaining 20% have a primary level of
education. These findings indicate that none of the respondents have not gone to
school at all, and none possess post matric qualification.
46
From these findings, it may be construed that the low income houses were given to the
beneficiaries who by virtue of having lower literacy levels have either no income or low
income levels. The study seems to suggest that South African Government has
succeeded in supplying these houses to the deserving ones to some extent.
The study also revealed that 65% of the participants were single of which 60% of these
are females, 10% were married, and 10% cohabiting, 5% divorced, and 10% were
widowed. Since most single participants were women and were heads of their
households, it becomes important that government affirmatively consider empowering
single parents. This is because they are the ones mostly affected by poverty in South
Africa and most other countries of the developing world (Satterthwaite,1997).
There feminization of poverty needs to be addressed through increased affirmative
action. This is because it impedes women‟s contribution to the national economy
(Gardner, 2003).
5.2.4 Occupation and the number of dependents.
It was revealed through this study that 65% of the participants were unemployed, of
which again 60% of them were females,10% were employed but none in the formal job
market, they were either working as domestic workers or in local Agricultural projects.
The 10% of those that were self-employed were either selling vegetables or fruits from
their backyards or having spaza shops in the houses that they rent from the owners.
Literature in South Africa reveals that unemployment in South Africa has reached
chronic proportions and is one of the triple challenges of development alongside
inequalities and poverty (Triegaardt, 2006). It also transpired from the research findings
that 50% of the participants have between 3-4 dependents. It is also the single females
who suffer various challenges such as poverty unemployment more than their male
counterparts as they are left at home by their male counterparts to help in the child
rearing processes because of their own nature of being caring and loving especially
when it comes to their families.
This for the researcher is an indication that families residing in these low income
houses live sub humanely because there is an overcrowding of families because there
47
are two bed rooms in each house and an inadequecy of space. The South African
government has an obligation to make sure that women empowerment through job
creation with the affirmative action is one of the priorities.
5.3 INCOME LEVELS PER MONTH AND THE STATUS QUO OF THE
RESPONDENTS.
5.3.1 Levels of income in rands and the status of ownership of the houses.
The study revealed that 65% of the respondents are unemployed. Also from the 65%
unemployed, of which 60% depend on Government Grants and 5% of them get support
from either boy/girlfriends or siblings since they do not have dependents all. Also, 25%
of the respondents who are employed earn less than a thousand rands per month and
only a 10% of the respondents earn between a thousand and a thousand five hundred
rands per month.
Through this study, it was also revealed that 70% of the study population were
beneficiaries, and all of them were in fact females, 20% were male tenants, of which
10% were South Africans and 10% were non-South Africans. It is apparent that these
houses were allocated to people who were needy to some extent, although there
seems to be gender biasness in terms of allocating to beneficiaries. It cannot be said
that these houses were not allocated to people who were needy as females are
the ones who carry most of the family responsibilities and they therefore need adequate
housing.
5.3.2 Expenditure on electricity per month in Rands
It was revealed through this study that 55% of the respondents spend between R50-
R100 on electricity per month, 30% spend between R100 and above, and 10% between
R0-R50 on electricity per month and only 5% do not know how much they spend on
electricity per month.
The researcher has found out that the majority of the participants, 55% use a maximum
of R100 on electricity per month. This also shows that the people that were allocated
these low income houses are really those that are either not working or belong below
the low income category group.
48
5.3.3 Period when beneficiary got a house
The findings revealed that, 43% of the participants received their houses between 2005
and 2006. During this period, the study shows there was still no electricity at all. , and
67% got them between 2009 and 2014. It was also revealed through this study that 71%
of the beneficiaries waited for more than five years before they got their houses and
29% waited between 3 and 4 years.
The researcher also found that the process of getting people to their own houses during
its initial stages was very slow and it progressed when most people were moved from
the sharing houses to be put in Unit P so that they get their own title deeds.
5.3.4 Type of accommodation respondents lived in before
It was revealed through this study that 50% of the respondents lived in sharing houses
before, 25% in shacks and 25% in other dwellings.
These findings were evidence to the researcher that the people that were in the priority
list for the government are the ones that lived in the sharing houses.
