Concerns over rapid expansion of informal settlements in eThekwini

Concerns have been raised around the increase of informal settlements in the eThekwini metro, which have expanded at an alarming rate.

One of the most alarming is the growth of the Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo beach, a stone’s throw from the ocean.

Though this is not a new settlement, images of its rapid growth have recently been circulated on social media, prompting many residents to flag issues of the settlement’s effects on tourism, business as well as water and sanitation.

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According to a resident, who rents an informal dwelling at the settlement, which she shares with her mother and two children, the settlement is not a safe place to stay. However, she is forced to stay in those conditions as she has no other option.

I moved in here in 2017 and we are always concerned about our safety. My neighbours, who have been here for almost 10 years say they are on the waiting list for their own houses.
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The resident said she has been unemployed since 2017 and there are many like her, who live in the informal settlement, who are unemployed, some even with university qualifications.

DA KZN spokesperson for Human Settlements, Marlaine Nair, said the growing number of informal settlements in the metro was concerning as it affected not just tourism, but the overall quality of life for both the people who live there and those who live nearby.

She said there were “shack lords” who rent out rooms in the informal settlements, contributing to the settlements’ expansion, which put a strain on the water, sewerage and electricity infrastructure.

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Azfal Kassim, the IFP chairperson in Ward 90, in Isipingo, said poverty was rife in the area and most people live off food parcels and soup kitchens.

“We feed close to 1 500 families in this settlement alone through our food parcel programme.”

eThekwini Municipality had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.