Browsing by Author "Ndinda, Catherine."

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Challenges to the provision of subsidised housing at Umlazi township, eThekwini Municipality : implications for policy.
(2014) Dhladhla, Thabo David.; Ndinda, Catherine.
South Africa is 19 years into its democracy since the installation of a democratic government in 1994. Whereas, this at first glance resembles political success, it may not prevail without challenges. At the present time, the eradication of informal housing and informal settlements is advanced as the primary purpose of housing policy. This Dissertation studied the challenges to implementation of subsidised housing at Umlazi Towhship (P section) and implications for policy therein. The location was chosen because it is one of the biggest slums clearance locations in EThekwini Municipality. This study is qualitative. Non-probability sampling method was utilised in identifying four interviewees that formed part of this research. Interviewees were selected based on their occupation and expertise in the research area studied. Probability (random sampling) technique was utilised in gathering information from the surveyed community members. Questionnaires were administered to 25 African males and 25 African females between the ages of 18-50 earning below R 3 500 per month residing at Umlazi P section. The objective of the study was to explore the challenges encountered in the provision of subsidised housing in Umlazi. The findings indicated that shortage of suitable land close to the city, non-compliance with designated standards and norms, poor public participation, high demand of subsidised low cost houses, intervening policies and poor oversight are the core challenges affecting the provision of subsidised housing at Umlazi (P and B10) sections. The conclusions drawn from the findings are that the provision of subsidised housing should be understood in the context of social and economic development of the beneficiaries, not solely bricks and mortar. Policy implications are that due to shortage of affordable suitable land within the city, led to the peripheral location of housing which reinforces the legacy of the segregated communities. Furthermore in situ housing projects do not allow for proper planning in infrastructural development and housing design. This research therefore recommends that in the provision of subsidised housing, intended beneficiaries should fully participate as this will enable implementers to have an insight on what the beneficiaries expect and need in the provision of housing. This will help the residents of Umlazi to be the drivers of their own development. It is also recommended that the allocation of tender processes should be revised to curtail chances of poor workmanship, nepotism and cronyism in the delivery of public service as this somehow hampers efficient delivery of subsidised housing thus increases the existing housing backlog.
Coping strategies of women micro-enterpreneurs : the case of women curio sellers of the Durban beachfront.
(1997) Ndinda, Catherine.
The dissertation examines the coping strategies of women curio sellers of the Durban Beachfront. In order to know the coping strategies employed the study looked at the problems that the curio sellers face. The understanding of the women's coping strategies by the service providers while addressing the needs of the curio sellers was also examined. The Fieldwork was conducted at the Durban Beachfront among a total of 35 women drawn through the accidental and snowball sampling techniques. Findings: Women curio sellers experience problems related to recognition of their work, capitaVcredit, shelter, accommodation, crime and laws that impede their business operations. Though these problems are quite crippling, women are not entirely helpless. They cope. The coping strategies of the curio sellers are both individual and collective. The individual coping strategies are used to deal with immediate problems and the collective strategies are used to tackle problems that women would not resolve as individuals. The collective efforts are transfonnative in that they seek to change women's position. The effectiveness of the coping strategies is demonstrated by the number of women that employ them and the gains made by using the strategies. Through collective coping strategies women have been able to get the authorities to act on the problems they face such as crime, shelter and accommodation. Coping strategies have implications for participation in endeavours to resolve the problems faced by the curio sellers. The service providers are aware of the problems faced by the women and some of the coping strategies that the traders employ. The service providers have made efforts to resolve the problems of the women but these efforts have not been fruitful. Women's coping strategies appear not to have been taken into consideration and their participation has not featured much in the planning and implementation of the programmes aimed at assisting them. For development programmes to be effective and sustainable, women's coping strategies need to be taken into account in the planning and implementation of development programmes.
Housing conditions of AIDS orphans in Malangeni : implications for housing policy.
(2006) Mkhize, Gugu Sharon.; Ndinda, Catherine.
This dissertation examines the housing conditions experienced by the AIDS orphans at Malangeni. It documents and highlights the housing conditions and makes policy recommendations with regards to addressing housing needs of AIDS orphans. AIDS orphans are faced with the problem of inadequate housing. They are living in houses that have a variety of defects. These houses have broken windows, broken doors, leaks, holes in roof, cracks on walls, mould as well as poor ventilation. These, AIDS orphans are being cared for by their relatives, like their aunties but in most cases it is their grandparents that are getting money from the pension grant to support the whole family. The community of Malangeni is very poor and it does not have adequate funds to provide assistance to solve this problem of inadequate housing. The government and the community organizations have done very little to trying and provide assistance in this regard. AIDS orphans get emotional and moral support from members of local churches who visit each and every household that has AIDS orphans. It can therefore be argued that given the inadequate housing conditions that AIDS orphans live in, there is a need for housing policy to address the problem by providing AIDS orphans with housing that has basic infrastructure facilities that ensure basic health and safety and most importantly, improve the overall quality of life.