5.3.5 Recipients of Government Grants
The study revealed that 65% of the respondents are recipients of Government Grants,
and 35% of the study populations do not receive any form of grant. This again reveals
that most of the beneficiaries and recipients of these low income houses are those that
are either unemployed and have dependents that they will get money to earn a living
through these grants.
5.3.5.1 Type of Government Grant recipients receive
The findings from this study indicated that of the 65% who receive Government Grants,
8% of the respondents receive Old Age Grant, 23% of them receive Disability Grant,
38% receive Child Support Grant, and 31% receive Foster Care Grant. It therefore
means that the majority of the respondents of the sampled population rely on either
Child Support or Foster Care Grants in order to sustain a living. This researcher
believes the high rate of unemployment leads people to depend on Government Grants
in order to alleviate poverty in most black people making them dependent on
government for services such as housing.
49
5.4 THE PERCEPTIVE LEVEL OF THE UNIT P HOUSES.
5.4.1 Limitations in the houses.
The study revealed that all the houses (100%) do not have gutters at all. The result of a
house without gutters is that the runoff rainwater falls directly onto the ground
surrounding the house. This causes the ground to erode. Gutters and down spouts were
developed to keep roof water from dripping along the foundation. Disadvantages to
such a system are erosion of the ground where the water runs off and a possible deep
drip line (Hutton, 2005). What Hutton is echoing was seen evident in these houses.
The houses do not come with ceiling as standard and the minority that do have are the
ones that did it on their own. The walls are not plastered at all, one can see the bricks
and cement that make up the house. In all the houses, each bedroom is separate from
the other (no open plan), although the kitchen and lounge are not separated at all (an
open plan). There are no doors inside the house, which is a clear implication of the lack
of privacy. The 20% of the beneficiaries that do have fencing around their houses are
the ones that did it themselves, otherwise these houses do not come with fencing
around that separates one neighbour from the other. Each household has his/her own
electricity meter box so each household is liable for the electricity usage. All the houses
come standard with zinc roofing, none of them have roof tiles or asbestos.
5.4.2 Quality of the houses
The study revealed that 5% of the respondents regard the quality of these houses as
excellent, 45% as very good, 25% as good, 15% as poor and 10% as very poor. The
researcher found that the 5% of the respondents that regarded the houses as of an
excellent condition were those that resided in the shacks or informal dwellings before.
This means that they are very grateful to have a roof over their heads made of bricks,
although they do have little things they perceive as challenges. Again, the 10% that
regards these houses as of a very poor quality are those that resided in the sharing
houses before, these have a lot to complain about, although the rest of the respondents
are also grateful that they have been freed from the quarrels of sharing houses.
50
5.4.3 Areas of concern with regard to the quality of the houses.
Complete housing cannot be attained without addressing the quality aspect. It therefore
becomes imperative for the researcher to look at the quality of any housing project
before making recommendations. The study revealed that the respondents have each
their own areas of concern about their houses because 50% of them were dissatisfied
with the inadequate space and the small size of their houses thereby seeing it as an
area of concern. Of the respondents, 45% said that their houses have leaks from the
roof, 45% were concerned about the walls that were cracking. Only 10% of the
respondents were concerned about rust, while another 10% did not see anything that
needed attention in their houses.
The respondents who have between 3 and more dependents saw the place as of a
bigger challenge because they claim that these houses are not able to accommodate
them all, and some have to sleep in the living room. The researcher is of the opinion
therefore that the small size of the houses does restrict movement as the beneficiaries
have many dependents but little space for movement.
The leaks rust and cracking walls were associated with the cheap building material or
poor installation done and thin plastering that seems as if these houses were not
plastered at all. It also sufficed that the some of the floors of these houses are rough
while some are smooth. For the researcher this is evident that there is no uniformity in
the work done by the contractors for they are doing this for the peasant group.
5.4.4 Other areas of concern in general
All the respondents were not given waste bins, but refuse black plastic bags for which
refuse is collected once a week. The researcher feels that since that is an area for the
low income and the unemployed, the Municipality has an obligation to supply each
household with a waste bin upon arrival at these houses.
