Unemployment, HIV/AIDS and crime are some of the most pressing problems in Mfuleni

By Nomacebo Mbayo

Mfuleni is a relatively new township about 40 kilometres from Cape Town. It is a predominantly Black township that has a variety of cultures incorporated in the community.

Around 52,300 people live in this township. Most were moved there from the late 1990s following flooding and fires in different townships across the Western Cape. 

Unemployment, HIV/AIDS and crime are some of the most pressing problems in this poor township. With the numbers of people escalating in this area and the neighboring communities which contribute to the Western Cape being the centre of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Like many poor underprivileged communities in South Africa the issues of service delivery water and sanitation were some of the services that had to be given attention during the lockdown.

This community struggled to access these basic services and the struggle continues during this lockdown. According to Thilda Jack Yoppe, community activist who is actively involved with Right2Know Campaign, “From the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown the community started to feel very helpless because no help was coming to the community, not even food parcels that were promised to assist the community so that they could sustain the community during the lockdown”. The Food parcel remains an empty promise.

Community leaders took it upon themselves to mobilise, unite and save their community from the spread of coronavirus and ensure that the community members are able to practice social distancing. They started to make a list of people who are affected by the lockdown. “I was lucky enough to meet the organisation called OBS CAN, they have been helping my community with Shoprite Food Vouchers and Food parcels and in this short period of time they have helped more than 1000 families”, said Yoppe. The demand is growing because the community has such a large number of population, as a result last week when the food parcels were distributed it was chaotic and very hard to control as more people were demanding food.

Community volunteers continue providing a meal for those in need and working together in an attempt to combat the spread of coronavirus.