Tracking peri-urban changes in eThekwini Municipality – beyond the ‘poor–rich’ dichotomy

Abstract

Conceptualization of peri-urban has always been argued from the dichotomy between the ‘poor’ and ‘rich’ paradigms. Peri-urban literature is underpinned by the periphery vs. the urban core stratification. Prevailing consensus is that peri-urban represents deprivation, poverty, lack of access to services and infrastructure. This preoccupation with the negative conceptualisation of the peri-urban misses the opportunities brought by these peri-urban areas to city growth. The paper uses eThekwini as a case study by tracking peri-urban growth in Adams Mission between 2003 and 2013. Research findings reaffirm the peri-urban as an area of opportunity and dispel the widely accepted negative sentiments about peri-urban development.

Keywords:

• peri-urban
• urbanisation
• developing world
• eThekwini
• Adams Mission
• Durban

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See: study by Deloitte on the African middle class: ‘The rise and rise of African Middle Class’ (Deloitte on Africa Collection; Issue 1).

2. Data and methodsThe paper is based on primary data collected in Adams Mission. In-depth interviews were conducted with 54 households. Interviews with ward councillor and traditional leader (Inkosi) were also conducted. This was done as part of a broader research project investigating dynamics of this peri-urban development and its impact on water and sanitation provision. The primary purpose was to establish processes of land acquisition and to assess the overall implications of this development for the municipality’s water and sanitation provision. This paper uses selected sections of the empirical data to justify claims made about processes and practices of land acquisition and the reasoning behind this development.

3. A body under whose jurisdiction the KwaZulu-Natal communal land falls. It is land held in trust for people of the Zulu nation.

4. eThekwini refers to areas demarcated by physical administrative and political boundaries, whereas Durban is a CBD part of the municipality without any physical boundaries. The city of Durban is a focal point of the municipality and a landmark.

5. Notwithstanding this new form of urbanization, the OECD report projects that by 2030, rural areas will lose 5 million people and population in urban areas will double by 2050 (OECD 2011).

6. Triggers refer to any new developments that may have influenced settlement growth and encouraged new residents to move into the areas.

7. Inkosi is a traditional leader.

8. People occupying land under the communal land tenure system do not have legal rights over the land – but merely occupation rights. They have de facto rights to the land, but de jure rights vest with the Ingonyama Trust.

9. Induna is a helper to the traditional leader. In some contexts, they refer to Induna as traditional herdman.