Elsie Quinlan (3 December 1914 – 9 November 1952), religious name Mary Aidan , was a Dominican sister who was killed in Duncan Village in 1952, by a mob of ANC rioters.
42-620: Duncan Village is a township in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . The township is located about five kilometres away from the East London central business district (CBD). Duncan Village is divided into six wards, with each headed by a ward councillor. There are no clear divisions between the informal and formal parts of the township since most shacks are planted on
84-552: A clinic at the St Peter Claver Mission in that township . Public health facilities for black people in South Africa at the time were very poor. There were high rates of tuberculosis and infant mortality and only one municipal clinic to serve the township of Duncan Village . Sr Aidan and her single nursing assistant, Sr Gratia Khumalo OP , offered much needed health care to the black residents of Duncan Village in
126-523: A cost, we lost over 30 people and had massive funerals in 1985." During the 1990s and early 2000s, Duncan Village residents received houses in the Reeston area. This failed to combat the increasing number of shackdwellers from the surrounding rural areas. On 9 November 1952, 1500 residents of East London's locations attended a mass meeting at Bantu Square in Duncan Village. The residents gathered in support of
168-562: A mud floor. She served unselfishly and her services were given freely. The early 1950s saw the start of the Defiance Campaign led by the African National Congress (ANC). On 9 November 1952 the local ANC branch organised a protest meeting as part of Defiance Campaign , the police used batons, bayonets and gunfire to disperse the crowd. At least eight people were killed and 27 injured by the police. A mob then rampaged through
210-453: A one-room clinic. In some years they attended to more than 20,000 patients. On the Friday before she died, she attended 170 patients in the clinic. Quinlan had a special interest in gynaecology and obstetrics , and treated many women for infertility. Dr. Aidan always seemed to delight in being called out to a native hut and applying her obstetrical knowledge to a difficult case, kneeling on
252-449: A plot of land that are rented out by the land owner for additional income. Plots of land designed for single-family houses have been turned into plots, that, on average hold six families instead of one. These structures are illegally built in violation of planning and building codes and strain the infrastructure. Governments are loath to act on backyard dwellings, as doing so would result in large-scale displacement of people. A 2001 study of
294-451: A problem in townships and children as young as 12 or 13 get initiated into local gangs. Some see violence and gangs as a way of life and a part of their culture. The weapon of choice for most is a gun and with easy accessibility anyone is able to get one. It is estimated that out of the 14 million guns in circulation, in South Africa, only four million are registered and licensed to legal gun owners. Largest townships in South Africa at
336-410: A rapid period of urbanisation as the colour bar was relaxed due to the war. Neither employers nor the government built new accommodations or homes for the influx of new residents. This led to overcrowding, poor living conditions, thus, contributing to high levels of crime and violence . High rents and overcrowding led to land invasions and the growth of shack settlements, which were largely ignored by
378-539: A township (in the legal sense) is established and then the adjoining townships, with the same name as the original township, and with a numbered "Extension" suffix are later established. For example, the Johannesburg suburb of Bryanston has an extension called Bryanston Extension 3 . In traditionally or historically white areas, the term "suburb" is used for legally-defined residential townships in everyday conversation. A suburb's boundaries are often regarded as being
420-508: Is informal and unregulated by the government. This results in a lack of access to basic services such as sewerage, electricity, roads, and clean water, which adversely affects the residents' quality of life. Sewerage, water, and electrical infrastructure within townships are often in need of repair, resulting in a lack of sanitation due to problems with accessibility and availability. Electricity, water, and sewerage are managed by different government departments, resulting in inefficiencies in
462-431: Is mainly attributable to higher and more rapid drop-out rates among the poor, rather than to a lack of initial access to schooling. The formerly white schools uniformly produce better results as their governing bodies are able to raise substantial private funds. These funds are used to get resources that are usually inaccessible for the rural and township schools which survive on the commitment of their teachers. Gangs are
SECTION 10
#1732855847943504-475: The East London Municipality launched a plan to improve Duncan Village into a middle-class neighbourhood. This proved unsuccessful as the state could not move the 15,000 shacks which were in the area at the time. In describing the government's attempt to move residents from Duncan Village to Mdantsane , one of the councillors interviewed by Patricia Ndhlovu for her research paper titled Understanding
546-614: The East London Municipality to the commission's recommendations was to build Duncan Village in 1941. By 1944, 628 houses had been completed in the new township. Contrary to the Thornton Commission's recommendations, the shacks were not demolished in East Bank. The first residents in Duncan Village were black African migrant workers from the rural areas surrounding East London and a small group of black Africans who regarded themselves as fully urbanised East London residents with no links to
588-519: The African National Congress ' 1952 Defiance Campaign. But the 9 November meeting followed in the wake of rioting in Kimberley and Port Elizabeth , a ban on gatherings and the restriction of 52 Eastern Cape leaders in terms of the Riotous Assemblies and Suppression of Communism Acts. The ANC Youth League President, Skei Gwentshe, himself restricted, obtained permission from the chief magistrate and
