The Politics of Fire within Informal Settlements in South Africa
Politics and fire are deeply imbricated throughout South Africa's history. Building on a small but important literature on the topic (Birkinshaw 2008, Chance 2015, Selmeczi 2009), this paper unpacks the politics of fire within informal settlements: Fire as a repertoire of political resistance; fire risk as a signifier of political subjugation; fire fighting as an act of political mapping; and fire prevention/recovery as a work of political governance. In doing so, I hope to point to broader conclusions for our thinking around precarity, resilience and resistance in urban life.
Reference:
Tu-A49 Politics of Transformation 7-P-003
Presenter/s:
Sarah Jane Cooper-Knock
Presentation type:
Panel
Room:
Aston Webb – C-Block Lecture Theatre
Chair/s:
Tom Goodfellow
Date:
Tuesday, 11 September
Time:
14:30 - 14:45
Session times:
14:00 - 15:30