Human settlements

When the Covid-19 epidemic occurred in South Africa in 2020, human settlements became a site for the prevention and control of the epidemic. The Covid-19 pandemic occurred in a context where housing typologies ranged from formal brick structures, through informal settlements and traditional dwellings, to no shelter at all for those who slept rough on the streets. In the continuum of the quality of living spaces, the street homeless were the most vulnerable, as they had no abode of their own and slept wherever they found space at the end of each day. Using the space syntax theory, this chapter examines the effect of Covid-19 on human settlements with a view to deconstructing the measures that inhabitants of the spaces took to deal with the effects of the pandemic. The chapter draws on thirty five key informant interviews conducted with stakeholders in human settlements between 2020 and 2022. The findings suggest that the government utilised public health interventions to prevent and control Covid-19. Civil society organisations (CSOs) and the private sector also intervened in the built environment and beyond to ensure that vulnerable groups, regardless of their living arrangements, also survived the Covid-19 pandemic. The contribution of this chapter lies in deconstructing the interventions to deal with Covid-19 in human settlements. The recommendations look beyond the pandemic to draw lessons for future health emergencies and disasters.