South Africa: Township reports

Joe Slovo settlement in the outskirts of Port Elizabeth is named after one of the founders of the ANC's military wing

By Anna Holligan
BBC World Service, South Africa

Port Elizabeth is South Africa's sixth largest city, situated on the coast in Eastern Cape province. Known as PE and nicknamed the Friendly City, it is part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

Eastern Cape province is partly the traditional home of the Xhosa people, who make up a majority of the black population.

It is the birthplace of many prominent South Africans, including Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Steve Biko. The province is also one of the poorest in South Africa.

PE is one of the largest seaports in South Africa, and the car industry plays a major economic role, with General Motors and Volkswagen both having plants here.

Located at the end of Garden Route along the Cape coast, it is also one of South Africa's top tourist destinations.

Poverty

PE's best known township is New Brighton, established in 1903 and one of the oldest townships in South Africa.

It includes the Red Location named after the corrugated iron barracks, originally used by British soldiers, which rusted deep red.

During the struggle against apartheid the area was known for its strong politics, and the first cell of the African National Congress's military wing Umkhonto We Sizwe was formed here.

Several famous ANC veterans are associated with the townships, among them Govan Mbeki, father of former President Thabo Mbeki, who lived here and is buried in Zwide township.

New Brighton also achieved fame through the early plays of Athol Fugard, which portrayed aspects of township life.

NELSON MANDELA BAY Unemployment rate of approximately 35% 107 239 of 289 000 households are classified as indigent 44% of households access at least one social grant 30% HIV/Aids prevalence rate, according to antenatal care statistics 35% of population is under 19 years of age 66% of the population older than 20 has not finished high school 20% of residents have no or limited schooling Source: Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Townships in pictures 'Lenny' Mkhize reports

Today it is home to around 40,000 people, who live in a mixture of wooden and corrugated iron shacks, and more substantial government-built housing.

Poverty is a major issue, with an unemployment rate of around 80%.

Other PE townships include Zwide, Motherwell and Kwazakhele, a Xhosa word which means "build it yourself", and there are also informal settlements such as Joe Slovo, named after one of the founders of Umkhonto We Sizwe.

People in the townships face familiar challenges in the form of poverty, unemployment and service delivery, and about 30% of people living in them have HIV/Aids.

Ethnic rivalries

Before the arrival of new opposition party Congress of the People (Cope), politics in the PE townships was dominated by the ANC.

Port Elizabeth's best-known township is New Brighton

Although the Democratic Alliance gained some support across the city, it is largely seen as a party for the white community, and has little support amongst township voters. Despite the strong ANC history, Cope are hoping to do well in PE.

One reason may be ethnic rivalries: Cope was formed by disaffected Thabo Mbeki loyalists after he was ousted as president last year. Mr Mbeki is Xhosa, the dominant ethnic group in PE.

Cope has also been concentrating resources on campaigning in Eastern Cape, hoping to capitalise on frustration with lack of improvement in basic living conditions and pull off a surprise victory in the province.

But ANC presidential candidate Jacob Zuma has made a concerted effort to appeal to the poor, and there is no doubt he has a strong presence in New Brighton and the surrounding townships.

Campaign posters adorn the corrugated iron walls and people proudly parade the streets in their ANC colours.