630-552: The St Peter Claver mission hospital in East London, was stoned to death and burnt beyond recognition. According to newspaper reports, there nine people died, including seven black Africans from Duncan Village, and 27 reported injured. However, Ntsebeza 1993 , p. 46 records a certain D. Card, stating about 200 people were shot by the police. In his words, Card said: "Newspapers carried out that only nine people were shot, but from
672-475: The absence of substantial coordination at all stages of the project planning, budgeting, and implementation cycle. The sewer systems within townships are poorly planned and constructed. The population of townships typically grows faster than what the infrastructure was planned for, causing overloads that result in blockages, surges, and overflows. There often are only a limited number of public toilets that are overused, abused, and quickly become health hazards for
714-415: The communities. Another issue is poor access to maintenance activities, which is caused by a lack of space between houses. Some of the areas on the township peripheries or near the riverbanks do not have access to sanitation facilities because they are not connected to the formal waterborne sewerage system. A consequence of inadequate pumping infrastructure and large populations is that the water pressure in
756-452: The continuing growth of the townships. Constructing houses in the dried up tributaries is a potential problem in the event of a large storm as the tributary starts to fill up with water again or in case of a backup of sewerage coming into the tributary. The houses built in that area stand the risk of being destroyed by natural occurrences. As the area grows, the tributaries are piped and a number of concrete aprons and gullies are constructed over
798-419: The district commandant for a prayer meeting to protest the bannings. Police were monitoring the meeting. As soon as the meeting ended, the police dispersed the crowd, the crowd retaliated. A battle between the residents and the police ensued. A white insurance salesman, Barend Vorster and an Irish nun, Elsie Quinlan , were killed in the unrest. Quinlan (also known as Sister Aidan) a medical doctor who had set up
840-571: The following days. All six community councillors' homes were burnt down and homes of police officers and suspected collaborators were also attacked. 19 people died and 138 were injured. On 28 March 2008, former South African President Thabo Mbeki unveiled the Duncan Village Massacre Memorial in honour of the victims of the 1985 massacre near the Duncan Village Cemetery. Township (South Africa) In South Africa ,
882-411: The government's disinclination to encourage power usage by non-residents. Some townships, such as Alexandra and Diepsloot , are built near rivers, and on flood plains . These areas are extremely dense with only tortuous, narrow access, few communal water points and banks of chemical toilets on the peripheries of the settlements. The settlements are beginning to be built in the old tributaries due to
SECTION 20
#1732855847943924-623: The government. By 1950, a large portion of the urban black population lived in townships. In 1950, upwards of 100,000 people were living in townships on the Witwatersrand area ; 50,000 people lived in Cato Manor in Durban; and an estimated 150,000 black and coloured people lived in townships in Cape Town . Living conditions in the shack township settlements were poor, but they had some advantage over
966-538: The local state, service delivery and protests in post-Apartheid South Africa: The case of Duncan Village and Bcmm, East London said, "For us it was an 'anti-removal struggle', we were supposed to be removed from this place in 1985; they made it worse in 1985. There was a call from the ANC abroad that we were following to render the country 'ungovernable', and apartheid 'unworkable' and we started with anti-removals because we were supposed to be moved to Mdantsane . We resisted but at
1008-663: The name Mary Aidan . In 1940 her congregation sent her to study medicine at Wits University . On completing her medical degree and qualifying as a doctor she was posted to the Glen Grey Provincial Hospital in Lady Frere , Eastern Cape and to the Far East Rand Hospital in Springs in the then Transvaal province . After these assignments, in 1949 she was she was sent to Duncan Village , Eastern Cape to found
1050-485: The open spaces within formal houses. The township of Duncan Village was founded in 1941. It was named after the then Governor-General of the Union of South Africa , Sir Patrick Duncan , who oversaw the opening of what was called a "leasehold tenure area" in the East Bank location. The township was created to solve a housing crisis in East London during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The decision to establish Duncan Village
1092-588: The other more established options, like hostels, of being cheap and largely unregulated by the apartheid-era South African Police . In 1950, the Group Areas Act was enacted, which empowered the Governor-General to designate land for the sole use of a specific race. Under this law, black people were evicted from properties that were in areas designated as "white only" and forced to move into segregated townships. Separate townships were established for each of
1134-500: The removal of bodies we established that there were round about 200 people shot." No police were injured during the riots. Within 10 days, 150 Africans were arrested for pass offences. Fifteen were charged with the murder of Dr Quinlan, five convicted of murder and two hanged. On 11 August 1985, following the funeral of murdered UDF leader Victoria Mxenge in Rayi village, returning mourners carried out arson attacks, and violence continued on
1176-608: The rural areas. Hygiene proved to be a problem in Duncan Village, largely because the government was struggling to maintain the streets and sanitation. The township was dealing with a serious case of tuberculosis in the 1940s. In 1949 every third child born in the location died from the disease. To deal with the issue of overcrowding and poor hygiene in the township and surrounding areas, the East London Municipality created Mdantsane in 1962. Between 1964 and 1983, 80 000 people were moved from Duncan Village to Mdantsane. In 1985,
1218-481: The same as the (legal) township boundaries, along with its numbered extensions, and it usually shares its name with the township (with some notable exceptions, such as the Johannesburg suburb known as Rivonia , which is actually the township of Edenburg with numbered extensions called Rivonia Extensions). Occasionally, formerly independent towns, such as Sandton (which itself consists of numerous suburbs), are referred to as "suburbs". Elsie Quinlan Quinlan
