2.3 Business as usual Informal settlements across the country are characterised by severe inequalities in access to basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity (Socio-Economic Rights Institute, 2018). Close to 25% of people living in informal settlements in Gauteng rely on chemical toilets as their main form of sanitation (Housing Development Agency, 2013 in Socio-Economic Rights Institute, 2018). It is estimated that 19% of Gauteng’s households live in informal settlements (StatsSA, 2016 in Socio-Economic Rights Institute, 2018). Informal settlement areas also feature high rates of poverty, with residents employed in the informal and low-wage economy. Many residents were vulnerable to job losses, lack of income, and ultimately, shortages of food during the lockdown (Nyashanu, Simbanegavi, & Gibson, 2020). These longstanding constraints in housing and basic service provision in informal settlements and some townships were raised to the fore by the pandemic, prompting an emergency response by the South African government (Republic of South Africa, 2020). Interventions included the provision of communal water storage and collection points, hand washing facilities, interim sanitation systems, the distribution of food parcels, as well as controversial proposals for “de-densification” and “decanting” (Poplak, 2020; Republic of South Africa, 2020).
Lockdown in an informal settlement:
As part of its “de-densification”, the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation set in motion plans to move residents from some informal settlements, including in Gauteng (Republic of South Africa, 2020; Culwick Fatti et al., 2020). Though these suggestions were proposed as efforts at enhancing social distancing, they were met with criticism from academia and civil society, raising critical debates about urban density, and the long and short-term impacts of resettlement (Afesis-corplan et al., 2020; Culwick Fatti et al., 2020). Informal settlements in urban areas thus became a focal point during the lockdown. Only one of our Lockdown Diary participants, Anonymous (41) resides in an informal settlement in the South of Johannesburg. His diaries provided some important observations that are of relevance to reflections on space and place, particularly in relation to the other typologies discussed in earlier sections. As with the rest of the participants, Anonymous (41) shared reports of his daily life and routine, often reflecting on the increased time he was spending with his family. As someone actively engaged in his community, he was also able to report on the progress of lockdown in the settlement, and on observations of the street and community life. These reports pointed to a prevailing normality, where residents continued to move and engage as they did before the lockdown.
Day 1 27 March, 2020 Nancefield
“Today 27/03/20, first day of the lockdown in South Africa Johannesburg South informal settlement. My day was not a usual day as I woke up relaxed hoping to see people responding to the call of staying home [and] not roaming around the street unnecessarily. Old, young and small children were working down the street as always spaza shops opened as usual others selling chips as always and people queuing for their orders. Some people were working in groups some driving around with passengers fully packed in cars others walk drinking alcohol. As was sitting in the yard some people came to report their electricity problem, asking my help to call city power to come and fix the problem. ”
- Anonymous (41) 26
