To showcase its commitment to advancing scholarship and knowledge production and dissemination in the scientific community, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Library, in collaboration with UNISA Press launched a book edited by Dr Godfrey Musvoto, titled: The Dynamics of Residential Satisfaction in Low-income Human Settlement in South Africa. The launch took place at the BM Patel Library on the ML Sultan Campus in Durban on Wednesday, 24 July 2024.
Professor Fulufhelo Netswera, Executive Dean: Faculty of Management Sciences welcomed all the distinguished guests including those who joined virtually from the other universities, UNISA Press, and DUT staff and students. Prof Netswera mentioned that anyone could buy and read the book because it talks about residential satisfaction. The book targets academia, policy-makers, practitioners, students and everyone else with an interest in residential satisfaction.
“DUT will establish its own press in the coming years, an initiative already approved by our management structures. As we are collaborating with UNISA Press, they will also help us on establishing it,” added Prof Netswera.
Dr Godfrey Gombana Musvoto, the editor of the book.
Dr Godfrey Gombana Musvoto, the editor of the book and a senior lecturer in the Town and Regional and Planning Department at DUT, shared his journey in developing the book, emphasising key insights and highlights.
“The book is about contentment which one must achieve when they get what they need from the house. The reason for using the term residential satisfaction was because it is a loaded term that has a micro-narrative and historical factor. In South Africa, there is a long history around housing and that history also has a theory when it comes to whether you realise the residential satisfaction or not, especially among low-income groups,” explained Dr Musvoto.
Dr Musvoto further explained that most developed countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Australia constantly conduct residential satisfaction surveys. In contrast, developing countries in Africa, including South Africa, have not conducted any surveys. He highlighted several challenges such as dissatisfaction with housing conditions, poor quality of housing, lack of maintenance, inadequate access to facilities and high crime rates.
Dr Musvoto believes residential satisfaction should be understood based on qualitative and quantitative housing deficits. He shared that most of the youth at low-income levels, desire to move out of their parental homes to form new households. He explained that the coloured household group, especially the youth, did not show much interest in moving out of parental homes.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) also supported the project with finance between the year of 2019 to 2022. NRF also allowed the contributors of the book to travel abroad so that they could get a comparative perspective. Dr Musvoto extended his gratitude to the doctors, professors and students who conducted their honours and master’s studies from different universities across South Africa for their contributions to the book.
Professor Paulus Zulu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN): Maurice Webb Race Relation unit provided historical reflection on housing issues in South Africa. He mentioned that housing and land had become the political issue in South Africa.
“The capitalists’ interest, race and Group Areas Act determined the size, shape and type of human settlement in South Africa during apartheid era,” said Prof Zulu.
Director from Unisa Press, Dr Meiya Nthoesane expressed his emotions that he was very proud of the work of Dr Musvoto in this book, and all contributors of the various chapters of the book. There was a question that was raised on how research was conducted during the COVID-19 restrictions. It was answered by Dr Gilberte Lincoln.
“It was not easy doing the household survey during COVID-19 time, you had to follow the protocols. One of the areas that we looked at was Mayville. They had more than 200 formal household structures, 400 informal structures, and understanding the impact of COVID-19 under those conditions was quite different. So, we looked at the restrictive conditions that were placed on how households experienced residential satisfaction under those conditions,” said Dr Lincoln.
The Director of DUT Library Services, Dr Malefetjane Phaladi, whilst delivering vote of thanks, highlighted the fact that this book is evidence-based research with huge societal impact in that it informs policy development at government level, theories and praxis in human settlements.
He further remarked that the book itself has been such transformative, developmental and empowering project given the fact that a number of honours and masters interns and postdoctoral fellows contributed to the development of the book. He also reiterated that the DUT Press will be launched soon and the UNISA Press as a strategic partner, will assist to take the process forward.
Pictured: DUT Library successfully launched a book in collaboration with UNISA Press.
Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile.
Phiwayinkosi Sibiya
