Background of Area | Project Overview | Community Meeting | The Way Forward | ALL MULTIMEDIA

Fingo Village is the oldest township settlement in Grahamstown.  The title of the land was given to the amaFengu people as compensation for their services during the British battles with the amaXhosa between 1846 and 1853. The amaFengu established a thriving community in the area. However in 1977, as part of the Group Areas Act, squatters from the surrounding areas of Grahamstown were moved into zinc and corrugated iron houses on the edge of Fingo – an area that later became known as Silvertown. 

With the growth of Silvertown and the continued influx of people from the rural areas, Fingo Village faced problems such as the lack of infrastructure and housing, unemployment and poverty. Unemployed residents are forced to find alternative ways of making money and often resort to crime. 

In contrast to Fingo Village, Vukani is the newest township in Grahamstown. It was established as part of the Reconstruction and Development Project (RDP) less than six years ago. The majority of people who were moved to Vukani were from Silvertown. The area has become a crime hotspot of Grahamstown, with the highest rate of violent crime. Vukani residents struggle considerably more with unemployment and poverty, and as a result the levels of crime have increased. 

In Vukani, the community has been overwhelmed with crime resulting from a family feud between the Twala, Klaas and Nikelo families. Luthando of the Twala and Klaas families killed Michael Nikelo’s brother, Gideon, in June. Subsequently, Michael Nikelo has been accused for the murder of a relative of the Twalas. The community has been gravely affected by this feud and many people feel they must choose a side.

A Community Policing Forum (CPF) has been established in Vukani and Fingo Village, but it is not as effective as it should be. Many community members do not know who the members of the CPF are, and consequently do not know who to turn to for help. Intimidation as a result of the family feud has also led to a breakdown in communication between the community and the police, with very few people being willing to stand as witnesses to crimes committed in the area.

View from the top – Vukani as seen from the main road leading into the small RDP settlement, Grahamstown, 27/08/2009. Photo: Nicola van Rensburg

 
Brightly coloured garments flash and wave in the wind on a quiet day in Vukani location, Grahamstown, 14/10/2009. Photo: Lisa Mills