South Africa's Service Delivery Protests:

A Cry for Essential Services In the heart of Cape Town's sprawling informal settlement, Ethembeni, a resilient community finds unity in the face of adversity. Theirs is a tale of unwavering determination, resilience, and an unyielding demand for basic services, emerging as a symbol of a growing social phenomenon in South Africa - service delivery protests.

The journey began in July 2021 when their homes became submerged beneath a deluge of sewage and rainwater, the aftermath of relentless winter rains. From that pivotal moment, the community embarked on an unrelenting quest, calling for essential amenities: sewage infrastructure, proper sanitation, clean water, electricity, and habitable housing. As community leader Mxolisi Sila lamented, "They keep on promising they have made promises since 1994." Despite years of protests, the challenges faced by the four-year-old Ethembeni community have remained largely unnoticed by political parties.

Nonetheless, the people of Ethembeni refuse to be deterred. They've taken matters into their own hands, quite literally. Deep ditches now encircle the once-flooded area, a grassroots initiative to keep sewage and water from invading their homes during the next winter. It's a testament to their frustration, determination, and the realization that the most effective change often originates from within. Not far from Ethembeni lies another informal settlement known as "The Island." It, too, has experienced unrest resulting in temporary road closures, spanning from grievances related to electricity services to the non-renewal of city workers' contracts. Kevin Allan, the Managing Director of Municipal IQ characterizes service delivery protests in South Africa as a "regularly occurring and firmly entrenched social phenomenon." The data reinforces this observation, with 193 such protests documented across the country in the past year.

Electricity-related issues have emerged as the primary driver behind these protests in recent times. South Africa grapples with its most severe rolling blackouts since their inception in 2007, resulting in significant frustration among the population.

As we step into 2023, the outlook is somewhat disheartening. Municipal IQ anticipates a continuation of regular service delivery protests, potentially intensified by ongoing load-shedding. The Ethembeni community itself has scheduled two protests in February. The first, on the 8th, will center around demanding action against the City of Cape Town's anti-land invasion unit. They intend to reject a compensation offer, arguing that it inadequately addresses their concerns. On the 9th, they will stage a peaceful march in Cape Town, just ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation address.

In summary, South Africa grapples with a surge in service delivery protests fuelled by various grievances, with electricityrelated issues taking center stage. These protests are no longer sporadic but are gradually becoming the go-to method for communities to voice their concerns. Consequently, the government is under mounting pressure to address the underlying issues and provide long-awaited solutions to the affected communities.

QUESTION 1 (25 Marks)

Critique capitalism as the cause of some of the challenges expressed in the case study.

- Introduction (2 Marks)

- Identify the main defining characteristics of capitalism (7 Marks)

- Relate how these defining characteristics motivate people to be self-interested (7 Marks)

- Examine how this negatively impacts service delivery and leads to service delivery protests. (7 Marks)

- Conclusion (2 Marks)