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S q u a t t e r C a m p
The "Squatter Camp" is the only informal settlement in the Bonnievale area and was started by extremely destitute people who lived on what was then the Refuse Dump more than 15 years ago. This refuse dump has now been relocated, but the area remains an official deposit site for rubble, garden refuse, and toxic meat from the abattoirs.
Over the years many homeless people have moved onto the site seeking a place to pitch their shelter. The site is now an official informal settlement with corrugated iron shacks (no bigger than 9 square meters - and accommodating entire families of up to 6 people) that bake in the summer and are freezing in winter, but despite these harsh living conditions, the people call this place HOME.
Although most shacks have electricity, most inhabitants can only afford enough power for lights and in some cases television and fridge. The majority still cooks on open fires. No household has running water or ablution facilities - there are 8 unusable waterborne public toilets at the 2 water tanks where the inhabitants go and fetch their daily household water in little containers.
Many of the inhabitants are single, young women who leave their little ones to be taken care of by neighbours or young girls (as young as 9 years) not attending school.
Those that do attend school, either go to the local school or commute to Robertson (40 km away) where there is a Xhosa School. However, there is a substantial amount of children not attending school for a host of reasons, and thus there is a reasonably high rate of illiteracy amongst parents and children alike.
A large portion of the community abuses alcohol daily with the result that many children suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome, severe learning difficulties and general neglect and abuse. This creates a platform for abuse, drug and alcohol intake, violence, theft, taking to the streets and other inappropriate social behaviour.
The often unhygienic living conditions and insufficient nutrition create conditions for contracting illnesses and diseases and TB is usually the cause of most deaths.
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