An evaluation of the integration of the 'white' town of Pietersburg and the 'black' township of Seshego after the local government elections of 1995
Mabotja, Mpheta Samuel (2001-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence of urban systems in South Africa was from the start shaped by racial bias. The black people of this country were refused any form of participation in town planning. To aggravate the situation, urban space was manipulated in a manner that each racial group had its own residential space. The manipulation of urban space gave rise to what is called "the Apartheid City." This "Apartheid city" is characterised by stark contrast in development between a well-serviced, first world town lying side by side with underserviced third world townships. The "Apartheid City" of Pietersburg-Seshego has been undergoing restructuring since 1990. The Local Government Transitional Act (LGTA) has served as an intervention whereby the two formerly unequal areas had to integrate and become one city. The central aim of this study is to evaluate, by using a series of indicators, the integration level that has been achieved since 1995, i.e. since the first local government elections. The study will focus on three key areas to reflect the level of integration, namely, land use patterns, ward demarcation, and integration of personnel. The main conclusion is that though one council has been formed where there were previously two, spatial inequalities and racially-based ward demarcations between the former Pietersburg town and the former Seshego township persist. On the other hand, personnel drawn from the administrations of former white Pietersburg and former Lebowa civil service has not been fully integrated. The former Pietersburg municipality personnel is still white male dominated in both senior and middle management levels while the former Lebowa personnel is black male dominated found in the lowest levels of the TLC structure.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontstaan van metropolitaanse sisteme in Suid Arfika was nog altyd gekenmerk deur rasse bevooroordeling. Die swart bevolking van Suid Afrika was nog altyd in die verlede uitgesluit van deelname aan stadsbeplanning. Om die situasie nog te vererger, was metropolitaanse areas op so 'n wyse gemanipuleer, dat groepe van verskillende rasse elk hul eie residensiële allokasie gehad het. Hierdie manipulasie van metropolitaanse areas het die ontstaan van die "apartheidstad" tot gevolg gehad. Hierdie "apartheidstad" word gekenmerk deur 'n skerp kontras in ontwikkeling tussen 'n goed voorsiene eerste wêreld deel aan die een kant en 'n swak voorsiene derde wêreld deel aan die ander kant. Die "apartheidstad" van Pietersburg - Seshego het sedert 1990 herstrukturering ondergaan, Die "Plaaslike Owerheidsoorgangs Wet" het gedien as 'n middelom twee histories ongelyke areas te integreer om een stad te vorm. Die doelwit van hierdie studie is om die vlak van integrasie sedert 1995 te evalueer deur gebruik te maak van sekere indikatore. Die studie fokus op drie aspekte wat die vlak van integrasie weerspieël naamlik grondgebruikspatrone, wykafbakening en personeel integrering. Die belangrikste gevolge is dat daar nou een plaaslike raad is waar daar voorheen twee was terwyl ruimtelike ongelykhede en ras gebaseerde wyksafbakening nog steeds plaasvind tussen Pietersburg en die vorige Seshego nedersetting. Die nuwe personeelstruktuur - wat bestaan hoofsaaklik uit voormalige wit lede van die Pietersburg raad en hoofsaaklik swart lede van die voormalige Lebowa staatsdiens - is nog nie ten volle geintegreerd nie. Die personeel van die Pietersburg Munisipaliteit is nog steeds oorwegend wit en manlik gedomineerd in beide die middel en senior bestuursposte en die Lebowa personeel is hoofsaaklik swart en manlik gedomineerd in die laer pos bekleding in die struktuur van die nuwe plaaslike regeringstruktuur.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52105