ABSTRACT
In piratical property right terms, even the pioneering work of Chris Webster, extended by others such as T. Manzi and B. Smith-Bowers, which frames gated housing in property rights terms or as 'proprietary communities', must be problematised. A piratical property rights approach can draw on a diverse range of frameworks, but it is always characterised by an emphasis on transition, disruption of order, and transformation. Some scholars have described the relationship between surrounding slums and the social organisation of gated clubs, while others focus more strongly on the internal structure of gated communities and how they exist on the ashes of displaced settlements which reappear around the estates. This chapter advances this state of knowledge by demonstrating that, within the clubs of affluence too, much piracy occurs and recurs. It considers an approach for data collection and analysis, followed by reflections on research findings and their implications. It highlights the need to re-contextualise and re-conceptualise gating in Africa.
