Several South African cities are faced with challenges of rapid urbanisation, overpopulation, spatial inequalities, and poor service delivery. Local municipalities have failed to adequately address the challenges manifested by the apartheid legacy, which continues to plague current developmental initiatives. Post-apartheid urban growth and service delivery programmes have not been able to keep up with the demand for services. Poor governance has been a stumbling block to development since it infringes on the responsibilities of municipalities and prevents them from delivering proper services, which in turn, defeats the plans in place to eradicate poverty and inequality in South Africa. In an attempt to counter these challenges, some municipalities, including the city of Ekurhuleni, have gone the amalgamation route. Municipal amalgamations have been viewed as a way of ensuring that municipalities are large enough to be financially and technically proficient in providing an extensive range of services to communities. The study used a qualitative research approach: interviews, focus group discussions and interviews, and content analysis of strategic documents to collect data. The findings of this study suggest that the implications of apartheid’s spatial legacy have had far-reaching consequences for South Africa, as it still dominates the spatial patterns and influences how and where development occurs. While planners have been grappling with addressing the historical spatial legacy that the country faces, new and updated challenges, including urbanization and globalization, have come to the fore. Furthermore, the amalgamation process in Ekurhuleni has not been comprehensive or without its flaws. There have also been some negative trade-offs, which have affected the economic well-being of the communities in the metro. Municipal amalgamations in Ekurhuleni have generated both advantages and disadvantages. Notably, the research findings indicate that implementation has been poor and, as a result, the impact of amalgamation has not been meaningful enough to effectively improve the quality of life for people in the city.
Verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse stede staar uitdagings rakende snelle verstedeliking, oorbevolking, ruimtelike ongelykhede en swak dienslewering in die gesig. Plaaslike munisipaliteite het in gebreke gebly om voldoende aandag te gee aan die ontwikkelingsuitdagings wat deel was van die nalatenskap van apartheid. Huidige ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe word steeds deur hierdie uitdagings belemmer. Stedelike diensleweringsprogramme in die postapartheid-era kon nie met die vraag na dienste tred hou nie. Swak bestuur was tot dusver ’n struikelblok vir ontwikkeling; dit belemmer ook behoorlike dienslewering deur munisipaliteite. Derhalwe word die planne wat daargestel is om armoede en ongelykheid in Suid-Afrika uit te wis, in die wiele gery. As ’n teenwig vir hierdie uitdagings het sommige munisipaliteite, soos die Stad Ekurhuleni, die samesmeltingsroete gevolg. Munisipale samesmelting word beskou as ’n manier om te verseker dat munisipaliteite, vanweë hulle grootte ná samesmelting, die nodige finansiële en tegniese kapasiteit het om uitgebreide dienste aan gemeenskappe te lewer. ’n Kwalitatiewe benadering is vir die studie gevolg. Onderhoude, fokusgroepe en die inhoudsontleding van strategiese dokumente is as data-insamelingsmetodes gebruik. Die bevindings van die studie dui daarop dat die ruimtelike nalatenskap van apartheid verreikende gevolge vir Suid-Afrika gehad het, aangesien dit steeds ruimtelike patrone oorheers en ’n invloed het op hoe en waar ontwikkeling plaasvind. Beplanners het oplossings vir hierdie ruimtelike nalatenskap begin soek, maar nuwe, moderne uitdagings, insluitende verstedeliking en globalisering, het intussen op die voorgrond getree. Die samesmeltingsproses in Ekurhuleni was voorts nie perfek of omvattend nie en het met sekere negatiewe kompromieë, wat die welstand van gemeenskappe in die metro beïnvloed, gepaard gegaan. Samesmelting in Ekurhuleni het beide voordele en nadele opgelewer; die bevindings beklemtoon in die besonder dat implementering swak was en dat die impak van samesmelting derhalwe nie beduidend genoeg was om inwoners van die stad se lewensgehalte daadwerklik te verander nie.
Amadolobha amaningana aseNingizimu Afrika abhekene nezinselele zokukhula ngokushesha emadolobheni, ukuchichima kwabantu, ukungalingani kwezindawo kanye nokungahlinzekwa kahle kwezidingongqangi. Omasipala bendawo bahlulekile ukubhekana nezinselelo zentuthuko ezabonakala ngesikhathi sobandlululo, ezisaqhubeka nokukhungatha izinhlelo zentuthuko zamanje. Ukukhula kwedolobha ngemuva kobandlululo kanye nezinhlelo zokulethwa kwezidingongqangi azikwazanga ukuhambisana nesidingo sezinsiza. Ukubusa ngendlela engafanele kube yisikhubekiso entuthukweni, futhi kukhinyabeza omasipala ekuhlinzekeni ngezidingo ezifanele, okubuye kubhuntshise izinhlelo ezikhona zokuqeda ububha nokungalingani eNingizimu Afrika. Emizamweni yokubhekana nalezi zinselelo abanye omasipala, okuhlanganisa nedolobha laseKurhuleni, bahambe indlela wokuhlanganisa ekusebenzisaneni nabanye. Ukuhlanganiswa komasipala kubhekwe njengendlela yokuqinisekisa ukuthi omasipala bakhulu ngokwanele ukuba babe nolwazi lwezezimali kanye nobuchwepheshe ukuze bahlinzeke ngezinsiza eziningi emiphakathini. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela yocwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu esebenzisa izingxoxo, amaqembu okugxilwe kuwo kanye nokuhlaziywa kokuqukethwe kwemibhalo yamasu ukuze kuqoqwe idatha. Okutholwe yilolu cwaningo kukhomba ukuthi imithelela yomlando wobandlululo ibe nemiphumela emikhulu eNingizimu Afrika, njengoba umlando usadla anhlamvana futhi unomthelela ekutheni intuthuko yenzeke kanjani futhi kuphi. Ngenkathi abahleli bezama ukubhekana nefa lomlando lendawo, izinselele ezintsha zesimanje sezivele kuqala ezihlanganisa ukufudukela emadolobheni kanye nokuhwebelana emhlabeni wonke jikelele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, inqubo yokuhlanganisa ngokusebenzisana Ekurhuleni ayizange ibe yinhle noma iphelele futhi kube khona nokuhwebelana okungekuhle okuthinta inhlalakahle yemiphakathi yasemadolobheni amakhulu. Ukuhlanganiswa kwe-Ekurhuleni kukhiqize kokubili okuhle nokubi; ikakhulukazi okutholakele kugcizelele ukuthi ukuqaliswa kube kubi futhi ngenxa yalokho umthelela wokuhlanganiswa awubanga nenjongo ngokwanele ukuguqula ngempumelelo izinga lempilo yabantu basedolobheni.