Women's participation in housing delivery in South Africa : the extent of empowerment in post-1994 era, with specific reference to case studies in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2002) Ndinda, Catherine.; Adebayo, Ambrose Adeyemi.; Burns, Catherine E.; Charthaigh, D. Chi.
This study, Women's participation in housing delivery in South Africa: the extent of empowerment in post 1994 era, with specific reference to case studies in KwciZulu-Natal, begins with the premise that post-apartheid housing policies, compared to those of the apartheid era, have provided women with greater access to housing. In 1994 the housing backlog was estimated to be about 3.5 million units, with the majority of those in need of shelter being African women. This backlog was due to past policies that largely excluded women from ownership and access to capital or resources to build formal housing. The changes wrought by the democratic dispensation, such as constitutional provision for gender equality, promised women greater participation in the social , political and economic spheres of the country. The recognition of gender equality and housing as rights protected within the constitution was reinforced by pronouncements in various policy documents, such as the housing White Paper that underlined the need for women's involvement in shelter development. The aims of this study are to examine women's participation in housing delivery and to assess the extent of empowerment arising from their involvement in post-1994 housing development. The emphasis in this study on empowerment arises from the fact that housing development.is set within a participatory and empowerment paradigm in the current housing policy. The study discusses participation in "shelter" as embodied in notions of self-help and as appl ied by implementing agencies such as the World Bank, local government municipals and non-governmental organisations. The analysis indicates that to understand women's role in the housing process, there is a need to move beyond the project approach used by implementing agencies, to a multi-relational approach that focuses on the relationships, processes, and levels of involvement at the implementation and post-implementation stages. The scope of empirical material is confined to KwaZuluNatal , although South African national past and present policy is analysed in the earl y chapters. The question this study raises is whether women will be able to make substantial improvements to the core structure provided through the subsidy, due to their weak economic position. Through a gender analysis of the participation process, the study sheds light on women's roles and examines the extent to which women, in particular, have been empowered. Both qualitative and quantitative research instruments were employed to gather data on women's involvement in housing development in the KwaZulu-Natal region chosen for the case studies. The specific areas studied were Nthutukoville, Glenwood II and Thembalihle in Pietermaritzburg and Luganda and Ezilweleni in Durban. The findings of this study show that women were involved at various levels in the housing delivery process and at varying degrees. The findings of this study yielded different levels of participation which were taken to be indicators of the level of empowerment. These were for instance, decision-making, implementation, post-implementation activities and small business development. In all the areas studied, all the top leadership positions were held by men; in the lower levels the gender representation was equal. In two areas, women played a central role in decision-making and this appears to have been influenced by the high level of consultation with the community. In three areas, women played a marginal role in decision-making, an issue that appears to have been influenced by their roles in the household as well as the influence of the local authorities in the projects. In all the areas except one, women held their stereotypical position of secretary. Where they held the position of treasurer, it was based on the stereotypical notion that they were more trustworthy in money matters than men. The representation of women in decision-making did not challenge the gender ideology that entrenches their subordination, an area that has to be addressed in housing projects if women are to take control of their lives. Few women compared to men were trained in construction. The reasons for this point to both a strong male bias as well as societal attitudes about gender roles in society. Both men and women learnt skills such as plumbing, plastering, and painting, on the job through their involvement in providing labour. The role of women in housing delivery extended to the post-implementation level where they were involved in urban greening and microenterprises. Women were also involved in the production and distribution of bricks in three communities but they did not benefit from selling to the subsidy beneficiaries, a situation that calls for government support of their activities through the awarding of supply contracts. The elements of these indicators point to the level of women's empowerment as shown in the areas studied. These indicators combined to form what this study refers to as the multi-relational linkages approach to women's participation in shelter delivery. Although various factors are shown to constrain women's involvement at the different levels, the model highlights the role of women and the sustainability of their empowerment as well as the gaps, and points to ways in which these can be addressed. This study therefore recommends the adoption of the multi-relational linkages approach in understanding women's empowerment in shelter delivery and future policy framing . The conclusion argues that women's participation in shelter development cannot be understood by examining their role in one aspect of delivery; the role of women in various aspects is what constitutes their empowerment.