Energy and the community of the poor. Urban settlements, household needs and participatory development in South Africa

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the need for community participation in decision making affecting their lives and development. Opinion leaders and executives (especially those of a corporate background) need to understand the socioeconomic milieu in which the majority of South Africans live. In the urban areas, where we put our focus, most of the poor people live in informal housing. This paper starts with a typology of types of settlement found in our cities. The circumstances in which the people live forms the second component of the paper. If the people are to be dealt with as a part of the solution (and not as 'the problem') community participation should feature high on the agenda not only of government but also of parastatals and private companies. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the idea of community participation. © 1994.