ENERGY AND THE COMMUNITY OF THE POOR - URBAN SETTLEMENTS, HOUSEHOLD NEEDS AND PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH-AFRICA

The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the need for communit y participation in decision making affecting their lives and developme nt. Opinion leaders and executives (especially those of a corporate ba ckground) need to understand the socioeconomic milieu in which the maj ority of South Africans live. In the urban areas, where we put our foc us, most of the poor people live in informal housing. This paper start s with a typology of types of settlement found in our cities. The circ umstances in which the people live forms the second component of the p aper. If the people are to be dealt with as a part of the solution (an d not as 'the problem') community participation should feature high on the agenda not only of government but also of parastatals and private companies. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the idea of co mmunity participation.