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| Title: | Space, domesticity and 'people's power': civic organisation in Alexandra in the 1990s |
| Author: | Lucas, Justine |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Periodical: | African Studies |
| Volume: | 54 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 89-113 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | South Africa |
| Subjects: | NGO urban society urban planning Urbanization and Migration Women's Issues Politics and Government |
| External link: | https://doi.org/10.1080/00020189508707817 |
| Abstract: | Alexandra township, a small but densely populated area northeast of Johannesburg (South Africa), was established as a freehold township for 'natives or persons of colour' in 1912. Despite its history as a site of struggle and resistance to apartheid, Alexandra has never been a homogeneous community. During the period of freehold tenure, landlords crammed their stands with tenants and charged exorbitant rents, leading to clearly marked social and class divisions in the township. This paper argues that local-level civic politics in Alexandra in the 1990s are embedded in social relations, which are conceptualized and represented in spatial terms. The first section of the paper uses two contrasting case studies from one specific area to explore the possible reasons for different levels of organization. The comparison of an established yard committee with a yard that has not been successfully organized by the Alexandra Civic Organization (ACO) suggests that historical continuities arising from Alexandra's freehold past play a significant role in the predisposition of these two yards to civic organization. The second section takes a closer look at the successfully organized yard, and questions whether women are in fact recognized as full political actors. Notes, ref., sum. |
