South African informal settlements in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation of Stjwetla informal settlement resilience challenges against the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The world is currently experiencing an unprecedented global public health crisis -the COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of the pandemic is heightened by the existence of informal settlements in the global South. Using Stjwetla in Johannesburg as a case study, this research seeks to investigate the challenges that impact resilience building against the pandemic in informal settlements. The research employed a qualitative research design. The study revealed that while it is not clear how the disease affected the community, Stjwetla residents were affected by the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and the lockdown regulations. The capacity of Stjwetla residents to comply with the COVID-19regulations is highly differentiated and exposes substantial inequalities and injustices that predate the pandemic. Balancing the COVID-19 pandemic responses with the broader developmental and healthcare priorities is essential to ensure and strengthen the long-term resilience of Stjwetla informal settlement.