| dc.description.abstract | The development and spread of uncontrol led settlements
is part and parcel of the Onprecedented rate of
urbanization currently sweepIng across all developing
countries. The growth of urban populationr in turn,
is tied to the phenomenon of rural-urban migration
which many nations have accepted as an irreversible
process.
The kingdom of Swaziland IS caught up in the same
situation. Its rupal population is flocking to the
main towns, especially to Mbabane at rates unprecedented
in the short history of urbanization in the
country. Almost without exception these rural
migrants find their way to uncontrol led settlements.
The government has recognised the need to solve the
problems of uncontrol led development and has in the
past taken some measures to curb further squatting
and free improvements to these areas. However, the
problems have been viewed as being of a technical
na~ure and efforts to resolve them have been concentrated
on finding new methods of reducing the cost of
housing without lowering establ ished standards. The
problem IS seen as the lack of sufficient quantities
of standard modern housing units and lack of financial
resources tQ provide them. This approach has obviously
shortcomings and has met with Iimited success.
This study, thus addresses itself to the question
of what the country's objectives should be with
regard to the improvement of uncontrol led settlements
and what approaches should be taken to real ise those
objectives.
The study holds the view that W measures for the
improvement of uncontrol led settlements are to be
successful, they must be based on a comprehensive
view of the factors responsible for uncontrol led
development, the constraints to improvement and the
opportunities avai lable for bringing about positive
change.
The study has thus taken into account these factors
and has made modest and hopeful !y, real istic recommendations
regarding the approach that should be
adopted toward uncontrol led development.
The stu4r basically recommends the adoption of '5
pol icies at the national level aimed at (i) arresting
the prob Iem at its sour ce I (i i) gu iding the effor-ts
of those already in town and (ii i) providing a framewor-
k within which at I squatter- impr-ovement pr-ojects
should be for-mulated. It also recommends a shift
from the appr-oach of providing finished units to
that of providing infr-astr-ur-alSyr-Vlces to the settlements
and the 1etting the people improve their housing
gr-adual Iy as their- incomes increase. The r-ole of
government is recommended to be that of pr-oviding
the people with what they cannot provide for
themselves - and assisting them in helping themselves | en |
