UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND

ACW 40P

Community profile of Duncan Community for Higher diploma in Community Work

Faculty of Art

Candidate: Unuofin Funmilayo

Candidate No: 201633192

TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………………. 2

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………. 3

DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………. 3

HISTORY OF DUNCAN VILLAGE……………………………………………………… 6

PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE COMMUNITY………………………………………….. 7

POPULATION OF DUNCAN VILLAGE……………………………………………….... 8

INFRASTRUCTURE………………………………………………………………………..10

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HEALTH CARE SERVICE ………………………………………………………………...15

PUBLIC SEFTY AND SECURITY …………………………………………………………16

HOUSEHOLD INCOME…………………………………………………………………….17

HIERARCHY OF LEADER ………………………………………………………………..18

HUMAN SERVICES………………………………………………………………………..

ECONOMIC SYSTEM………………………………………………………………………

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIES AVAILABLE……………………………………………

WATER AND SANITATION…………………………………………………………………….

POLITICAL SYSTEM………………………………………………………………………...

SOCIAL CULTURAL SYSTEM……………………………………………………………..

LIMITATION………………………………………………………………………………….

RECOMMENDATION………………………………………………………………………..

REFERENCE………………………………………………………………………………….

2

INTRODUCTION

Community profiles are a useful way of developing an understanding of the people in a

geographical area or a specific community of interest. This understanding can assist in

the development of a community engagement plan and influence who the key

stakeholder groups are and how a project develops. Profiles can illustrate the make-up

of a community and could include information about the diversity within the community,

their history, social and economic characteristics, how active people are (i.e. the groups

and networks used) and what social and infrastructure services are provided. A

community profile can also provide information on the level of interest community

members may have in being actively involved in a project and their preferred method of

engagement

DEFINITION OF CONCEPT

What is a community?

Community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is

situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a village or town). It is a group of

people who are connected by durable relations that extend beyond immediate

genealogical ties, and who usually define that relationship as important to their

social identity and practice.  Although communities are usually small,

"community" may also refer to large groups, such as national

communities, international communities, and virtual communities. The word

"community" derives from the Old French comuneté which comes from

the Latin communitas (from Latin communis, things held in common).

Community is a self-organized network of people with common agenda, cause,

or interest, who collaborate by sharing ideas, information, and

other resources. Virtual communities consist of participants in online discussions

on topics of mutual concern, or of those who frequent certain websites.

Community is a Cluster of common interests that arise from association

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What is Community Development?

Community development is a structured intervention that gives communities

greater control over the conditions that affect their lives.  This does not solve all

the problems faced by a local community, but it does build up confidence to

tackle such problems as effectively as any local action can.  Community

development works at the level of local groups and organizations rather than

with individuals or families.  The range of local groups and organizations

representing communities at local level constitutes the community sector.

Community development is a skilled process and part of its approach is the

belief that communities cannot be helped unless they themselves agree to this

process.  Community development has to look both ways: not only at how the

community is working at the grass roots, but also at how responsive key

institutions are to the needs of local communities.

The United Nations defines community development as a process where

community members come together to take collective action and generate

solutions to common problems. It is a broad term given to the practices of civic

leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects

of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local

communities.

Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people

with the skills they need to effect change within their communities. These skills

are often created through the formation of large social groups working for a

common agenda. Community developers must understand both how to work with

individuals and how to affect communities' positions within the context of larger

social institutions.

What is community profile?

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Community profile is a summary of baseline conditions and trends in a community and

study area. It establishes the context for assessing potential impacts and for project

decision-making. Developing a community profile involves identifying community issues

and attitudes, locating notable features in the study area, and assessing social and

economic conditions and trends in the community and region that have a bearing on the

project. Preparing a community profile is often an iterative process. Although some

information can be collected early project development, other important information

about the community may not be uncovered until later in project development or

production. Information can be collected both from primary sources, such as interviews

or field surveys, and secondary sources, such as comprehensive plans or newspaper

articles. The nature of the data collection effort and the level of documentation required

will vary according to the project. For major or controversial projects, information on the

community might feed into the Baseline Conditions section of the CIA technical report.

