South Africa’s future as a vibrant democracy requires thoughtful responses by local government and nongovernmental actors to address residents’ concerns over labor, migration and other human security and development needs.
To assist South Africans in addressing these problems, IRI examined the intersecting issues of migration, informal settlement, local governance and service delivery in three research papers. The geographic focus of the research is Rustenburg municipality, and the informal settlement area of Ikemeleng, located in the North West Province of South Africa. The National Endowment for Democracy funded the papers in an effort to help prevent poverty and anxiety from eroding confidence in South Africa’s democracy.
IRI released the research in Johannesburg, South Africa, in conjunction with its NED partner the Solidarity Center on May 26 and held a separate event in Rustenburg around Africa Day, May 25. The events provided a platform for honest discussion and debate on effective, transparent and credible mechanisms for engagement between mining companies, local communities and municipalities. An executive summary of the research can be found here.
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