The state’s upgrading programs and policies: A gramscian analysis of informal settlement upgrading in Cape Town.

Abstract

Urban informal settlements, as an inheritance of the colonial and apartheid spatial planning, have been and continue to pose a challenge to the South African democratic state. These areas are characterized by poor sanitation, greywater issues, flooding, vulnerability to diseases, and criminal activities, due to inadequate service delivery from the city. In this study, informal settlements are viewed as a consequence of inequality, poverty, underdevelopment, and need for shelter embedded in the history of colonialism and apartheid. Despite constant land invasions which constrain city resources, the City of Cape Town (CoCT) is mandated by the South African Constitution and the Bill of Rights to intervene in subsequent inhumane conditions and human rights issues affecting people in informal settlements. As a result, the city employs informal settlement upgrading programs and policies as a crucial intervention to address the challenges faced by residents in these areas.