The Vrygrond Community Development Trust (VCDT) is a community-led, non-profit organisation located in Vrygrond near in Cape Town, South Africa (VCDT, 2023, n.p). Since its launch in the late 1990’s the VCDT coordinates with the Vrygrond Community Development Forum, civil society organisations and various stakeholders to combat socio-economic challenges like unemployment, gangsterism, housing shortages, and poverty in the community. The VCDT from its initiation in 1997 to its current modern-day presence demonstrates how community-led institutions need to adapt to their surroundings and the contemporary socio-economic issues present. The VCDT was born from protests and deliberations over land ownership in 1997 (Davies, 2014, p.50). Bringing community members, hopeful investors from the Capricorn Business Park and the municipality to a common understanding which resulted in the delivery of houses and services within the community (Davies, 2014, pp. 50-51). However, in recent years the VCDT now deals with socio-economic challenges that transcend land ownership. With collaborations with institutions such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, The University of Cape Town and Pforzheim University in Germany (ESAT, 2015, n.p; Ndayishimiye, 2018, pp. 50-52), the trust also values the intellectual and holistic development of the community to empower its citizens to not only be the change but also be able to implement change themselves effectively, while recognising the role they play in the development of their community (VCDT, 2023, n.p). The VCDT enjoys valuable relationships with other NGOs who champion similar initiatives within the community of Vrygrond. Living Hope, Assitej, The Loxion Mobile Library are some of the partners listed on the VCDT website. In 2015 protests over service delivery inspired the community to form the Vrygrond Community Development Forum which works alongside the VCDT to further alleviate the impacts socio-economic factors may have on its residents (VCDT, 2023, n.p). As a faith-based forum, it works with various stakeholders to host events and workshops targeted at keeping the youth from the streets and away from criminal activity (Bezuidenhout, 2024, n.p).
Mission and Purpose
The VCDT is a public benefit organisation which seeks to address and improve the quality of life within the previously disadvantaged Cape Flats township, Vrygrond (Vrygrond Development Community Trust, 2023, n.p). The Cape Flats is often described as a low-lying, sandy and large area located to the south and east of the Cape Town business district in South Africa (ESAT, 2024, n.p). In the 1950’s “The Flats” became a site that was very central to the race-based legislation of the Apartheid government. Non-white people were forcibly removed from central urban areas as it was designated for white people, therefore non-white people were moved into government-built townships like the settlements that make up the Cape Flats (ESAT, 2024, n.p).
Vrygrond welcomed its first residents in 1942 as fishermen would settle on the dunes, it eventually became a self-reliant community in which residents pursued a simple way of life. Vrygrond, depicted in figure A below, is known as one of the oldest settlements in the Western Cape with a history depicting constant change in response to political hardships imposed by the Apartheid government (Western Cape Government, 2023, n.p). In more recent years the community experiences issues related to the increase in homelessness, unemployment and intergenerational rural-urban migration (Western Cape Government, 2023, n.p).
Figure A: Residential Area in Vrygrond (GoGetFunding, 2021)
Initially established to combat on-going economic, social and spatial inequality within the Vrygrond community, the VCDT launched in the 1990’s following the post-Apartheid government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). The VCDT was built on the premise of being a mediator between community members and the City of Cape Town (Davies, 2014, p. 50) during the process of formalising the community of Vrygrond.
Today the core purpose of the VCDT is to “coordinate projects and efforts for everyone to understand the part they play in the development of Vrygrond” (Vrygrond Development Community Trust, 2023, n.p), to increase communication and collaboration between stakeholders and knowledge share and lastly, to increase development opportunities to bring about sustainable transformation within the Vrygrond community (Vrygrond Development Community Trust, 2023, n.p).
Origins and Development
Prior to its establishment, Vrygrond was popularly known as a fisherman’s haven, boasting social cohesion and safety (Davies, 2014, p. 48). The scattered settlement comprising mainly of coloured and isiXhosa people was at the time state-owned, leaving the community vulnerable to land evictions (p.50). With steady population growth rates and friction over land ownership, and interest from the Capricorn Business Park to buy a small piece of the land to develop it, the community and its leaders were motivated to protest this. This inspired community leaders to actively advocate for assistance from the municipality with regards to service delivery and housing. After hearing the cries from the community leaders, the developer (Jonathan Schrire) agreed to assist the community with their requests and acted as a mediator between the community and the municipality.