1260-471: The smaller towns. The slang term " kasie / kasi ", a popular short version of " lokasie " is also used. Townships sometimes have large informal settlements nearby. During 1900–1950 (roughly), the majority of the black population in the major urban areas lived in hostels or servants' accommodations, these were provided by employers, and the workers were mostly single men. In the period during and following World War II , urban areas of South Africa experienced
1302-690: The terms township and location usually refers to an under-developed , racially segregated urban area, from the late 19th century until the end of apartheid , were reserved for non-whites, namely Black Africans , Coloureds and Indians . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities. The term township also has a distinct legal meaning in South Africa's system of land title , which carries no racial connotations. Townships for non-whites were also called locations or lokasies in Afrikaans and are often still referred to as such in
Duncan Village - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-480: The terms township, location, and informal settlement are not used pejoratively. However, policymakers are, as in the 1950s, once again using the term ' slums ' in a highly pejorative way. Informal settlements that are normally self established around regulated townships are faced with several social problems. Most often, the residents of informal settlements do not own the land on which their houses are built. In effect, these houses are built illegally. Construction
1386-511: The three designated non-white race groups: black people, Coloureds , and Indians – as per the Population Registration Act, 1950 . Most South African towns and cities have at least one township associated with them. Some old townships have seen rapid development since 1994, with, for instance, wealthy and middle-income areas sprouting in parts of Soweto and Chatsworth . Despite their origins in apartheid South Africa, today
1428-561: The time of the 2011 census: The legal meaning of the term "township" in South Africa differs from the popular usage and has a precise legal meaning without any racial connotations. The term is used in land titles and townships are subdivided into erfs (stands). "Township" can also mean a designated area or district, as part of a place name. For instance "Industrial Township" has been used in reference to an industrial area, e.g. "Westmead Industrial Township", in Pinetown , South Africa. Often
1470-467: The township called Diepsloot near Johannesburg showed that 24% of the residents lived in brick structures, 43% were in shack areas, and 27% were in backyard shacks. Township schools are often overcrowded, and lack adequate infrastructure. There is a high dropout rate among poor youth, particularly around Grade 9. Despite government interventions, education outcomes remain skewed, with township students continuing to under-perform. This skewed distribution
1512-421: The township, venting their anger on symbols of white control. A white insurance salesman, Barend Vorster, who had come to the township to collect his dues was set upon and beaten to death with sticks. It is thought that Sr Aidan, having heard of the casualties due to the police action, drove into Bantu Street, near the site of the meeting to help treat those injured. She was attacked, stabbed and set alight. Her body
1554-423: The townships is very low. Each section of the townships normally has one pump per section. The water is used for everything from washing clothes to cooking, drinking, bathing, and cleaning the house. Having limited water accessible to each section makes it very hard to meet the daily water needs per household. Illegal electricity connections are all-pervasive in the townships with electrical wires strung along
1596-446: The trees leading to power boxes. Although dangerous, every house in the area has a wire coming out of it and every wire is known by their owner in order to fix problems as soon as they arise. Most of the sub-stations are very unsecured to begin with so having so many additional wires coming from them is very dangerous for the people nearby and the kids playing in the area. The electricity infrastructure has not undergone upgrades because of
1638-513: The tributary into which the communal water points drain. The gullies are then choked with garbage and the tributaries appear to be substantially blocked but this will not hold off the water for very long if a flood comes through. Due to overcrowding, residents choose to build on river banks in hopes of easy access to water and laundry facilities, however, the available water is unsuitable for these purposes due to pollution, and they remain vulnerable to floods. Backyard shacks are additional units on
1680-465: Was based on the recommendations of the Thornton Commission of 1937, which was put in place to solve overcrowding in East Bank, East London . The commission recommended the building of an entirely new location on a new site, the utilisation of East Bank and that all the wood and iron dwellings in the East Bank be demolished and replaced with houses built "on town planning lines". The response of
1722-651: Was born in Kingwilliamstown, now known as Ballydesmond in County Cork , Ireland on 3 December 1914. She studied Social Science and qualified for a degree at the University College Cork . She subsequently decided to become a religious sister and in 1938 she travelled to King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape , South Africa to join the community known as the King Dominicans. On her investiture she took
Duncan Village - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-599: Was then dismembered, leaving only her torso, part of her head and the stump of one arm. According to subsequent court and oral evidence, her flesh was eaten, either immediately or taken away to be used as muthi (traditional African medicine). The police response to the killing of Vorster and Quinlan was extreme; police in armoured troop carriers drove through the township and shot and killed many people, newspapers reported that nine were killed but security police officer Donald Card noted that about 200 people were killed; exact numbers are not known. Four men were convicted of
#942057