For other less extensive projects, a brief summary of key issues and baseline data

could be included in the project files.

A community profile is a data sheet that records information on a broad range of

factors (such as environmental/natural features and management, sociodemographic

characteristics, political and economic structures, local institutions, economic activities

and livelihoods, basic household and community facilities, and social organization).

The components of this definition are explained further below;

Summarily, Christakopoulou et al. (2001) suggest that a comprehensive community

profile ought to address the following aspects of people’s lives

o The area as a place to live – including the quality of the physical environment

and people’s attitudes to living there; the extent to which needs are matched with

resources; and the extent to which local facilities meet people’s goals and

aspirations;

o The area as a social community – including residents’ involvement in the social

life of the community; the extent to which the community is supportive; formal

and informal networks;

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o The area as an economic community – including income levels and employment

prospects of local residents; prosperity and viability of local shops;

o The area as a political community – including systems and structures of political

representation and local area management; the extent to which local people can

influence decisions that affect them; the degree of involvement in local decision

making; participation in community organizations;

o The area as a personal space – the degree of attachment that people have to

the local area; memories and life experiences of local people;

o The area as part of its city – infrastructural, economic and social linkages

between the local area and the city or district of which it is a part; the specific

local identity that differentiates the community from the rest of the area/district.

HISTORY OF DUNCAN VILLAGE

History of Duncan Village shows a strong, self-determining community which has

resisted the apartheid government. The village was the densest informal settlement in

Buffalo City. In the 1960’s, - forced removal of the entire community to township of

Mdantsane – 25 km’s away from city Centre was successfully resisted through strong

mobilization of Duncan Village community. Massive new influx into Duncan Village to

gain foothold in local economy began during the Post 1994 freedom charter. Duncan

Village was identified as a Presidential Priority for the Reconstruction and Development

Programme, Pre-schools, classrooms, roads, electrical infrastructure, sewage systems,

water reticulation and clinics were built or upgraded. However, influx into Duncan

Village has continued and development efforts have created tensions and impatience.

On 11 August 1985, Duncan Village was the scene of violence, following the funeral of

murdered UDF leader Victoria Mxenge in Rayi village. Returning mourners carried out

arson attacks, and violence continued on the following days, ultimately leaving 19

people dead and 138 injured.

PHYSICAL SETTING OF DUNCAN COMMUNITY

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Duncan is a village situated in Centani, under Buffalo city municipality, Amathole District

in Eastern Cape, South Africa, its geographical coordinates are 33° 1' 0" South, 27° 51'

0" East and its original name (with diacritics) is Duncan Village.

Amathole District Municipality is situated in the central part of the Eastern Cape

stretching along the Sunshine Coast from the Fish River Mouth, along the Eastern

Seaboard to just south of Hole in the Wall along the Wild Coast. It is bordered to the

north by the Amathole Mountain Range. The municipality is comprised of seven local

municipalities: Mbhashe, Mnquma, Great Kei, Amahlathi, Ngqushwa, Nkonkobe and

Nxuba. Four heritage routes have been developed that are named after Xhosa kings

and heroes. They are the Maqoma Route, the Makana Route, the Sandile Route and

the Phalo Route. These intertwine with the other tourism routes located within the

district, namely the Sunshine Coast Route, the Wild Coast Route, the Amathole

Mountain Escape Route and the Friendly N6 Route.

Cities/Towns: Adelaide, Alice, Amatola Coastal, Bedford, Butterworth, Cathcart,

Dutywa, Elliotdale, Fort Beaufort, Hamburg, Hogsback, Kei Mouth, Kei Road,

Keiskammahoek, Kentani, Komga, Middeldrift, Morgan Bay, Ngqamakhwe, Peddie,

Seymore, Stutterheim, Willowvale Main Economic Sectors: Community services (44%),

finance (19%), manufacturing (14%), trade (13%), transport (4%), agriculture (3%),

construction (2%)

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Figure 1: Google map showing Duncan village in East London, South Africa.

POPULATION OF DUNCAN VILLAGE

Population (2011)

Total 16380

Area 0.94km2

Density 17,000/km2(45,000 sqm)

Households 5376(5714.29 per km2)

Gender People Percentage

Female 8495 51.86%Male 7885 48.14%

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GENDER

FemaleMale

Figure 2: Shows the percentage distribution of gender in Duncan Village.

