The role of hostel residents in the politics of the emerging Durban Metropolitan council
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Date
1997
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Abstract
From inception hostels, as reservoirs of cheap Black labour, have attracted widespread attention from labour movements, politicians, the church, civics, and custodians of human rights. As a form of Black cheap housing, hostels have been more accessible to rural orientated migrant work seekers. For this reason and many others, hostels have become overcrowded and violence prone areas. The physical deterioration of these areas made hostel life emotionally depressing.
Very little could be done by hostel residents who had been repeatedly told by government officials that their social, economics and political needs were supposed to be catered for in their respective homelands. Their lack of political influence gave rise to either total withdrawal or quiet brooding.
The dissertation aims at investigating and determining the extent to which the rural migrant worker was predisposed to forms of exploitative relationships in the Durban Metropolitan areas. The dissertation will also seek to determine the attitude of the hostel residents towards the previous racially-based local government and the new democratic order.
The participation of the hostel residents in the recent Durban Metropolitan elections and the extent to which they influenced the voting patter, will be dealt with in the dissertation. The dissertation, finally seeks to create the awareness of all the role players that hostels should be upgraded in a manner that takes into account existing housing standards of a city environment.
The study succeeded in establishing that there is over whelming documented evidence that hostels were created for the sole purpose to ensure a continuous flow of cheap labour. The state and industrialists jointly worked out a strategy to ensure that the system worked efficiently.
Hostel residents were systematically alienated from their township counterparts. Police used hostel residents to suppress town ship up rising. Hostel residents were perceived by townships residents as outsiders.
This was further evidence of exploitation of this sector of residents.
The emergence of the new political order brought a better understanding of why it was of utmost necessity that the hostel residents and the township residents should join hands and embark on mutually agreed programmes which aim at improving the quality of life of both sectors. More demand was voiced by hostel residents for the provision of family units within the hostels.
The hostel residents who voted for their political party candidates were optimistic that improvement in these areas would be visible if necessary support was given by all role players.
Description
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Geography at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1997.
Keywords
Local government--South Africa, Metropolitan government--South Africa