Master’s in Public Administration for eThekwini Municipality Council Speaker

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Graduating with a Master’s in Public Administration from his alma mater, where he served as the first SRC President of UKZN’s Westville campus, is a full-circle moment for Councillor Thabani Nyawose.

“I was the last SRC President of the former University of Durban-Westville (UDW) and first President of the UKZN Westville campus. I am proud that I participated in the negotiations for the merger or the formation the new UKZN while being a student staying with my migrant worker father at Lamontville’s Wema hostel,” said Nyawose.

Combining his life experiences of growing up in a hostel with his political career and involvement in policy development, Nyawose was motivated to use his master’s research to explore the complex issue of public housing in the context of the eThekwini Municipality.

“Housing is a very close topic to my heart. I grew up, passed my matric, obtained my university degree, got married and got my first job all while staying at Wema hostel which is designed to accommodate male migrant workers only. Hostels were used as a reservoir for cheap labour, targeting migrant workers from rural areas to the city of Durban. Hence, through my research, I aim to influence housing policies or interventions in the supply or the provision of houses for people who migrate from rural areas to Durban,” said Nyawose. 

‘A Public Housing Interventions Efficiency and Impact on Rural-urban Migrants of uMlazi in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa’, was the title of the study supervised by Dr Siyanda Mthuli. The research found that the socio-economic status of present and future rural urban migrants - those that come in search of employment - is unlikely to be known at any point in the five-year planning cycle.

“Access to housing is a basic human right. The study reveals that this policy area has been neglected, leading to a lack of focus on supply and demand, and complexities in public housing delivery. I recently engaged with residents of Ward 76 in Umlazi about their frustrations with the Municipality. Surprisingly, they offered brilliant proposals that should be considered by government in efforts to improve housing delivery. There is still a great deal of work to be done. This qualification gives the residents of eThekwini confidence in me as their Speaker and reflects my commitment to continue developing myself in service to them. I pledge to lead with respect,” said Nyawose.

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini