Politicising service delivery in South Africa: a reflection on the history, reality and fiction of Bekkersdal, 1949-2015

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dc.contributor.authorVan Eeden, Elize S.
dc.contributor.authorKhaba, Busi
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-30T06:43:32Z
dc.date.available2017-01-30T06:43:32Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractThe history of the Bekkersdal Township on the Far West Rand, located in the Westonaria Municipal region, as it is known since 2015, dates back to the post-World War II years when the township was formally established in 1949. After 65 years of existence, and inclusive of an extended informal surrounding township, the still expanding informal settlements currently challenge local infrastructural initiatives to their limits. News reports of dissatisfaction about service delivery and a politicising of perceived frustrations regarding service delivery – like those at Bekkersdal – appear to ignore the history of the region all too easily. As a consequence, it allows for expressing reality only halfway, which may sometimes cause it to be transformed into fiction of which a nagging narrative repeats itself continually, yet with no progress or turn in sight. By means of archival research, open interviews and a thorough reflection on newspaper reports, the authors aim to reflect on the history of Bekkersdal against the background of this statement. Aspects of the service delivery history of Bekkersdal will be highlighted and related to the political focus, politics and a politicising of the day. Bekkersdal’s history will also be touched upon against the backdrop of the gold mining developments in the region in the heyday of apartheid. It will also be pointed out that, even in 2015, the region is still very much in a colonial mode as far as land occupation and limitations in local government empowerment within a central government authority are concerned.en_ZA
dc.description.versionPublisher's versionen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVan Eeden, E.S., & Khaba, B. (2016). Politicising service delivery in South Africa: a reflection on the history, reality and fiction of Bekkersdal, 1949-2015. Journal for Contemporary History, 41(2), 120-143.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2415-0509 (online)
dc.identifier.issn0258-2422 (print)
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.18820/24150509/JCH41.v2.7
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11660/5448
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherFaculty of the Humanities, University of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.rights.holderFaculty of the Humanities, University of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectBekkersdal (Westonaria)en_ZA
dc.subjectFar West Randen_ZA
dc.subjectPoliticsen_ZA
dc.subjectGold miningen_ZA
dc.subjectService deliveryen_ZA
dc.subjectProtesten_ZA
dc.subjectCommunity researchen_ZA
dc.subjectLocal historyen_ZA
dc.subjectIntegrative multidisciplinary researchen_ZA
dc.subjectEcohealthen_ZA
dc.subjectWellbeingen_ZA
dc.titlePoliticising service delivery in South Africa: a reflection on the history, reality and fiction of Bekkersdal, 1949-2015en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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JCH 2016 Volume 41 Issue 2