RACE

Population group People Percentage

Black African 12245 74.76%Coloured 4029 24.60%Other 57 0.35%Indian or Asian 39 0.24%White 10 0.06%

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Racial Distribution

Black AfricanColouredIndian or AsianWhiteOther

Figure 3: Racial distribution of the population in Duncan Village

ETHNIC GROUP

First language People Percentage

isiXhosa 11442 70.37%Afrikaans 4063 24.99%English 436 2.68%Sign language 101 0.62%Other 51 0.31%Sesotho 41 0.25%Sepedi 39 0.24%isiZulu 31 0.19%Setswana 21 0.13%isiNdebele 18 0.11%Xitsonga 9 0.06%SiSwati 6 0.04%Tshivenda 3 0.02%Not applicable 120

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LanguagesisiXhosaAfrikaansEnglishSign languageOtherSesothoSepediisiZuluSetswanaisiNdebeleXitsongaSiSwatiTshivenda

Figure 4: Shows percentage distribution of ethnic group in Duncan village.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Type of House

Duncan Village is a township near East London where 80.000 people live permanently

in a horrific situation as 50% of the core city’s population is crammed onto just 2% of the

land. There are 3,500 formal dwellings and 14,000 shacks, while densities exceed

2,500 people per hectare in some areas. Duncan Village has the highest unemployment

rate in Buffalo City. Many young people are involved in crime and substance abuse.

There are many child headed households in Duncan Village: their situation is extremely

difficult, but also dangerous because rapes and violence are of the order of the day.

There are no official child care programmes in Duncan Village. Early sexual debuts and

unprotected sexual activities result in high teenage HIV prevalence rates. The number

of HIV infected people is enormous where many may not even know their status. A

social aid programme in combination with a safe place where children can go daily will

be an enormous support for children who otherwise are not able to stand up to the

danger of their living conditions. The whole community of the township will be

empowered by the project, because of the creation of employment, which will have a

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multiplier effect. The orphans, who otherwise would have had no care or support, will be

able by the project to build a future.

Figure 5a and b: Shows Typical shacks houses in Duncan village

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Figure 6a and b: Showing modern RDP houses in Duncan village

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Type of Schools in Duncan Village

The South African province of EAST LONDON has 282 schools all suburbs and

townships. However, Duncan village is home to about five public and one

comprehensive school which are as follows:

(1) Mbulelo Public School

(2) Nompumelelo Public School

(3) Masakhe Public School

(4) Makinana Public School

(5) Ujiza Public School

(6) Kusile Comprehensive School.

Kusile Comprehensive School is a Secondary School specializing in Comprehensive.

The school is based in Duncan Village, East London.

Lujiza Public P School is a Primary School specializing in Ordinary. The school is based

in Duncan Village, East London.

Mbulelo Public P School is a Primary School specializing in Ordinary. The school is

based in Duncan Village, East London.

Makinana Public P School is a Primary School specializing in Ordinary. The school is

based in Duncan Village, East London.

Masakhe Public P School is a Primary School specializing in Ordinary. The school is

based in Duncan Village, East London.

Nompumelelo Public P School is a Primary School specializing in Ordinary. The school

is based in Duncan Village, East London.

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Songeze daycare centre

It is a registered ECD under social development; they enroll children from one year six

months to five year of age. It is a private owned ECD. It has 90 pupils, 43boys and

47girls and their teachers have ECD grade level 4.

Figure 7: Songeze daycare centre showing classroom and play ground

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Water and Sanitation

C-section or C-block as it is commonly known is one of the oldest informal settlements

in Duncan Village. As with other informal settlements, C-section is extremely

overcrowded, have bad housing conditions and a lack of basic services. The settlement

is made of one-roomed brick council houses that are crammed by shacks all over the

place extending onto streets pavements.

In C section access to sanitation and water is of communal nature where a large

number of people share a tap and toilet. There are flushing toilets block erected in

different areas that are servicing thousands of residents. Although these new toilets

have been welcomed by the community, there remain serious challenges relating to

access, hygiene and maintenance. n this area the toilets open at 7am and close at 6pm.

