black african township youth survival strategies in post

277 Pages·2017·3.45 MB·English

by  Mthembu, Ntokozo Christopher

BLACK AFRICAN TOWNSHIP YOUTH SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN POST-
APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF THE KWAMASHU
TOWNSHIP WITHIN ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY

by

Ntokozo Christopher Mthembu

submitted in accordance with the requirements
for the degree of

Doctor of Literature and Philosophy
in the subject

Sociology

at the

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Promoter: Dr ZL Jansen

February 2017

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DECLARATION

Student number: 4034-542-4

I hereby declare that Black African township youth survival strategies in post-
apartheid South Africa: A case study of the KwaMashu township within eThekwini
Municipality is my own work and that all the sources I have used or quoted have
been indicated and acknowledged by means of a complete reference.

.................................................... ................................................
Signature Date
NC Mthembu

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SUMMARY
The discourse on youth in South Africa’s post-apartheid era attempts to explore
black African youth as agents for social change in their locale. Various perspectives
define methods that are utilised by the youth to overcome the social challenges in
this era. A case study approach was adopted in conducting this research. The role(s)
played by the youth to influence social change were also investigated. The term
youth in this research, refers to black African youth between 18 and 29 years of age,
living in the township of KwaMashu in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. This investigation
attempted to unravel the contributions made by youth towards community
development, as well as the strategies that they adopted to secure their day-to-day
livelihoods. In addition, various stereotypes and attitudes connected to youth were
examined and were also documented. This study also investigated the role played
by social agencies such as government institutions, education sector and also non-
governmental and faith-based organisations in relation to the empowerment of young
people in defining their futures. This investigation enabled the exploration of the
impact of contemporary cultural value system(s) in shaping youth’s identities and
their perceptions. The findings revealed that there is a need for relevant stakeholders
and policy makers to consider interventions that will ensure support of youth
initiatives, to curb the scourge of unemployment and poverty. It also recommends
that the academic sphere needs to consider the decolonisation of the curriculum
towards an Afrocentric Indigenous Knowledge orientation to enhance the aspirations
of the Constitution of South Africa. The study also discovered evidence that suggests
that the youth have a critical role to play in the development of their locales. Finally,
the findings of this research acts as the baseline that could assist future studies in
identifying possible themes that can provide [a fuller] understanding of the role
played by black African youth in different social settings, i.e. township life, academic
and political spheres in the post-apartheid era.

Key terms:
youth discourse; black African; survival strategies; KwaMashu Township;
Afrocentricism; indigenous knowledge system; experiences; post-apartheid South
Africa
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is to express my sincere indebtedness to many people who assisted me and all
the individuals who participated in the study through sharing their experiences to
accomplish this research, entitled: Black African township youth survival strategies in
post-apartheid South Africa: A case study of the KwaMashu township within
eThekwini Municipality. Their support through various ways – encouragement,
advices and most of all their love and patience – is highly appreciated.

My special thanks to my promoter Dr Zanetta Jansen, who provided support to
complete this study. I am greatly indebted to my family and in particular my kindred:
Thobeka – my companion, Kholwa and Konke, who have sacrificed so much of their
time to enable me to accomplish this study. To intombi ka Mongameli “Black
material” Mlandu – (my late grandfather), Mrs Zifikile Mthembu – my mother, thank
you very much for your endeavours to enable me to see the light of literacy.

Most of all I praise the Most High – the Creator of everything for His full providence
towards fulfilment of this project.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS

AU African Union
AIKS Afrocentric Indigenous Knowledge Systems
CPF Community Policing Forum
CSG Child Support Grant
DJ Disc Jockey
DPLG Department of Provincial and Local Government
EFF Economic Freedom Fighters
EMA eThekwini Municipality area
EPWP Extended Public Works Programme
FCG Foster Care Grant
FETs Further Education and Training Sector
HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection / Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IFP Inkatha Freedom Party
IKS Indigenous Knowledge Systems
ILO International Labour Organization
INK Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu
IT Information Technology
ITK Indigenous Technical Knowledge
IYDS Integrated Youth Development Strategy
K-CAP KwaMashu Community Advancement Projects
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MSLCS eThekwini Municipal Services and Living Conditions Survey
MXit Message Exchange it
NDP National Development Plan
NEET Not Employment, Education or Training
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NFP National Freedom Party
NGO Non-governmental organisation
NYC National Youth Commission Act
NYDA National Youth Development Agency
NYDPF National Youth Development Policy Framework
NYP National Youth Policy
NYS National Youth Service
PYD Positive Youth Development
QLFS Quarterly Labour Force Survey
RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme
RSA Republic of South Africa
SA South Africa
SAPS South African Police Service
SETA Sector Education and Training Authorities
SMS Short Message Service
SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences
StatsSA Statistics South Africa
TVET Technical and Vocational Training
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
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UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UN-HABITAT United Nations-Habitat
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
VAP Voting age population
WAP Wireless Application Protocol
WHO World Health Organization
YEN Youth Employment Network

