70% of the population in Zwelihle live in shacks, made of twenty four galvanized metal sheets, held together around twelve wooden posts. Unhygienic conditions prevail for families that live in the shacks owing to the lack of ablution facilities, the lack of an effective rubbish removal service and a constantly polluted stream. During the winter rainy season the area becomes very swampy. Very few shacks have a dry concrete floor, so the rainy season makes everything within the shack damp. These conditions, together with poor nutrition, provide the ideal breeding ground for many infections, particularly respiratory illnesses which can prove fatal for those whose health is already compromised with HIV/AIDS.
Unemployment statistics are alarmingly high (only 29 % of the adult population have jobs). For many years, the burden of care and support has fallen heavily on the shoulders of impoverished local communities where sick family members return when they can no longer work or care for them.
Source: http://sacredheartparishwaterford.com/about_zwelihle_2008.html