The study also revealed that there was no proper infrastructure done before these
houses were built because none of these streets have tarred or proper roads, and also
there are no street lights at all. The researcher also found out that these houses have
no fence that separates one house from the other and if a person does have a fence it
51
is simply a fence that a person did him/herself. As a result of the absence of street lights
and no fencing the majority of beneficiaries do not feel safe in their own houses
because they claim that they cannot trust strangers as they hail from different
backgrounds. Only a minority of the beneficiaries in these houses do get free electricity
and the majority of them do not get it. The state of sanitation seems to be of acceptable
nature because the majority of the respondents regard it as good, this is a positive step
towards what the low income group wanted in townships especially.
5.5 SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE UNIT P HOUSING
It has been revealed through literature that any housing relates to more than just the
physical structure of a house. The environment, social and economic factors are all
aspects that play a role when defining housing. The geographical location of any
housing project is a very pivotal aspect necessary towards the successful housing
delivery. Many housing projects that are built on the townships away from cities have a
history of not yielding the desired results. The majority of communities which are far
removed from the major economic activities of the cities, have little or no chance of
prosperity and growth. Consequently this leads to housing that is not sustainable to be
regarded as a waste of resources and a major drawback to developmental goals that
any government sets itself to achieve.
5.5.1 Access and proximity to amenities.
One of the key elements of the South African housing policy is to ensure that low cost
housing is located closer to amenities. Findings indicated that all the essential services,
e.g. clinics, police, and shopping areas were far from the low cost housing. The majority
of the participants did indicate that the government has an obligation to work towards
bringing amenities closer to them especially the clinics, hospital, crèche, primary and
secondary schools.
Again, as South Africa is a middle income country, it needs to ensure that it raises the
standards of its people through easier access to the services. This is because the
beneficiaries travel more than 6km in order to gain access to these amenities.
52
5.6 CONCLUSION
The main aim of this study was to determine if the initiative of the low income houses in
Unit P in Mdantsane does improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries by obtaining
their perspectives. This aim of the study was deemed essential as it gave the
researcher a springboard upon which the implementation of the Unit P housing project
can be investigated and evaluated further.
This study intended to achieve the following three objectives:
To find out whether the houses in Unit P, Mdantsane are built in a manner that
satisfies their beneficiaries.
To learn of the successes and failures of the Unit P Project.
To make conclusions and recommendations based on the findings.
The first objective was to find out whether the houses in Unit P, Mdantsane are built in a
manner that satisfies their beneficiaries. The objectives of the RDP housing were to
provide adequate housing to the poor of South Africa. These housing projects
were supposed to be people driven and the location of the projects was supposed to
be closer to areas of social and economic opportunities, as that is one of the key
elements of the low housing project. These houses were expected to meet the basic
needs of the beneficiaries such as access to clean water, education, health, security
and welfare services (Republic of South Africa, 1994). The beneficiaries do have access
to clean water. Although the beneficiaries are happy to have a roof over their heads,
they also have things they are not happy with. The quality of these houses on the inside
and outside is one of the things the beneficiaries are not happy with.
The Unit P housing project has not provided adequate shelter to the beneficiaries as
the houses are very small. According to Ojo-Aromakudu (2013), one of the
reasons why interventions fail is that, either the intervention is not addressing the
real problem at hand, or the implementation is poor. The intervention of providing poor
people with houses was not appropriately done as these houses are too small and
therefore fail to consider the families of the beneficiaries. It is apparent that the
contractors used by the government are either not competent to build quality houses
53
which resulted in poor structures or no proper monitoring and evaluation is done by the
government officials.
The South African Government has been successful in providing people with houses,
but the location of this area poses a threat because Unit P is located away from all the
amenities compelling the beneficiaries to travel more than 5km to the amenities. Some
of the failures are the quality of the floors, roof and walls to mention but a few. The
cracking walls have been a problem that many households are concerned with.
Beneficiaries associate this problem with poor and thin plastering of the walls. This
means that the government does not do proper monitoring and evaluation after giving
tenders out to tenderers. This is something that impacts financially on the government.