In light of the ANC governments RDP initiative and its funding body the National Housing Scheme Subsidy (which sought to provide funding to South African citizens to build and develop homes) the municipality adhered to this call but requested that a formal community body should be established to be an overseer that would monitor the delivery of the houses and be a direct line of communication between the community and the state (Davies, 2014, p.50). Schrire mediated between existing organisations within the Vrygrond community to form a body that would advocate for the overall good of the community. After the deliberations, the community leaders asked Schrire to act as the Chairperson of said community group and the Vrygrond Community Development Trust was formed (Davies, 2014, p.50). In figure B, Jonathon Schrire and Trustees of the VCDT are photographed together in 1997. The VCDT, in collaboration and consultation with the South Peninsula Municipality (SPM), would go on to lead robust development within Vrygrond (Southern African Legal Information Institute, 2003, p. 2).
Figure B: Trustees of the VCDT in 1998 (Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa, 2022)
In more recent years, due to protests and on-going gangsterism, youth unemployment and educational needs, the subsidiary Vrygrond Community Development Forum (VCDF) was launched in 2015. The community elected the Trust’s chairperson as a leader of the Forum (VCDT, 2023, n.p). Leading to robust community dialogues and the formation of several projects and skills development facilities.
The VCDF demonstrates how grassroots initiatives confront day-to-day challenges in the Vrygrond community. With the assistance and facilitation by community leaders and civil society actors such as the Muizenberg Community Policing Forum, Community in Blue and the Ex-Prison Ministry, the VCDF frequently hosts faith-based crime prevention events to steer young community members away from drugs and criminal activity (Bezuidenhout, 2024, n.p).
Organizational Structure, Membership, and Funding
The VCDT is a both a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO—Section 18A) and is BEE certified, allowing the trust to receive charitable donations. Jonathon Schrire (2022, pp. 45-46), the trusts first chairperson notes that over R100m was deployed through the trust to support the creation of schools, houses and to support other NGOs over a 19-year period.
Although there is no information explicitly explaining the process of electing the Trust’s leadership, the most recent leadership (according to the VCDT website) overseeing the day-to-day activities of the VCDT includes Nonki Fodo (operations and executive director), Neliswe Everson (office administrator), Charles Jenson (chairperson), Natalie Swart (secretary) and Rodney Kennedy who is a board member (VCDT, 2023, n.p). The trust has worked alongside numerous organisations such as True North, Living Hope and the VCDF who are all partners assisting in developing and supporting the community, through promoting participation and collaboration.
Additionally, the Trust collaborates with the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the German university, Pforzheim University through which the Vrygrond Community Lab (VCL) was launched in 2005. This project was initiated to increase computer literacy and employability; computers were donated to UCT which were then transferred to the community’s computer lab. The VCL management team consists of board members from the VCDT, the manager is a UCT employee (Information Systems Department) and volunteers (UCT and Pforzheim postgraduate students, who assist in teaching and general support of students) and a lab administrator (Ndayishimiye, 2018, pp. 50-52).
The VCDT is very transparent and welcoming towards public donations as well as motivating the public to join on as volunteers of the trust (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
Specializations, Methods and Tools
The VCDT’s historical roots are established in being a mediator between the community and the state regarding land ownership, housing and service delivery (Davies, 2014, p.50). Recently, the trust aims to advance the quality of life of its community members, assist in reducing the impact of socio-economic challenges currently affecting the community’s livelihoods such as unemployment and create spaces in which educational training, resources and facilities are available to advance informed decision-making which will improve the standard of living amongst the previously-disadvantaged community (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
These objectives are achieved through the Vrygrond Community Centre, which houses several organisations specialising in nutrition, youth development and early childhood development, Capricorn Primary School, which is the first school built by the Trust which aims to create a multicultural learning environment offering equal opportunities for students with varying academic abilities (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
The VCDT continuously pursues collaborative partnerships with local institutions such as UCT and international organisations like the Elton John AIDS Foundation (ESAT, 2015, n.p; Ndayishimiye, 2018, pp. 50-52).
The following methods are present in the case of the VCDT:
Deliberative and Dialogic processes: The VCDT was an invented space birthed out of community protests, deliberation and debate over land ownership and the lack of services within the Vrygrond community. Jonathon Schrire a member of the Capricorn Business Park led dialogues between the then RDP Forum and the opposing SANCO (Southern African National Civics Organisation) group. After months of dialogue the two opposing groups reached a consensus, requesting Jonathon Schrire to be the chairperson leading to the formation of the trust (Davies, 2014, p. 50). Following the formation of the trust and deliberation between the trust and the municipality, delivery of services, infrastructure and housing occurred (Davies, 2014, p. 51).
