Migration and urbanisation: assessing the provision of basic services in Havana informal settlement in Windhoek, Namibia
Ntelamo, Samora Mupenzeni
Urbanisation is under-researched in Namibia, with available literature neglecting pertinent issues such as lack of service delivery and its impact on the livelihoods of citizens residing in informal settlements. This thesis examined the extent to which internal migration affects urbanisation and exerts pressure on social services (water, electricity, housing, health service, education) in the most populous informal settlement of Havana, in Windhoek, Namibia. The study interrogated the level of preparedness of authorities to address the inaccessibility of basic social services in the settlement. It also reviewed the availability of incentives to minimise and to some degree regulate rural–urban migration, the source of rapid urbanisation in Namibia.
The research applied the qualitative approach and used data collection instruments such as focus group discussions, interviews, observation and document review. Data for the study were obtained from 66 participants comprising community leaders from each of the five wards; females and males heading households; as well as youths from both genders. These groups participated in the focus group discussions. Officials from the municipality of Windhoek, the government and community leaders participated in the key informant interviews. Purposive sampling was applied to obtain the sample size.
The dual economic theory (Lewis, 1954) and the labour migration theory (Harris & Todaro, 1970) prove that negative socio-economic trends in rural areas contribute to push factors that trigger urban migration, affecting mainly young people from farming communities who rely on agriculture. However, the study shows that the theories do not expand on the harshness of lifestyles in urban areas, especially the lack of social services. It is necessary to expand on these theories to allow an urban migrant to choose whether to continue residing in an urban area when the motive for migration is fulfilled or, alternatively, to avoid the hardships of urban life and to return to the agriculturally based economy in rural areas in events where the basis of migration is not fulfilled.
Gaps exist in the literature on urbanisation in Namibia, specifically the impact of rapid urbanisation on social service delivery in informal settlements. This knowledge gap prompted the researcher to conduct this study in order to understand the dynamics of internal migration, how it contributes to rapid urbanisation and the pressure it exerts on the provision of services. The results of this study can guide and direct policy and remedial actions to address the problem. The ethnographic findings of the study confirm the negative impact of rapid urbanisation on the provision of services in the settlement.
The study outcomes have the potential to show policymakers and administrators how to reverse the socio-economic inequalities in the settlement. These findings can be used to reshape, improve and implement policy to ensure a better livelihood for people residing in the Havana informal settlement.
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