Legacy of Apartheid: Problems
Apartheid's legacy is also reflected in the
distribution of metro government services within the DMA. As the table at
right indicates, an astounding percentage of the house holds within the
DMA are unserviced with such basic utilities as electricity, water, phone
serivce, and solid refuse disposal. The problem is exacerbated by the fact
that the infrastructure required for the distribution of city electricity
and water does not extend to far periphery. For a map of water and electricity
services click here.
Unfortunately, the inequalities in city services do not end with basic utilities. Access to police, fire, health, and recreation are all extremely limited in the densely-packed periphery areas were the majority of informal settlements are found. The lack of comprehensive police services throughout the DMA is most acutely felt in the largest informal settlements where desperate economic hardship combine with dense living conditions to create alarming crime rates.
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