Understanding the Service delivery protests in South Africa: A case study of Duncan Village

Background: In the years since the first democratic election in 1994, South Africa has experienced mass violent demonstrations in townships, which include the Duncan village massacre in 1985. The phenomenon of violent service delivery protests has become a norm in South Africa. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) protests constitute the key focus of this study.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the key challenges that relate to service delivery protests in Duncan village.Setting: This study was conducted in Duncan village, one of the townships in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), which is located approximately 5 km from East London’s central business district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with community leaders from Duncan village, including the ward councillor, in the data collection process.Results: The findings of the study revealed that housing shortages, an unhygienic living environment, poverty and unemployment were identified as major challenges facing residents in Duncan village.Conclusion: The BCMM should regulate community clean-ups in order to ensure better living conditions. Develop electronic database to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of houses. Also, community meetings should be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis not only during election or protest time. Moreover, the ward councillor should be available and easily accessible to Duncan Village residents.Contribution: The article sought to investigate the challenges that relate to service delivery protests in Duncan Village and concludes that lack of housing, poverty, dirty location, and lack of communication were the main causes of violent service delivery protests.