Creator
Hloniphile Simelane
Dr Hloniphile Simelane is a development practitioner at Planact, a non-governmental organisation promoting inclusive local governance processes. She also serves as a visiting researcher at the University of Witwatersrand’s School of Architecture and Planning. Her interdisciplinary research focuses primarily on Africa and is concerned with sustainable development, land tenure, informal settlements, gender and local government
Get people involved in development
Service delivery is about improving people’s lives, not expedient election promises
Women are entitled to own land
Too many laws and customs in too many African countries still treat women as minors
Informal settlements should actively participate in local government
The reason for so many violent service delivery protests is that people feel excluded from the decisions made on their behalf
Covid-19 and the call for solidarity: Challenges for informal settlements
It is difficult for residents of informal settlements to follow guidelines to prevent Covid-19 transmission, such as hand-washing, in the absence of access to water. It is…
Civil society requires a reorientation
Informal settlement clusters are a way to improve people’s participation in local government