Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa.
- South Africa. Department of Health
- Date:
- [1940]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa. Source: Wellcome Collection.
63/92 (page 61)
![4. Rural and Peri-urban Sanitary Conditions. This matter was dealt with at some length in last year’s report and since then two important developments have taken place. The first is the publication of the Report of the Committee to consider the Administration of Areas which are becoming urbanised but which are not under Local Government Control and the other is the promulgation of the Rural Sanitary Regulations which have been framed under the Public Health Act. The report of the committee on areas which are becoming urbanised is available to the public but it will not be out of place to draw attention to some of the more far-reaching recommendations. The committee found that the majority of the problems arising in areas not under local government administration “ were due to ‘ irregular urbanisation ’—a process occurring in all the provinces of the Union ” and that “ the commonest feature of these problems . . . was the menace or potential menace to the public health ”. The committee also found that “ one of the main factors responsible for irregular urbanisation has been the lack of adequate housing in the towns ” and recommended that further financial commitments should be made by the Government for housing purposes. In regard to Native “ squatting ” the committee recommended that attention should be given to the application of existing legislation for the prevention of this evil. The problem of irregular urbanisation is discussed in some detail and attention is drawn to the fact that the various townships boards “ have been far too prone to recommend the establishment of townships in and in the neighbourhood of existing urban areas before the intervening areas have been developed, thus, in some instances, adding gravely to the future burdens of local authorities ”. The health implications of this tendency were discussed in last year’s report when attention was also drawn to the necessity for public health representation on all the townships boards. The evasion of the provisions of the various provincial ordinances dealing with the establishment of townships by the leasing of unsurveyed portions of land for occupation without sub-division is discussed. This practice is a serious menace to public health and it is only in the Transvaal that it can be prevented by law. The committee recommended that legislation designed to control it should be passed in each of the other provinces. It also drew attention to the need for the provincial administrations keeping ££ in closer- touch with local authorities on matters other than those relating to audit ” and recommended that “ in certain cases the initiative in extending urban boundaries should be taken by the Administrator ”. Detailed recommendations are made in regard to a very large number of specific problems in various localities and it is impossible to mention all the matters dealt with. On account of its importance, however, it will not be inappropriate to refer to the recommendations made in connection with the very extensive peri-urban problem in the vicinity of the Witwatersrand and Pretoria. The committee recommended that “ a nominated local authority consisting of five members should be established in respect of the whole of the peri-urban areas ” referred to. The suggested extent of the area is defined, but it is recommended that this should be capable of adjust¬ ment. It is suggested that the proposed loca] authority should be called the “ Witwratersrand and Pretoria District Health Board ” and that it should have “ sanitary powers and a decentralised staff ”. Its main purpose w'ould be to act as a “ public health authority charged with the maintenance of the health of the inhabitants of its district ”. It is abundantly evident that public health control is urgently needed in this extensive and rapidly developing area and it is felt that the recommendations of the committee afford a practical solution of a very difficult problem. The committee drew attention to the fact that ££ inspections carried out substantially confirmed the evidence to the effect that many agricultural holdings were being used for residential purposes only ”. The legal position and suggestions for over¬ coming the present unsatisfactory state of affairs are discussed. The report comprises a valuable document containing a large number of sound recommendations on a subject of the utmost importance from a public health point of view. It is feared that the financial stringency caused by the war may delay the putting into effect of the committee’s recommenda¬ tions. This is a grave consideration as the conditions found will undoubtedly become worse unless steps are taken to prevent this in the near future. The Rural Sanitary Regulations framed under the Public Health Act were promulgated under Government Notice No. 125T dated 25th August, 1939, and are in force throughout the Union, except in the areas of urban local authorities and in areas scheduled under the Natives Land Act or on any land vested in or purchased by the South African Native Trust and Land Act. These regulations deal with the usual sanitary matters and prohibit the creation of nuisances and conditions of gross insanitation which are liable to be a danger to health. As indicated in last year’s report, such conditions are apt to be prevalent in rural and peri-urban areas and, if it is possible to enforce the regulations adequately, this should do a great deal towards improving the position. The chief difficulty, howTever, is the lack](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31477215_0063.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
