Migration and urbanisation: assessing the provision of basic services in Havana informal settlement in Windhoek, Namibia

Includes summaries in Tswana and Afrikaans

Urbanisation is under-researched in Namibia, with available literature neglecting pertinent issues such as lack of service delivery and its impact on the livelihoods of citizens residing in informal settlements. This thesis examined the extent to which internal migration affects urbanisation and exerts pressure on social services (water, electricity, housing, health service, education) in the most populous informal settlement of Havana, in Windhoek, Namibia. The study interrogated the level of preparedness of authorities to address the inaccessibility of basic social services in the settlement. It also reviewed the availability of incentives to minimise and to some degree regulate rural–urban migration, the source of rapid urbanisation in Namibia. The research applied the qualitative approach and used data collection instruments such as focus group discussions, interviews, observation and document review. Data for the study were obtained from 66 participants comprising community leaders from each of the five wards; females and males heading households; as well as youths from both genders. These groups participated in the focus group discussions. Officials from the municipality of Windhoek, the government and community leaders participated in the key informant interviews. Purposive sampling was applied to obtain the sample size. The dual economic theory (Lewis, 1954) and the labour migration theory (Harris & Todaro, 1970) prove that negative socio-economic trends in rural areas contribute to push factors that trigger urban migration, affecting mainly young people from farming communities who rely on agriculture. However, the study shows that the theories do not expand on the harshness of lifestyles in urban areas, especially the lack of social services. It is necessary to expand on these theories to allow an urban migrant to choose whether to continue residing in an urban area when the motive for migration is fulfilled or, alternatively, to avoid the hardships of urban life and to return to the agriculturally based economy in rural areas in events where the basis of migration is not fulfilled. Gaps exist in the literature on urbanisation in Namibia, specifically the impact of rapid urbanisation on social service delivery in informal settlements. This knowledge gap prompted the researcher to conduct this study in order to understand the dynamics of internal migration, how it contributes to rapid urbanisation and the pressure it exerts on the provision of services. The results of this study can guide and direct policy and remedial actions to address the problem. The ethnographic findings of the study confirm the negative impact of rapid urbanisation on the provision of services in the settlement. The study outcomes have the potential to show policymakers and administrators how to reverse the socio-economic inequalities in the settlement. These findings can be used to reshape, improve and implement policy to ensure a better livelihood for people residing in the Havana informal settlement.

Ho aha ditoropong ha ho batlisiswe hantle Namibia, ka dingodilweng tse teng tse hlokomolohileng ditaba tse jwalo ka kgaello ya phano ya ditshebeletso le phello ya yona maphelong a baahi ba dulang metsaneng e seng malaong. Thesisi ena e ile ya hlahloba hore na ho falla ha ka hare ho naha ho ama ho ata ha ho fallela ditoropong le ho hatella ditshebeletso tsa setjhaba (metsi, motlakase, matlo, ditshebeletso tsa bophelo bo botle, thuto) motsaneng o seng molaong o nang le baahi ba bangata ka ho fetisisa wa Havana, Windhoek, Namibia.Thuto e ile ya hlahloba boemo ba ho itokisetsa ha balaodi ho sebetsana le ho se fihlellehe ha ditshebeletso tsa motheo tsa setjhaba sebakeng sa bodulo. E boetse e hlahlobile boteng ba dikgothaletso tsa ho fokotsa le ho laola ho falla ha metse ya mahaeng ho ya metseng e meng ho isa boholeng bo itseng, e leng mohlodi wa ho ata ho fallela ditoropong ka potlako Namibia. Patlisiso e sebedisitse mokgwa wa boleng mme e sebedisitse disebediswa tsa pokello ya dintlha tse kang dipuisano tsa dihlopha tse tsepamisitsweng maikutlong, dipuisano, tebello le tlhahlobo ya ditokomane. Dintlha tsa thuto di ile tsa fumanwa ho bankakarolo ba 66 ba nang le baetapele ba setjhaba ho tswa ho e nngwe le e nngwe ya mabatowa a mahlano; basadi le banna ba etellang pele malapa; hammoho le batjha ba bong ka bobedi.Dihlopha tsena di ile tsa nka karolo dipuisanong tsa dihlopha tse tsepamisitsweng maikutlo. Basebeletsi ba masepala wa Windhoek, mmuso le baetapele ba setjhaba ba nkile karolo dipuisanong tsa bohlokwa tsa ditsebisi. Sampole ya morero e sebedisitswe ho fumana boholo ba sampole. Kgopolotaba ya moruo (Lewis, 1954) le kgopolo ya ho falla ha basebetsi (Harris & Todaro, 1970) di paka hore mekgwa e mebe ya moruo le moruo dibakeng tsa mahaeng e kenya letsoho ho susumetsang batho ho fallela ditoropong, tse amang haholo batjha ba tswang ditjhabeng tsa dihwai ba itshetlehileng ka bona ho temothuo. Leha ho le jwalo, phuputso e bontsha hore dikgopolotaba ha di atolose ho thatafala ha mekgwa ya bophelo dibakeng tsa ditoropo, haholoholo kgaello ya ditshebeletso tsa setjhaba. Hwa hlokahala ho atolosa dikgopolo tsena ho dumella motho ya falletseng ditoropong ho ikgethela hore na o tla tswela pele ho dula sebakeng sa ditoropo ha sepheo sa ho falla se phethahala kapa, ho e na le hoo, ho qoba mathata a bophelo ba ditoropong le ho kgutlela moruong wa temo dibakeng tsa mahaeng diketsahalong tseo motheo wa ho falla o sa phethahalang. Dikgeo di teng dibukeng tse mabapi le ho fallela ditoropong naheng ya Namibia, haholoholo phello ya ho fallela ditoropong ka potlako ho phano ya ditshebeletso tsa setjhaba metsaneng e seng ya malao. Lekgalo lena la tsebo le ile la etsa hore mofuputsi a etse phuputso ena e le hore a utlwisise matla a ho falla ha ka hare ho naha, hore na a kenya letsoho jwang ho potlakisang ha metse e meholo le kgatello eo e fanang ka yona ho fana ka ditshebeletso.Diphetho tsa thuto ena di ka tataisa le ho tsamaisa maano le diketso tsa tokiso ho rarolla bothata. Diphumano tsa ethnographic tsa thuto di tiisa phello e mpe ya ho fallela ditoropong ho phano ka ditshebeletso sebakeng sa bodulo. Diphetho tsa thuto di na le monyetla wa ho bontsha baetsi ba melawana le batsamaisi mokgwa wa ho kgutlisa ho se lekane ha moruo wa setjhaba sebakeng sa bodulo. Diphumano tsena di ka sebediswa ho hlophisa botjha, ho ntlafatsa le ho kenya tshebetsong leano ho netefatsa bophelo bo betere bakeng sa batho ba dulang metsaneng e seng malaong ya Havana.

