CHAPTER FOUR
4.4 The socio-economic impact of the relocation
4.4.1 Access to social services
All the beneficiary households, from Clairwood, Lamontville KwaGijima-eSithebeni and the Ark had better access to a range of social services at their informal settlements. In all areas, schools (both primary and high schools) were within a one to three km radius of the settlement and children used to walk to school. The Ark was one km or less away from Point Road Police Station, eSithebeni was also closer to SJ Smith Hostel or 'Wema"
Police station, and the community from Clairwood informal settlement had better access to police services. Because of reliable and affordable transport, there was easy access to hospitals such as Addington, King Edward and Prince Mshiyeni Zulu.
Comparing where they had resided to the advantages they enjoyed in Welbedacht East, the physical situation of the relocation site is highly unsatisfactory. The majority (90%) of the project is a peri-urban centre, cut off from major arterial routes and badly connected to Chatsworth, whereby no commercial areas are available within walking distance. In all three groups schools were accessible, but in Welbedacht East there is not even one accessible school, all schools are located inside Chatsworth. The nearest grants and government offices are in Chatsworth, and beneficiaries have to use minibus-taxis to reach them. The nearest hospital (R K Khan) is seven kilometres away. There are no recreational facilities nearby, and people indicated that they only consider recreation during the festive season.
What was noted in the study was that, although these differences in distances between areas appear insignificant, they represent a crucial difference between a short walk and an essential taxi journey, costing between R10 and Rl3 per return trip. These costs impact significantly on household budgets when the journey has to be undertaken regularly, as is necessary for school-going children, and those needing to travel to seek job opportunities. One should also take note that the concentration of particular
recreational facilities accessible from the relocation sites was much more user-friendly from a cultural perspective.
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Photograph 1
Greaterpartofthestudy . . . .
Welbedacht East is significantly located in north-east of Umlazi Township and west of Chatsworth, and also just across eNgonyameni Traditional Authority.
Arguing about the issue of social ties in the new neighbourhoods, officials pointed out that the development has a number of neighbourhoods, although only Chatsworth, Umlazi Township and Ngonyameni were cited as potential neighbouring areas for social ties. The officials also mentioned that families had not been relocated from severely distressed informal housing in the hope that their lives would improve as a result of moving out of areas of concentrated poverty. Perhaps the view or approach by the municipality is informed by the social capital theory which is defined by Portes cited by Clampet- Lundquist (2004), wherein social capital is seen as "the ability of actors to secure benefits by virtue of membership in social networks or other social structures". It is therefore assumed that social capital does not just happen to passive individuals, but that people have to engage themselves in managing their opportunities so as to increase
or capitalise on the resources available in their social relations (Clampet- Lundquist (2004:416).
Photograph 2
PartoftheresidentsortgInIIted
from
KwaGljima(LamontvDle)This is the only well-located settlement compared to households relocated from the Ark and those that came from Clairwood. There is reasonable access to public transport services and facilities such as schools and clinics are easily accessible.
One of the beneficiaries interviewed was Danny Pedersen. He is one of those beneficiaries who complain that social and economic conditions in WE are harsher than they were in the Ark Place of Safety. He said that although they had no money in the Ark, they were given food, soap and other daily human needs. In WE 'you are on your own' he lamented. He said he had occupied his house 18 months ago, but that it still has no electricity.
Photograph 3
KIdswithout.school ....rby tofurthertheireducation
This child wearing a school uniform is Buhle Dladla. She has lost the lost the opportunity to receive schooling as a result of relocation to WE. She says:
I used to attend Ekuphileni Primary SChool in Ilovu, and grand-mother was given a house here because she had a shack in KwaGijima and it was cheaper to attend at eKuphileni if you are from KwaGiijima. Since we came here, my grand-mother told me she had no money to pay for me to travel to Ilovu so I had to stop schooling.
The research revealed that half of Welbedacht East school-going children, particularly those at high schools, were still registered in previous settlements, paying exorbitant transport fees. The research also revealed that those children who chose not to be educated in schools dominated by Indian community, were, instead admitted at the Primary School at Ngonyameni, which is seven km away, and that they have to cross the river without a bridge to get there. The reason for not attending schools dominated by the Indian community was purely a cultural issue, the study found.
Children have to cross the Umlazi River and, if it is full, children are unable to cross the river. This impact negatively on their education, as they lose out on school days. The provincial department of education (eThekwini Region) indicated that it had not been advised of the relocation and that it might, as a result, take two to five years to help accommodate all Welbedacht East's school-going children in a school closer to their
homes. The study found that 10% of Webedacht East children simply stopped attending school for financial reasons. Parents had indicated they cannot afford public transportation to ferry their children to and from previous settlements.