developing a community engagement model as a normative framework for meaningful

412 Pages·2017·3.44 MB·English

by  Zamani Saul

UNIVERSITY of the WESTERN CAPE

DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MODEL AS A
NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT
DURING EVICTIONS

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the
Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree.
Zamani Saul (9306623)

Supervisor

Professor Ebenezer Durojaye

November 2016
TABLE OF  CONTENTS

Declaration ix

Dedication x

Inspiration x
Aknowledgments xi
Keywords xiv
Abbreviations xv
Summary xviii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study 1
1.2 Research problem 7
1.3 Purpose of the study 9
1.4 Research questions 10
1.5 Research arguments 11
1.6 Significance of the study 12
1.7 Research methodology 21
1.8 Limitations of the study 22
1.9 Chapter outline 23

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CHAPTER 2: THE DISEMPOWERING TRA JECTORY OF APARTHEID EVICTIONS

2.1 Introduction 26

2.2 Contextualising forced evictions 28
2.3 Disempowering trajectory of apartheid forced evictions 31
2.3.1 Analysis of the Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act 52 of 1951 35
2.3.2 Amendments to PISA: intensifying disempowerment of the squatters 41
2.3.2.1 The first Amendments to PISA: S v Peter 42
2.3.2.2 The second amendment to PISA: Fredericks case 44
2.3.2.3 The third amendment to PISA: changes in the black labour
market 46
2.3.2.4 The fourth amendment to PISA: abolition of influx control 48
2.4 Attacks on the mandament van spolie to weaken the position of squatters 48
2.5 Conclusion 52

CHAPTER 3: THE POST-1994 NORMATIVE CONTEXT FOR EVICTIONS

3.1 Introduction 57
3.2 Justiciability and impact of socio-economic rights 59
3.2.1 Debate on constitutionalisation of socio-economic rights 60
3.2.2 Debate on the justiciability of socio-economic rights 66
3.2.2.1 Democratic legitimacy objection 69
3.2.2.2 Judicial competency objection 73
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3.2.3 Debate on the impact of justici able socio-economic rights 76
3.2.4 Judicial enforcement of socio-e conomic rights 80

3.3 Access to adequate housing as a fundamental right 82

3.3.1 The scope of theright of access to adequate housing 83
3.3.2 Prevention of unlawful evictions in South Africa 89
3.3.3 Paradigm shift in issuing of eviction orders 93
3.4 The international norms on evictions 94
3.4.1 United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 95
3.4.2 United Nations Commission on Human Rights 97
3.4.3 United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing 98
3.4.4 African Commission’s Principles and Guidelines 99
3.4.5 Evaluation of the international norms 100
3.5 Transformative constitutionalism and intepretation of section 26(3) 101
3.5.1 Klare’s conceptualisation of transformative constitutionalism 102
3.5.2 Responses to Klare’s transformative constitutionalism 106
3.5.3 The implications of transformative constitutionalism on section 26(3) 114
3.6 Primary drivers for substantive involvement of occupiers during evictions 116
3.7 Meaningful engagement 121
3.8 Conclusion 132

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CHAPTER 4: DEVELOPING A COMMUNIT  Y ENGAGEMENT MODEL FOR MEANINGFUL
ENGAGEMENT  

4.1 Introduction 137
4.2 Conceptualising empowerment, participation and social capital 139
4.2.1 Empowerment for meaningful engagement 140
4.2.2 Participation for meaningful engagement 147
4.2.3 Building social capital for meaningful engagement 160
4.2.4 The relationship between empowerment, participation
and social capital 165
4.3 Models of community engagement 170
4.3.1 The neighbourhood model: a traditional approach to community
engagement 172
4.3.2 Strengths and weaknesses of the neighbourhood model 176
4.3.3 The critical integrative model: towards a transformative approach 179
4.3.4 Strenghts and weakenesses of the critical integrative model 188
4.4 Developing a Transformative Empowerment Model 190
The first stage 195
The second stage 197
The third stage 198
The fourth stage 200
The fifth stage 202
The sixth stage 203
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4.5 Conclusion   208