It had also been discovered that the current housing programme in South Africa is more
concerned with mass production and little care is taken with the quality of housing. The
participants are happy to have received the houses. They seem to acknowledge and
appreciate the fact that government is committed in the fight of homelessness. Those
that had been previously living in shacks said that obtaining a house is the best thing
that has ever happened to them. Some of the respondents have lived in a shack for
many years without any hope of occupying a normal brick house. All the respondents
have hailed the government on its attempts to improve the lives of the poor in some
way.
5.7 RECOMMENDATIONS
Taking into cognisance of what had transpired from these findings, the government
should employ competent contractors that would do a proper job. State officials, tasked
with overseeing the various state funded housing projects, have to ascertain the
success of these projects. This they should do by making sure that the contractors do
not lack skills such as the ability to facilitate projects of a high magnitude as that could
lead to flawed projects. They should be constantly monitored and post evaluated. This
will help to minimize the wasting of state resources.
Government officials tasked with a post evaluation of this area should draw a strategic
plan to address the challenges and concerns raised by the beneficiaries so that
54
whatever concerns they have be taken into consideration by the relevant parties. The
defects, as highlighted by these beneficiaries cannot be left unattended. It is necessary
that a project plan, detailing time frames and other necessities, must be devised
regarding correcting the defects of the houses delivered to the Unit P housing
beneficiaries. Recreational facilities also need to be considered to be essential so as to
keep the youth off drugs and criminal activities.
The researcher also recommends that the government ensures that the Unit P ward
committees work tirelessly with the municipality to ensure that there are proper street
lights mounted around the location as there are none. This matter needs to be treated
with urgency as the safety of beneficiaries is of utmost importance.
It is also recommended that the human settlements department work hand in hand with
the Municipalities and the Department of Land Reform to facilitate the allocation of land
for sites of social services as there are none here.
The government also has to create opportunities for empowering the Unit P people in
terms of Adult Basic Education (ABET) so as to empower them with, bricklaying,
Carpentry, Plumbing skills to mention abut a few, so as to complement affirmative
action that will enhance these people‟s lives and make them independent and self-
sufficient, thereby creating employment opportunities for them since their area is still
developing.
Although the efforts by South African government to address race based inequities
and imbalances through provision of housing has been on going, it needs to be
pointed out that what is on the ground needs to be scaled up and quality assured. For
example, the quality of the RDP houses as revealed by sentiments from the
study participants are failing the quality litmus test.
This has been a worthwhile endeavour that has acted as an eye opener for the
researcher and the emerging perceptions and satisfaction levels that were discovered
from both quantitative and qualitative findings of data analysis validated the necessity of
carrying out a study of this nature.
55
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APPENDICES
Appendix A: Research Questionnaire
Faculty of Business & Economic Sciences
Managing tomorrow
RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE
TOPIC: THE SOCIO ECONOMIC PERCEPTIONS OF THE BENEFICIARIES OF LOW
INCOME HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE STUDY IN MDANTSANE TOWNSHIP.
Questionnaire
I am a Masters of Development Studies student at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth who wants to conduct a research study on the
socio economic perceptions of the beneficiaries of the Unit P low income housing
scheme in Mdantsane. It is of utmost importance to state that any information that you
will provide the researcher with, will not divulge your identity or compromise your safety.
Any form of identification will not be exposed by this research. Your participation in this
research is sincerely appreciated and you are free to ask any questions concerning
anything you do not understand and you are free to withdraw from the study anytime
you so wish without any obligation.
Thank You for your cooperation.
61
QUESTIONAIRE
Please Note: You are required to tick in an appropriate box of choice with an X.
SECTION A: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION.
1. Age
14-19 20-35 36-50 51-65 66 and above
2. Gender
Male Female
3. Nationality
South African Other If other please specify
4. Occupation
Unemployed Employed Self-employed Pensioner Other
5. Number of dependents
0 1-2 3-4 5 or more
6. Race
Black White Coloured Indian Other
7. Level of Education attained
None Primary Secondary Matric/Grade12 Post Matric Certificate
Degree/Diploma
8. Marital Status
Single Married Cohabiting Divorced Widowed Other
62
SECTION B: PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING IN THE LOW INCOME HOUSES AND
THEIR INCOMES.
