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24. 4 COMMISSION RELATING TO COLOURED AFFAIRS REPORTS FROM LOCAL AREAS EAST LONDON 1. The Coloured population of East London is small, numbering at 3l/l2/72 14 235* There were then 1 474 housing units, with 1 279 needing accommodation. In June 1973 there were 1 232 on the waiting list. 604 sub-economic houses are under construction at Pefferville. 239 economic houses are planned for Buffalo Flats Extension where 97 plots will be .available for home owner ship. Services are being laid on and it is anticipated that these houses will be ready in about 2 years' time. 2. A complaint by the Coloured leaders is that people qualifying for better housing are being pushed into Pefferville - but are being charged economic-rentals, the explanation I received from municipal official is that many people for whom this housing was built said they could not afford the rentals and were not taking it up. They felt the pinch of the sliding scale. Moreover, when the National Housing Commissioner granted the loan for this scheme, it was on the understanding that people who were moved from North End, in terms of the Group Areas zoning, would be accommodated there and the Municipality's hands are now tied. The Community Development authorities apparently want to speed up the process of clearing Coloured folk out of North End and are wielding the big stick at the Council. Indians are being moved into part of North End, while part is apparently earmarked for industrial development. 3. Bfeebiggest problem is presented by the presence of an undetermined number of bush-dwellers and others living in backyards, etc. These, for the most part, are degenerate and respond to no efforts to help them. In a great many cases the family consists of a Coloured father, black mother and a horde of children. Often the parents are not legally married and so only one of them would qualify for residence in a group area. They are not interested in moving into housing for which they would have to pay. Their numbers are being added to all the time by the gradual exodus of Coloured people from the Transkei. Some have been put into houses in a section of the old Duncan Village vacated by African families who have beet moved to Mdantsane. However, there is no real solution in sight. This highlights a social problem which requires tackling at its roots. There is a need for thorough-going social work - motivation, education, and community development in the best sense. This involves leadership training. There is an appalling lack of trained social workers. Since municipalities were prevented from having welfare departments with trained social workers, there has been no overall attempt to tackle problems at the local level. The few qualified workers employed by social welfare agencies are overloaded with case work and are fully occupied with their own particular part of the problem. SCHOOLS. There are 5 Primary schools at present and one High School which caters for Indians as well. The accommodation has been described as "hopelessly inadequate" with double sessions at the two biggest Primary schools. However, a large new Primary school is being built and when this is complete the situation should be much easier. Sports facilities, though, are generally badly lacking. There are no schools sports fields - just a few tennis courts at one. They do have the use of theFields of the Coloured clubs at times when they are not required by adults and, subject each time, to obtaining a permit. Schools do make use of an athletic track in a white area - a very considerable distance from all the schools. If children are to be kept off the streets, especially at holiday time, playing fields mustbe provided. There is a need for more nursery schools, SWIMMING POOL: There is no swimming pool for the Coloured community. I understand that provision has been made on next year's estimates for one at Parkridge. Negotiations for land are proceeding. BEACHES; There are two beaches for Coloured people - Cove Rock, which is a stony area, and Leach’s Bay, where there is a tea-room and a tidal swimming pool. A complaint is that the camping sites are insufficient at Christmas and people have to cross the road where they risk being charged with an offence. There is no regular public transport service. COLOURED MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: Members of the Coloured Management Committee feel frustrated because they are not given sufficient powers and they complain that the Municipality is not sympathetic. They are threatening to resign en bloc. Negotiations with the Municipality are proceeding. % MT. AYLIFF There is a tremendous feeling of insecurity and uncertainty amongst the Coloured population in Mt. Ayliff and district. The X.C.D. has taken over several "businesses and, as their policy is to employ Africans only, many Coloured shop assistants and employees have been put out of work. I know of sever'l women who now commute to Kokstad to work, but still have their families in Mt. Ayliff because accommodation is difficult to obtain in Kokstad. Although this is very inconvenient, it is still possible, but I don't know what the people will do who are too far from a White area to do this. Some Coloureds own property in Mt. Ayliff and there are one or two fairly well-to-do families who have their own "businesses (one a building contractor), but they are very apprehensive about their future in the Transkei. Some earn a living as sawyers, but th© rest are, on the whole, a pretty depressed lot and drinking seems to be a problem. All matters relating to Social Welfare services fall under the local Magistrate in Mt. Ayliff, who is at present, a European. There is one school for Coloureds, a R.C. Mission which receives some aid. There are 2 teacher^ for 60 children and the school only goes up to Std. 5* UMZIMKULU Where possible I have included in this survey coloured communities living in Umzimkulu village, Clydesdale Mission, Rietvlei Village and the few small scattered groups in the district. Umzimkulu village is a community of Europeans, Coloures and Africans, falling perhaps into the Transkei (?) on its border with Natal. Clydesdale, 5 km. from Umzimkulu, is a village comprised of Africans and coloureds living on the Anglican Mission Station. Rietvlei village is a collection of African and Coloured homes situated on the Rietvlei Location. Many of the local Coloured population are descended from the Griquas of Adam Kok and have been here, as a settledcommunity, since the land was given to them in 1864. They were originally granted farms, hut soon sold these to Europeans prefering to live togethar in community groups. There have been two attempts to move the Coloureds into the Western Cape. One soon after the First World War when they went to Touws River with the promise of s new and better life, and the second in 1964 when they were recruited for work on the Cape Town docks. In neither case did the moves prove permanenent, but within 6 months they were drifting back. Only a few of the young people remained, being better able to adapt to the changed conditions and the faster way of life. The following are the population figures and distribution as at the 1970 census: POPULATION AS AT 1970 CENSUS Male Female Total Umzimkulu Village 205 228 433 Clydesdale 95 85 180 Rietvlei 61 62 123 Riverside 9 18 27 Bizweni 61 62 123 Insekeni 2 4 6 Strydfontein Farm 7 TOTAL 418 442 860 These figures have probably increased a good deal particularly in Rietvlei where there has been a notable influx of Coloureds displaced from deeper in the Transkei GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION They fall under the jurisdiction and administration of the local Magistrate who acts as the channel for the Department of Coloured Affairs which has no direct representatative here. For purposes of the "Coloured Parliament" they fall into the Outeniqua constituency but nobody seems particularly interested in this, with the impression gained that they feel its all a bit pointless. 1Local/. Local Government Umzimkulu Coloureds fall under the Umsimkulu Village Management Board, to which property owners pay rates, the same as Europeans. They also pay water rates, rubbish and sanitation removal fees. They have no representation on the Board, or say in village affairs since bsing removed from the voters roll in 1971* Up till that date a few did exorcise their right to vote at the Board elections. Rietvlei'is not a Township declared, hence it has no local authority or administration and no community services, the Magistrate deals with their affairs. Clydesdale is administered by the Anglican Church with a resident European Priest in charge. ZONING In 1970 Umzimkulu village was zoned by the Transkei Zoning Board. It was divided into a Black Zone and a White Zone with no provision made for Coloureds. This means that property owners can only sell to a member of one of the other groups. Businesses and Properties in the "Black Zone" can be Bold only to Africans; if no buyer can be found the property is offered to the Adjustment Committee which is the Bantu Trust, for fixr.ng of compensation, etc. Although there is as yet no compulsion to move the zoning has led to a strong feeling of insecurity and unease. And, directly after the zones were announced, to a good deal of friction and unpleasantness between the Coloureds and Africans. ECONOMICS AND LABOUR There are no reliable figures or source of information as to the exact division of labour or economic standards, but the following is correct as far as can be ascertained.