Poor and angry - Research grapples with reasons behind social protests

Abstract

Water and society I n Cato Manor in Durban a woman is shot and killed and another injured as the community protests over housing. Meanwhile, in Bekkersdal, in Johannesburg, 18 people are arrested for public violence and looting as people march for better service delivery. At the same time, at Mooiplaas informal settlement in Pretoria, police are stoned by protesting community members. These are typical headlines describing the almost daily occurrence of social protests in South Africa. Public protest is not a new phenomenon in South Africa. However, as research by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) shows, these protests have reached unprecedented levels. According to UJ’s Dr Carin Runciman, in 2012, at least 470 social protests had occurred in South Africa – more than one a day. The latest data on service delivery protests available from the Service Delivery Protest Barometer, an initiative of the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape, confirms that protests are becoming more frequent, more widespread and more violent.

Authors

Categories