People who might need to use a toilet facility beyond this schedule do not have options

but to use their own buckets or to turn to other areas where toilets might be open at

night. The closure of toilets at night is one of the frustrations of the residents in the area

because going to other areas could be dangerous.

Safety of the communal toilets cannot be guaranteed, especially for children because

there is no security and municipal workers are not always available at the site. There

are only two municipal workers at the toilet site, male and female, and both of them stay

outside the area. Sbongile’s sister Siyaxolisa who is doing grade 11 at John Bisseker

High in Parkside reported that another toilet in the nearby Area 17 was closed down

after a woman was raped there. Since other toilets are not working and closed there is

an overuse of the functioning ones. At Area 15 there could be more than five hundred

people using only five toilets. This obviously leads to more toilet breakdowns, blockages

and overflows in the informal settlement. The municipalities also do not provide cleaning

chemicals, soap or toilet paper for the toilets and workers are left on their own with no

support. People are forced to use newspaper because they cannot afford toilet paper.

The workers were also frustrated that their salaries are far below those of other

municipal workers in town even though their work in C Section is much more

demanding. The appalling conditions of communal toilets together with huge piles of

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uncollected dirt can give rise to ill health especially amongst children. Despite being a

vast area with more than five thousand households, C Section has virtually no

healthcare facilities. People are forced to look for health services in the nearby areas of

Parkside, Braelyn and Gompo.

The health committee in Ziphunzana Jabavu clinic told us that sicknesses such as TB,

HIV&AIDS, Hepatitis, and Chickenpox are common in the township. The huge piles of

rubbish, dirty toilets, water pollution, violence, poverty and high levels of alcohol and

drug abuse are all part the causes of ill-health. In terms of the Constitution the people of

C Section like any other community deserves development, dignity and a better life. C

section is facing huge sanitation problems and these are linked to inadequate housing,

over-crowdedness, and poverty, decaying infrastructure, poor maintenance and dirt.

The people in the area need to start organizing for development from below to ensure

that all the promises and socio economic rights in the constitution are realized.

Figure 8: A typical poor sanitation hazard scene in Duncan village

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Figure 9: Resident of C-Section collects water from a communal tap. Behind her are the communal toilets

Infrastructural Development

Duncan village has access to electricity, however, since most of the residents are very

poor, cooking is done with woods, paraffin and broken planks. The few who are rich

afford using electric cookers and gases.

Roads in Duncan Village

Duncan village is typically made up of both Tarred and dirt roads. Most of the major

roads that connect the village to the provincial and national road freeways are tarred,

while within streets roads are either tared or dirt. Light and heavy vehicles plays the

road since the village is an ancient township in the Eastern cape, during apartheid ,

therefore, it is conventional and connected to provincial and national roads.

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Figure 10a and b: A typical dirt roads in Duncan village

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Figure 10c: Typical Tarred road in Duncan village

Public Transport

The typical transport system in Duncan village is the use of taxis. Taxis are used when

sick or visiting relatives, however, those that have personal car use it.

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Isibindi Safe Park in Duncan Village

 

Figure 11: "Safe park.

Isibindi Safe Park finally launched in Duncan Village on April 10, 2014. The project is a

result of the Buffalo City - Leiden twinning and is an intervention aimed at addressing

orphaned and vulnerable children within Duncan Village. The Isibindi Model is a

NACCW initiative which seeks to harness local solutions by capacitating community

members as Child Care Workers. Buffalo City provided the land, levelled, grassed and

fenced the property and assisted with installing water, sanitation and electricity. Leiden

provided for the playground equipment, the office containers and funds for training and

stipends for the Child Care Workers. Leiden will continue to sustain the project for two

more years for € 63.579.