Relatief min navorsing oor verstedeliking word in Namibië gedoen terwyl die beskikbare literatuur relevante kwessies soos ’n gebrek aan dienslewering en die invloed daarvan op die lewensbestaan van burgers wat in informele nedersettings woon, afskeep word. Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die mate waartoe interne migrasie verstedeliking raak en druk uitoefen op maatskaplike dienste (water, elektrisiteit, behuising, gesondheidsdienste, opvoeding) in die mees dig bevolkte informele nedersetting, Havana in Windhoek, Namibië. Hierdie studie bevraagteken owerhede se vlak van gereedheid om die ontoeganklikheid van basiese maatskaplike dienste in die nedersetting aan te spreek. Dit ondersoek ook die beskikbaarheid van aansporings om landelik-stedelike migrasie, wat die bron van vinnige verstedeliking in Namibië is, te minimaliseer en tot ’n mate te reguleer. Die navorsing het die kwalitatiewe benadering gevolg en data-insamelingsinstrumente soos fokusgroepbesprekings, onderhoude, waarneming en dokumenthersiening gebruik. Data vir die studie is met behulp van 66 deelnemers bekom wat saamgestel is uit gemeenskapsleiers uit elk van die vyf wyke; vrouens en mans wat aan die hoof van hulle huishoudings staan; asook jeugdiges van beide geslagte. Hierdie groepe het aan die fokusgroepbesprekings deelgeneem. Amptenare van die munisipaliteit van Windhoek, die regering en gemeenskapsleiers het aan die sleutelinformantonderhoude deelgeneem. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is toegepas om die steekproefgrootte te bekom. Die tweeledige ekonomiese teorie (Lewis, 1954) en die arbeidsmigrasieteorie (Harris & Todaro, 1970) het bewys dat negatiewe sosio-ekonomiese tendense in landelike gebiede tot drukfaktore kan bydra wat stedelike migrasie veroorsaak en hoofsaaklik jongmense van plaasgemeenskappe wat op landbou staatmaak, raak. Hierdie studie toon egter dat die teorieë nie uiteensit oor hoe moeilik dit is om in stedelike gebiede te woon nie. Dit is noodsaaklik om op hierdie teorieë uit te brei ten einde ’n stedelike migrant toe te laat om te kies of hy/sy steeds in ’n stedelike gebied wil bly wanneer daar aan die beweegrede vir migrasie voldoen is, of as alternatief, om die swaarkry van ’n stedelike lewe te vermy en na die landbougebaseerde ekonomie in landelike gebiede terug te keer wanneer daar nie aan die oorsake van migrasie voldoen is nie. Daar is heelwat leemtes in die literatuur wat verstedeliking in Namibië betref, veral die invloed van vinnige verstedeliking op maatskaplike dienslewering in informele nedersettings. Hierdie kennisgaping het die navorser aangemoedig om hierdie studie aan te pak om die dinamika van interne migrasie te verstaan, asook hoe dit tot vinnige verstedeliking bydra en die druk wat dit op die lewering van dienste plaas. Die resultate van hierdie studie kan as riglyn vir beleid en regstellende aksies dien om sodoende die probleem op te los. Die etnografiese bevindings van die studie bevestig die negatiewe uitwerking van vinnige verstedeliking op die verskaffing van dienste in die nedersetting. Die uitkomste van die studie beskik oor die potensiaal om aan beleidmakers en administrateurs te wys hoe om die sosio-ekonomiese ongelykhede in die nederstting om te keer. Hierdie bevindings kan gebruik word om beleide te hervorm, te verbeter en te implementeer ten einde beter lewenskwaliteit vir mense wat in die Havana- informele nedersetting woon, te verseker.

Development Studies

Ph.D. (Development Studies)