Article 1:

A new Human Settlements Programme

Ronald Eglin

What could an alternative human settlement programme look like that would be more up to the task of achieving the progressive realisation of the right to housing within a more reasonable period of time?

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Article 2:

The 4th industrial revolution: implications for 21st century local governance

Reuben Baatjies

This article grapples with some of the questions that many ask in conversations about the 4th industrial revolution, such as: what is this 4th industrial revolution exactly and how does it, or is it likely to, affect the way we do things and most importantly, the kind of governance required in the 21st century? Is the 4th industrial revolution even relevant in our context at municipal level, or do we see it as the implementation of high-tech urban innovation exclusively modelled on developed countries and therefore bearing little relevance to our context? Can we even afford it?

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Article 3:

Examining the existing infrastructure for public participation in local government

Nontando Ngamlana

“…government largely facilitates public participation to meet its compliance requirements as opposed to facilitating meaningful opportunities for co-creation and consensus-building.”

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Article 4:

War Rooms: an alternative to ward committees?

Sikhander Coopoo

The research reflected upon in this paper concludes that war rooms are not a viable alternative for facilitating meaningful citizen participation in local governance.

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Article 5:

South African youth,disruptive politics, and apathy toward voting?

Ebrahim Fakir and Miche Roberts

At the close of the last voter registration weekend facilitated by the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), only 16% of 18 to 19 year olds eligible to vote registered, alongside 54% of eligible 20 to 29 year olds.

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Article 6:

A law should be introduced to facilitate mandatory voting

Zwanga Mukhuthu

Almost half of South Africans who are eligible to vote remain unregistered to vote despite widespread voter education campaigns spanning a quarter of a century.

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Article 7:

Democratic sustainability and youth

Ebrahim Fakir and Pearl Pillay

“…the stigma around youth in South Africa is that they are foolhardy people, callous and disconnected from the things that happen in their country, and only require a celebrity social media campaign to be persuaded into participation. The South African Youth Manifesto dispels this notion. Youth in South Africa are incredibly connected to the challenges their communities face and are wholly invested in making things better.”

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Article 8:

The impact of social justice activism and community development work on one’s emotional and physical well-being

Lindokuhle Vellem

It is the destruction of the world in our own lives that drives us half insane, and more than half. (Wendell Berry cited by Macy & Young Brown, 1998)

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To view past published Transformers, click here.