TRP 2013 Volume 63

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  • ItemOpen Access
    Economic and demographic trends of municipalities in South Africa: an application of Zipf’s rule
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Morudo, Hlabi; Du Plessis, Danie
    English: There are vast differences among South African local municipalities, with a limited number of large municipalities (both in terms of population size and economic activity) and a seemingly disproportionate number of intermediate-sized and small municipalities. No clear systematic national approach has yet been adopted to assess the distribution of core variables at municipal level in South Africa. Zipf’s rule, which postulates a consistent regularity in the size and rank of cities, is applied to disaggregate the performance of South African local municipalities in terms of three variables (population, Gross Value Added and municipal income) within the overall national settlement pattern. The results indicate that the Zipf rank size rule distribution is applicable to municipal level population data in South Africa, but less so for Gross Value Added and municipal income. The position and relative changes of municipalities along the Zipf curve between 2001 and 2011 also provide plausible indications of potential future trajectories of the three variables classified according to the dominant settlement typology within each municipality. The results also emphasise the significant conceptual limitations when using only legally defined administrative municipal boundaries for analysis purposes without also considering economically functional boundaries.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The reshaping of urban structure in South Africa through municipal capital investment: evidence from three municipalities
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Laldaparsad, Sharthi; Geyer, Herman; Du Plessis, Danie
    English: Although Spatial Development Frameworks are regarded as the key spatial restructuring tool of local municipalities, the investment of public resources through the municipal capital budget is of equal importance. Public-sector capital investment plays a key role in the reorientation of spatial priorities by guiding private investment and restructuring historically inefficient spaces. The alignment of spatial development strategies and municipal capital budgets provide a potentially effective restructuring mechanism for local municipalities. This article analyses the degree of alignment of these instruments through the case-study investigation of three local municipalities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Rustenburg. The findings indicate that spatial development frameworks significantly influence budgetary capital spending patterns and address growth management and connectivity. However significant resources were committed in marginalised fragmented settlements, a trend that reinforced spatial inefficiencies.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Socio-economic performance of municipalities along the Maputo Development Corridor (MDC): implications for the National Development Plan (NDP) of 2011
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Khoza, Christine; Willemse, Lodene
    English: The economic successes of the Maputo Development Corridor (MDC) project demonstrate that corridor development can provide solutions to economic development in landlocked African countries. However, the National Development Plan (NDP) (2011) cites a lack of employment opportunities and under-maintained infrastructure among the inhibitors of economic development, including the area within the MDC, where infrastructure maintenance has, in fact, been praised. This article aims to establish the socio-economic performance of the MDC region between 1996 and 2011, by comparing it to Mpumalanga and the other provinces, and comparing the socioeconomic performance of the six MDC municipalities with each other. Results indicate that the socio-economic performance of the MDC region is consistently better than Mpumalanga and, in certain cases, the region even outperforms the other provinces, thus demonstrating the success of the MDC project. Furthermore, the municipalities that showed stronger economic potential in 1996 (Emalahleni, Steve Tshwete and Mbombela) continued to prosper in 2011 at the expense of the poorer municipalities (Nkomazi, Victor Khayne and Emakhazeni). Policy implications for the NDP (2011) are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    A critical evaluation of the operational application of various settlement typologies in South Africa
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Schmidt, Isabel; Du Plessis, Danie
    English: This article critically evaluates the definition and operational application of various settlement typologies across selected government departments for the purposes of the planning, implementation and monitoring of development programmes. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are applied and informant and group interviews are conducted with 21 different government departments or entities. Nine different typologies are identified and compared on the basis of the requirements highlighted during the group interviews and international best practice. Discussions with the various interest groups highlight the need for a functional typology that consists of a number of categories or classes that can be combined as needed and not be restricted to a simple urban-rural dichotomy. A more dynamic and accessible linkage between the spatial units of analysis of the various typologies is also required. It is found that the South African City Network/ Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) settlement typology meets most of the criteria set by the literature as well as the groups interviewed. In view of the widespread use of the Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) data and typologies, it is recommended that the South African City Network/CSIR typologies should dovetail as much as possible with the 2011-census data and classification system.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The relationship between settlement type and undercount in the South African census of 2011
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Maluleke, Risenga; Van Eeden, Amanda
    English: Holding a population and housing census is both a momentous undertaking and a costly challenge for any government. It requires vast planning and organising, but the results are vital for constructive planning. The aim of a census is to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population size, composition and distribution at small-area level. As an undercount could affect the trust and use of census data, a major challenge in any census is dealing with the effects of an undercount. This article investigates some of the causes of the undercount in the South African National census of 2011, and how these causes vary across different geographic areas. The aim of the investigation is to determine the relationship between settlement type and the undercount in the 2011-census with the intention of laying the groundwork for lower undercounts in future censuses and survey implementation strategies. The key objectives of this article are to determine whether geographic location affects the census undercount and to understand how results based on geographic location are distributed spatially across the country.
  • ItemOpen Access
    From the editor: issues underlying national planning priorities
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Geyer, Manie
    Abstract not available
  • ItemOpen Access
    Deprivation among unemployed South African youth: intergenerational or transitional?
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Booysen, Desmond; Van Eeden, Amanda
    English: The troika of poverty, unemployment and inequality are hallmarks of the South African socio-economic landscape. With approximately one out of every four young people between the ages of 15 and 35 being employed, unemployment is a fact of life experienced by the majority of South African youth. This study sets out to explore this phenomenon, particularly whether the factors giving rise to youth unemployment are transitory or intergenerational in nature. The study is based on a sample of 3.236 unemployed youths originating from four provinces together with data extracted from a dedicated poverty survey conducted by Statistics South Africa from 2008 to 2009. Instead of focusing on the rather narrow income-poverty viewpoint, the study follows a multidimensional approach, using a range of social and material deprivation indicators to measure poverty. Results show that only transitory factors are significant in explaining the prevalence of deprivation among unemployed youths, suggesting that their poverty is temporary in nature. Of particular significance is the fact that provinces with quite disparate conventional poverty profiles displayed rather similar results in their range of material and social deprivations. In addition, the more prosperous provinces such as Gauteng performed worse than poorer provinces such as Limpopo and Eastern Cape. This research contributes to the National Development Plan vision for 2030, which recognises the issues of social security and supports an understanding of a minimum level of social protection. Among the study’s many recommendations is that certain components of the survey instruments be improved, that the role of households in mitigating against the ravages of poverty among the young be appreciated, and that state intervention to alleviate youth poverty be emphasised.