Popular Illigalities

This ongoing project, funded by NRF, investigates meanings and causes of popular illegalities in municipal services. Examples of popular illegalities are illegal connections and re-connections to water and electricity supply, as well as meter tampering and by-passing. Research will look at how municipalities struggle to negotiate compliance with the poor and the battles around the ‘culture’ of non-payment. Research has been completed in Mzunduzi, Khayalitsha, Durban and Grahamstown.

Researchers: Greg Ruiters, Julie Smith and Christopher McMichael (NRF funded)

g.ruiters@ru.ac.za