CHAPTER 5: THE TRANSFORMATIVE EMPOWERMENT MODEL AND EVICTION

CASE LAW

5.1 Introduction 211
5.2 The early application of ME by the ConCourt 213
5.2.1 Grootboom: first indication of the need to engage 213
5.2.2 PE Municipality: emphasis on the need for engagement 218
5.2.3 Occupiers of 51 Olivia Road: adoption of meaningful engagement 221
5.2.4 Residents of Joe Slovo: a differing understanding of meaningful
engagement 225
5.2.5 Evaluation of case law: Grootboom to Residents of Joe Slovo 234
5.3 Post-Residents of Joe Slovo: a period of inconsistent application 239
5.3.1 Abahlali BaseMjondolo 239
5.3.2 Blue Moonlight Properties 242
5.3.3 Pheko 243
5.3.4 Occupiers of Portion R25 245
5.3.5 Occupiers of Skurweplaas 246
5.3.6 Occupiers of Saratoga Avenue 247
5.3.7 Schubart Park Residents 247
5.3.8 Evaluation of the post-Residents of Joe Slovo eviction cases 250
5.4 Conclusion 253
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CHAPTER 6: THE TRANSFROMATIVE EM POWERMENT MODEL AND THE RIGHTS

TO HUMAN DIGNITY, EQUALITY AND FREEDOM

6.1 Introduction 256
6.2 Natural law and the rights to human dignity, equality and freedom 258
6.3 Human dignity and the Transformative Empowerment Model 262
6.3.1 Conceptualising human dignity 262
6.3.2 Finding the relationship between human dignity and the Transformative
Empowerment Model 269
6.4 Equality and the Transformative Empowerment Model 272
6.4.1 Conceptualising equality 272
6.4.2 Finding the relationship between equality and the Transformative
Empowerment Model 279
6.5 Freedom and the Transformative Empowerment Model 282
6.5.1 Conceptualising freedom 282
6.5.2 Finding the relationship between freedom and the Transformative
Empowerment Model 289
6.6 Conclusion 292

CHAPTER 7: THE TRANSFORMATIVE EMPOWERMENT MODEL AND DEMOCRACY

7.1 Introduction 297
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7.2 Transformative Empowerment Mod el and the theories of democracy 298
7.2.1 Participatory democracy: libe ral paradigm 302

7.2.2 Deliberative democracy: new theoretical paradigm 304

7.2.3 Differences between participatory and deliberative democracy 309
7.3 Transformative Empowerment Model as fostering deliberative
democracy 311
7.3.1 Exploring the implications for meaningful engagement 317
7.3.2 Implications of the Transformative Empowerment Model for
enforcement of socio-economic rights 322
7.4 Conclusion 327

CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION

8.1 Conclusion of the study 330
8.2 Contributions of the study 346
8.3 Recommendations of the study 347

BIBLIOGRAPHY 354
APPENDIX 1: LISTS OF DIAGRAMS 389
APPENDIX 2: LIST OF TABLES 390
APPENDIX 3: LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS 391

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DECL ARATION

I, ______________________________________________________ (Student No 9306623) hereby declare

that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not
previously, in its entirety or in part, submitted it to any other university for a degree.

Signature:__________________________________ Date:_________________________________

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DED ICATION
This thesis is dedicated to all p eople living in informal settlements.

In the quest to care for themselves and their families they use any salvaged material

to build shelters on land; but they have no form of security.
These are people who in many cases are exposed to the harshest conditions of life,
such as poverty, disease, economic exclusion and social marginalisation.
To many of them, human rights and values, such as,
democracy, human dignity, equality and freedom
are mere abstract notions with no substantive meaning.
INSPIRATION
'There is often talk of human rights but it is also necessary
to talk of the rights of humanity.' (Fidel Castro: 1987)
'Human beings are required to be treated as human beings.’ (Yacoob J: 2008)

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