Are the walls giving way to fences? Is racial integration within Kwadukuza municipality leading to income based class segregation

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The racial and development imbalances created by apartheid have left a profound impact on the urban and social landscape in South Africa. Despite it being 20 years into the dawn of a new South Africa, many parts of society are still bearing the brunt of the harsh impacts of apartheid. The first democratic elections in 1994 heralded a new era of hope and optimism for a better life in a racially integrated country. However 20 years into democracy, just how much has society integrated? Literature suggests that, in the absence of legally enforced segregation as with apartheid, society will segregate itself on class or other factors. This study measures if changes in racial integration within KwaDukuza Municipality is leading to class based segregation. The study makes use of the Neighbourhood Diversity Index, to measure changes in racial integration within the study area. A Geographic Weighted Regression model was then used to determine if there is a relationship between racial integration and income that could explain the transference from racial to classed based segregation. The study found that although low levels of racial integration have taken place within KDM, the coastal areas of the municipality have become increasingly segregated over the last 20 years. The GWR model found that there is positive relationship between income and racial segregation in these coastal areas. This study highlights that politicians, decision makers, town and social planners still face a long and socially demanding challenge in redressing past imbalances and promoting integration by breaking down the current trend of class based segregation.

AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die ongelykhede teweeggebring deur apartheid ten opsigte van ras en ontwikkeling het ‘n diepgaande impak op die stedelike en sosiale uitleg van Suid-Afrika gehad. Ten spyte daarvan dat Suid-Afrika reeds vir 20 jaar ’n nuwe bedeling het, verdra groot dele van die gemeenskap nog die wrede gevolge van apartheid. Met die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in 1994 is ’n nuwe era van hoop en optimisme vir ‘n beter lewe in ‘n ras-geïntegreerde land ingelui. Maar na 20 jaar van demokrasie, word die vraag gevra tot in watter mate integrasie onder die gemeenskap plaasgevind het? Die literatuur gee te kenne dat ’n gemeenskap, in die afwesigheid van ’n regtens afdwingbare segregasiebeleid soos apartheid, hulself op grond van klas of ander faktore segregeer. Hierdie studie stel vas of die verandering in rasse-integrasie in die KwaDukuza Munisipaliteit besig is om tot klas-gebaseerde segregasie te lei. Die studie maak van die Woonbuurt-diversiteitsindeks gebruik om veranderinge in rasse-integrasie binne die studiegebied te meet. ‘n Geografiese-gewigsregressiemodel is daarna gebruik om vas te stel of daar ‘n verhouding tussen rasse-integrasie en inkomste is wat die oorgang van segregasie op grond van ras na klas kan verduidelik. Daar is gevind dat alhoewel ‘n lae vlak van rasse-integrasie binne die KDM plaasgevind het, daar in die kusgebiede ‘n toename in segregasie gedurende die laaste 20 jaar was. Volgens die Geografiese-gewigsregressiemodel is vasgestel dat daar ‘n positiewe verwantskap tussen inkomste en rasse-segregasie in hierdie kusgebiede is. Die studie beklemtoon dat politici, besluitnemers, sosiale en stadsbeplanners nog ‘n lang en veeleisende taak ophande het om nie net die ongelykhede van die verlede te herstel nie maar ook om die huidige integrasie te bevorder deur die tendens van klasse-segregasie af te breek.

Masters