Informal Settlements in South Africa: Langrug Community

Informal Settlements in South Africa: Langrug Community

Many informal settlements in South Africa are connected to the Apartheid era, when government policies systematically segregated people based on race from housing, education and job opportunities. This in turn led many non-whitecitizens to leave the cities for informal townshipsin surrounding areas. In 1994, the Apartheid system was dismantled and a reformed democratic system was adopted. Despite the fact that Apartheid is no longer in existence, extreme barriers still exist in South Africa. Many cities such as Cape Town, exhibit a clear line between wealth and extreme poverty. For this reason, informal settlements such as Langrug continue to exist today.

Informal settlements are housing areas that are often illegally built on municipal land. In South Africa, these settlements are found in a variety of areas and are home to a large percentage of the country’s impoverished population. Langrug is one of these informal settlements that exist in the village of Franschhoek. The Langrug settlement contains roughly 2,000 shacks and is home to almost 5,000 residents. Originally, the settlement was formed in the early 1990’s by migrants who were seeking job opportunities and potential housing. Despite slow and partial upgrading of the areaLangrug remains a severely impoverished settlement that faces a myriad of issues today. The most prominent challenges in Langrug today are poverty, poor water and sanitation services and lack of electricity(TAVENER—SIVIITH 2012).

Perhaps the biggest issue faced by informal settlements in South Africa is the insufficient access to running water and health, education and wellness (HEW) There are usually very few, if any, resources available to the residents of the communities in terms of sanitation and hygiene. Water sources and government-provided facilities are often ill maintained, and therefore underused. In general, informal settlements do not have the resources to support facilities such as the one in Langrug, where maintenance requires a great deal of time and money. While the municipality does support maintenance of other facilities in the community, their services are not performed well. Due to inadequate upkeep and low community investment these facilities are often defiled within a matter of months.