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page......................................................................................................................i
Declaration...................................................................................................................ii
Summary.....................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................iv
List of Abbreviations/Acronyms....................................................................................v
Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................1
1.2 Problem statement.................................................................................................2
1.3. Aims and objectives..............................................................................................5
1.4 Research questions...............................................................................................6
1.5 Rationale for the study...........................................................................................6
1.6. Relevant theoretical approaches..........................................................................8
1.7 Outline of chapters.................................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Literature review.....…………................................................................10
2.1 Geo-political and historical contextualisation.......................................................10
2.1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................10
2.1.2 Background of KwaMashu Township...............................................................11
2.2 Theoretical underpinnings and framework...........................................................17
2.2.1 Afrocentric theory…………………....................................................................19
2.2.1.1 What are African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS)? .........................23
2.2.1.2 Relevance of Afrocentric theory to this study................................................26
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2.2.1.3 Formative phases of Afrocentric theory………………………………………..29
2.2.2 African socialisation perspective…………………………………………………..32
2.2.3 Present socialisation perspective………………………………………………….41
2.2.4 Structuration theory………………………………………………………………....42
2.2.4.1 Basic principles of structuration theory………………………………………....46
2.2.4.2 The agent/ agency………………………………………………………………...47
2.2.4.3 Action……………………………………………………………………………....47
2.2.4.4 System…………………………………………………………………………......48
2.2.4.5 The duality of structure…………………………………………………………...49
2.2.4.6 Structure……………………………………………………………………….......49
2.2.4.7 Structuration theory and social studies………………………………………....50
2.2.4.8 Structuration theory and research methodology……………………………….50
2.2.4.9 Relevance of structuration theory to this study………………………………...51
2.2.4.10 The agency of youth: youth as social actors………………………………….52
2.2.5 Social construction of childhood and youth......................................................54
2.3 Definitions of “youth”............................................................................................60
2.3.1 The notion of youth development.....................................................................69
2.3.2 Policy issues impacting on the youth in South Africa ………………………......77
2.3.3 National interventions: Youth development……………………………………....77
2.3.4 More legislative policy.......................................................................................79
2.3.5 Demography of the youth in South Africa.........................................................82
2.3.6 Economic context.............................................................................................84
2.3.7 Youth in South Africa: The challenges..............................................................86
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2.4 Conclusion...........................................................................................................89
Chapter 3: Research methodology........................................................................91
3.1 Research method in the study.............................................................................92
3.2 Case study approach...........................................................................................92
3.3 Methods of data collection...................................................................................95
3.3.1 Preliminary investigation: Pilot study................................................................96
3.3.2 Primary data.....................................................................................................98
3.3.2.1 Semi-structured in-depth interviews..............................................................99
3.3.2.2 Focus group interviews................................................................................101
3.3.2.3 Administration of the Questionnaires...........................................................104
3.3.2.4 Direct observation……………………………………………………………….105
3.3.2.5 Secondary data collection............................................................................107
3.4 Sampling methodology......................................................................................107
3.5 Case study methods of data analysis................................................................109
3.5.1 Organisation of details of the respondents.....................................................112
3.5.2 Categorisation of data.....................................................................................112
3.5.3 Interpretation of single instances....................................................................113
3.5.4 Identification of patterns..................................................................................113
3.5.5 Synthesis and generalisation..........................................................................113
3.6 Reliability and validity of data............................................................................115
3.7 Field experience: Problems and prospects………………………………………..117
3.8 Limitations of the study………………………………………………………………119
3.9 Ethical considerations……………………………………………………………….120
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