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CEMENTERY

Duncan community has three cemeteries and is located in three areas namely: Buffalo

flat, Cambridge and Haven Hills as shown in the pictures below

Figure 12a: Buffalo flat Cemetery in Duncan Village

Figure 12b: Cambridge Cemetery in Duncan Village

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Figures 12c: Haven Hills cemetery in Duncan Village

Community Support Centre

Duncan Village community support centre provides skills and capacity development for

young people with skills that would help them sustain themselves, thus serving as a

measure for combating unemployment. The initiative was organized by the Duncan

Village Youth Advisory Centre partnering with the Eastern Cape Development

Corporation (ECDC) to train 30 SMME’s from Duncan Village and the surrounding

areas. Participants were skilled on business profiling, how to source funding for their

businesses, how to come up with ideas that are needed to run an effective and viable

business. The programme was designed to help potential entrepreneurs intending to

start a business and who need the skills to manage their small businesses effectively as

well as those who are already operating their businesses. The training will help the

entrepreneurs acquire basic small business management skills and knowledge that will

contribute to the survival and growth of their businesses. This will help existing small

business owners enhance their management skills in preparation for business growth.

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Figure 13: Duncan village community support centre

There are other different skill development sections in this centre. Some of these are as

follows:

Leather: making of bags and shoes

Music: Musical skill development

Film and video: acting and theatre

Dance: learning different

Visual art: performing arts and sound

Ceramics: making of plates and cups

Craft: sewing, kneading and making of beads.

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Figure 14a: showing Craft (sewing, kneading and making of beads)

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Figure 14b: Dance section

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Figure 14c: Musical section

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Figure 14d: Computer training section

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.HEALTH CARE SERVICES

Duncan Village Health Care

Duncan Village Day Hospital is a public healthcare facility situated in Duncan Village, East London. Patients are attended to by registered nurse practitioners and doctors. The facility attends to minor emergency cases, but patients with major emergencies are referred to Frere Hospital.

Getting there

The hospital is located in Douglas Smith Highway in Duncan Village, East London. The nearest main road is the R72. Duncan Village is surrounded by Pefferville, Bebelele, Braelyn 10, Amalinda and Stoneydrift suburbs in East London.

Payment

Duncan Village Hospital is a public healthcare facility, and services are free to pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as children under the age of six years old. Other citizens are charged according to a sliding scale depending on their income.

Specialist services

Anti-Retroviral Treatment Services (ARVs)

Tuberculosis (TB) clinic

Basic gynaecology services

Family planning services

Pharmacy Services

X-Ray Services

HLUMANI- HIV/AIDS CENTRE- NGOThis is a home based health care and door-to-door community health service. It

comprises of 24 trained care giver, who goes from door to door to trace defaulters and

bring them to the clinic for their check-up and medication. They go on behalf of the

elderly people who cannot go to the clinic for their medication, as well as assist the

disabled to the clinic for their check up and medication

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Figure 15: Showing a typical HIV and AIDS Centre in Duncan village.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY

More than 50 Duncan Village residents in 2015 have been arrested for their alleged

involvement in serious crimes. The arrests come as a breakthrough for the Duncan

Village police and the East London crime intelligence unit. Duncan Village police have

arrested more than 50 people for their alleged involment in serious crimes.

The crime prevention operations saw six men arrested for allegedly being in possession

of unlicensed firearms and live ammunition; eight arrested for dealing in dagga and

mandrax, while other suspects were arrested for housebreaking, armed robberies and

theft among other crimes.

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Figure 16a and b: Typical police and station

Table 1: showing 2015 statistics of different crime rates in Duncan Village

Total 1395

39 81 29

507

82 45

310

22128 38 12 21 12 1

Crime rate in Duncan Village Crime rate in Duncan Village

Figure 17: Showing percentage of crime rate in Duncan village (2015).

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Precinct percentageMurder 39Total Sexual Offences 81Attempted murder 29Assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm

507

Robbery with aggravating circumstances 181Burglary at non-residential premises 20Burglary at residential premises 310

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

In Duncan Village, most households no longer have the dignity of having family

members with permanent factory jobs, but depend on a precarious combination of odd

jobs and social welfare grants for survival. Locals say even casual work is disappearing.