9.1 Income level of the beneficiaries in Rands
None Less than 1000
1000-1500 1600-2000 2000-25000
Above2500 Not ready to disclose
9.2 Do you receive any grant from the government?
9.3 If yes, tick the one that applies to you
Old Age Grant
Disability Grant Child Support Grant
Foster Care Grant
Other
10. Are you a beneficiary/tenant of that house?
Beneficiary Tenant Accommodated Other
11. How much do you pay for electricity per month in Rands?
Between 0 – 50 Between 50-100 Between 100 and above
Do not know
12. If a beneficiary, when did you obtain your house?
2005-2009 2010-2014
13. If a beneficiary, how long did you wait to get your house?
Less than a year 1-2 years 3-4 years More than 5 years
14. What type of accommodation did you live in before?
Sharing House Shack(Igali) Other
Yes No
63
SECTION C: THE PERCEPTIVE LEVEL OF THE Unit P HOUSES
15. Does your house have the following? Put an X on the appropriate box
Gutters YES NO
Ceiling YES NO
Plastered Walls YES NO
Diving Walls Inside YES NO
Doors on the inside YES NO
Fencing around YES NO
16. How do you describe the quality of your house? (Please mark with an X)
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Poor
Very Poor
17. What are the areas of concern with regard to the quality of your house?
(You can mark with an X in more than one box).
(a) Size of the house
(b) Leaks
(c) Cracking Walls
(d) Rust
18. Please mark with an X in the appropriate box
(a) Are house walls cracking? Yes No Don‟t Know
(b) Does the roof leak?
(c) Is the quality of the surface of the floors smooth or rough?
(d) Where you supplied with waste bins by the Municipality?
(e) Do the Municipal workers dispose the waste bins?
(f) Do you have tarred roads in your area?
(g)Do you feel secured in your house?
(h)Do you think these houses were given to deserving people?
64
19. Please mark with an X in the appropriate box.
(a) The quality of the roofing of your house Good Fair Poor
(b) The material of doors of your house? Good Fair Poor
(c) The quality of the surface of the floors? Good Fair Poor
(d) The state of toilets in your house? Good Fair Poor
(e) The quality of the material making the windows of your house? Good Fair Poor
(f) If a beneficiary, to what extent has the house been of benefit in
your life?
Great Little None
(g) How do you see space adequacy in your house? Good Fair Poor
(h) What is your perception on the population density in the Unit P
housing?
Good Fair Poor
65
SECTION D: SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE UNIT P HOUSING
19. Do you have access to the following in your area?
TYPE OF INFRASRUCTURE YES NO Don‟t know
Clinic
Crèche
Hospital
Primary School
Secondary School
Social Welfare Office
Police Services
Community Hall
Churches
Shopping Mall
Community Library
Sporting Grounds/Facilities
Street lights
20. How long do you travel to the following places?
TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE 0-1km 2-3km 4-5 km 6 and above km
Clinic
Crèche
Hospital
Primary School
Secondary School
Social Welfare Office
Police Services
Community Hall
Churches
Shopping Mall
Community Library
Railway Station
Taxi Rank
End of Questionnaire.
Thank you very much for your participation
66
Appendix B: Pictures
Cracking walls with no plastering
67
Yards are not separated by means of fencing
None of the houses have gutters
68
No waste bins are supplied by the Municipality
No tarred road is available in this area
69
The Dem proof course is clearly seen
Rough floor surface
70
Appendix C: Certificate of Editing
46 Umnquma Road Sunnnyridge East London 5201 29 July 2015
CERTIFICATE OF EDITING
This serves to inform that I have read the final version of the dissertation titled:
The socio-economic perceptions of low-income housing scheme: A case study in
Mdantsane Township,
By
Unathi C. Bandile, student no. 211255696.
To the best of my knowledge, all the proposed amendments have been effected and the
work is free of spelling and grammatical errors. I am of the view that the quality of
language used is satisfactory.
Yours faithfully
Professor Ntombozuko Duku (PhD)
Contact detail: 0722 600 656
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