Page 61 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES

At the core of the democratic

township transition

At the core of the democratic township transition are new models of sustainable
human settlements.

The Climate Justice Charter for South Africa envisages a just Cherry from Development Studies, who collaborates with the Co-
transition in respect of where and how people live — what our operative and Policy Alternative Centre (COPAC), the South African
government terms “sustainable human settlements”. This Food Sovereignty Campaign linked to Prof Vishwas Satgar at Wits
encompasses housing as well as services and facilities for living a University, and other civil society organisations that developed
“good life” in a healthy environment. the Climate Justice charter and are committed to seeing through
the development of sustainable human settlements in low income
While government spends a considerable amount of money environments.
in townships, it is yet to adopt models of sustainable human
settlements. Towards addressing this, Nelson Mandela University “There are several creative eco-social alternatives to the current
is engaged in eco-based pilot models in townships and informal RDP housing model that have been explored, using a circular
settlements in Nelson Mandela Bay and other parts of the Eastern layout of houses built with local materials around a common
Cape that will hopefully be adopted on a national scale. infrastructure to provide integrated energy, water capture, gas
from waste, food gardens and ‘minimum flush’ toilets using
“Eco-estates and alternative building technologies are not new greywater,” Prof Cherry elaborates.
to South Africa but, to date, they have been confined to the
affluent sectors of our society. It makes no sense why they haven’t Making this transition involves a fundamental rethink of how living
been expanded to all human settlements,” says Professor Janet and working spaces are designed and constructed, how services

Saltuba tunnel garden

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