With poor education and the difficulty of meaningful participation in the urban economy,

the poor have relied very heavily on the state and the city for support to upgrade the

schools, infrastructure and residential areas. But the state and the city have done little,

despite the area receiving presidential priority for redevelopment in 2001. Census 2001

indicates: 75.5% (15,855 households) report No Regular Income 21.1% (4,431

households) earn from R1 to R1,600 p/m, 2.2% (462 households) earn from R1,601 to

R3,200 p/m , 1.3% (273 households) earn > R3,200 p/m.

SOURCE OF INCOME OF DUNCAN VILLAGE RESIDENT

Most of the people who live in Duncan Village are very poor and they depend on small

hold businesses like: Vegetable production, wood work, auto mechanics /bush

mechanics, teaching profession, while others depend on their pension.

Home Affairs

The nearest home affair to Duncan village is in Fleet Street East London. Those who

are having problems with their permits and other issues relating to Department of home

affair from this community come to East London centre for assistance.

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HIERARCHY OF DUNCAN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

LIMITATION EXPERIENCED BY THE COMMUNITY

In the course of compiling this profile, the researcher noticed that most dwellers live in

shacks built with cardboards, planks, sink and other waste materials. This poses a

serious fire threat in the area that could cause loss of properties and lives. To bring

hope and livelihood to the dwellers, repositioning from shacks to RDP houses will be a

leeway to good life. Furthermore, the dwellers are entrenched in an unsafe environment

full of disgusting odor as kitchen waste, plastic waste, paper waste and effluents from

toilets and bathrooms flows and collects in open spaces as well as other solid waste

littered all around. Besides, the horror of congestions as shacks are built very close to

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Traditional Ruler

Inkosi

Isibonda

Counsillor

Local Municipality

Mayor

Ward Councillor

Ward Committees

each other without space for proper ventilation could also cause disease build up in the

area since personal hygiene and sanitation is at zero level.

The community is also denied access to good road as most roads within the streets are

bad, this make transportation difficult for commuters and fare hike in that place.

Distances that should not take more than 10minutes by taxi goes beyond 20 minutes;

the only good road around the place is the R72 bypass to East London. The community

have good water source as most shacks home have tape water fixed and also central

water service for everyone. However, most people living there have no jobs and they

loaf around hijacking and stealing others properties, making the place to be a high crime

zone in Buffalo city municipality.

Limitation to medical care and treatment in the area is very high because the community

of about one hundred thousand populations has only one health care center and few

nurses and in some cases, no medication for patients. Also, there are fewer schools in

the area; the community has five public primary schools and one comprehensive

school. Most of the children go far as 20km away to schools in East London. This make

life difficult for both pupils and parents in terms of transport, finance, risks of children life

to attacks and cold during winter. The community only has one Hall which is not

sufficient to accommodate the need of everyone who has one function or the other to do

within the vicinity. These will indeed gender or crop corruption as people will bribe their

ways to getting the place for use at the expense of the poor.

RECOMMENDATION

The Government should build RDP houses for those in this community to alleviate the

problem of poverty and low level income class.

More schools should be built to accommodate the ever rising population of the youth in

the area.

Job creation through developmental programmes for the youth and well able body

people living in the areas should be introduce to reduce high level of crime.

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Proper sanitation and safety waste management system for refuse collection should be

created in the area and waste collectors should regularly in weekly bases collect and

dispose off the waste to avoid both air, water and land pollution.

Government should upgrade the roads in the areas to tarred one for easy accessibility.

More recreational facilities and towns hall be built for social activities. The need of more

Health care centres should also be provided to meet the needs of the citizens in the

area

REFERENCE

James, Paul; Nadarajah, Yaso; Haive, Karen; Stead, Victoria (2012). Sustainable

Communities, Sustainable Development: Other Paths for Papua New Guinea . Honolulu:

University of Hawaii Press. p. 14.

Community Development as a Process", Edited by Lee J Cary, University of Missouri

Press, Columbia USA. 1970.

http://www.cutr.usf.edu/oldpubs/CIA/Chapter_4.pdf

http; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Village

Christakopoulou, S. Dawson, J Gari, A, (2001). The Community. Well-Being

Questionnaire: Theoretical Context and Initial Assessment of. Its Reliability and

Validity, Social Indicators Research, Vol. 56, No . 3 (Dec.,. 2001), PP.

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