Protest: The Vrygrond community throughout its history has exercised its democratic right to protest. In 2018 the community protested the unfair demolition of shacks. The then chairperson of the forum, Michael Khumalo, stated that these demolitions took place without an eviction order from the court, thus being the reason of the protest (Pitt, 2018, n.p). It is such protests that lead to the earlier launch of the VCDF in 2015, following intense protests the community united to be considered one voice. This unity led the community to elect an interim committee, which would address the needs and issues of the community. The VCDT’s general manager was requested to be one of the forum’s officials. Due to the protests, the Trust and the Forum have worked together towards restoring the community and rebuilding partnerships to bring about growth and increase development within the community (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
Community Development: Through projects such as the Vrygrond Community Centre, Capricorn Primary School, Vrygrond Community Library, The Sunrise Educare, The Vrygrond Special Needs Foundation and the Vrygrond Safe Home (VCDT, 2023, n.p), the trust has always valued empowering the community to implement and effect change. These projects focus on the holistic development of the youth through providing facilities and environments in which children can excel academically, in sports and cultural extracurricular activities. The Vrygrond Library, opened by Dr. Frene Gunwale in 1997, attracts more than 800 adults and 1000 children who use the facility to advance their reading skills with various after-school and holiday programs (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
The Vrygrond Safe Home is a place of safety to many Vrygrond children and women who have escaped abusive homes, are neglected or are in dire need of shelter. The shelter provides access to counselling and essential services targeted at empowering these individuals to rebuild and restore their lives (VCDT, 2023, n.p). Additionally, the trust has facilitated in the physical development of the community as well, through building schools, houses and civic centres that become integral structures in the daily livelihoods of its community (Davies, 2014, p.51; VCDT, 2023, n.p).
Additionally, the following tools and techniques are present in the VCDT case:
The VCDT facilitates dialogue, discussion and deliberation to not only manage conflict, between the community and the municipality, but to deliberate and reach a consensus on their own response in order to provide the community with their needs or address specific challenges the community of Vrygrond is facing.
The VDCT is transparent about recruiting and selecting participants to participate in their community outreach programs, which anyone can access via their website. Additionally, financial donations can be made through the VCDT website as well.
The VCDT prioritises informing, educating and raising awareness through the community centre, which equips disadvantaged people with access to social workers who assist individuals in accessing social grants and other social services. Additionally, this tool is exercised through their Library, Capricorn Primary School and the VCL in collaboration with UCT and Pforzheim University.
Major Projects and Events
Vrygrond Community Centre
As seen in figure C below, the Vrygrond Community Centre was the result of a collaborative project between the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Annie Lennox’s SING Campaign and the VCDT (ESAT, 2015, n.p). The centre was created to provide services for adults and children living with HIV. At the time (2010), approximately 13% of the Vrygrond population were infected with HIV (Ultimate Eurthymics Archive, 2010, n.p). The Vrygrond Community Centre was built to be owned and managed by the community, promising to improve skills training and job creation.
Furthermore, the community centre has a community garden catering to the users of the centre while also providing access to social workers and community care workers who assist the vulnerable women and children in accessing social grants. The community centres also provide the youth with access to the “Fit for Life, Fit for Work” skills training and job placement programme combatting youth unemployment (Ultimate Eurythmics Archive, 2010, n.p).
Figure C: The Exterior of the VCC (VCDT, 2023)
Capricorn Primary School
The primary school, seen below in figure D, was built by the VCDT in collaboration with the Western Cape Education Department and officially opened its doors in 2008 (SMART, 2009, p. 1). Capricorn Primary School was a necessity to the community as the nearest school was on the other side of a busy highway. The principal Siddieka Hassen notes that a few students had lost their lives, trying to navigate the M5 highway (Bezuidenhout, 2023, n.p). The school aims to advance numeracy and literacy skills among the young learners in the Vrygrond Community, equipping them with the tools and skills to access quality education.
The school has an incredible astroturf sports field (seen in figure E below) and facilities for students to improve their athletic abilities as well as a library centre dedicated to track the students’ reading progress (The Crossley Foundation, 2025, n.p). The classrooms are also lit up with interactive SMART whiteboards (figure F below) which were provided to the school through the Khanya Technology in Education Project which falls under the Western Cape Education Department, making the learning process an exciting and collaborative one (SMART, 2009, p. 1). The VCDT describes the Capricorn Primary students as a “socially diverse multicultural” population with a range of academic abilities, and at the school their fullest potential will be realised to excel in cultural, academic, sporting and community social realms (VCDT, 2023, n.p).
Figure D: Prefab classrooms of Capricorn Primary School (Crossley Foundation, 2025)
Figure E: Capricorn Primary School Astroturf (Crossley Foundation, 2025)
Figure F: Smart Whiteboards in Capricorn Primary School’s classrooms (SMART Technologies, 2009)
Analysis and Lessons Learned
The case of Vrygrond and the VCDT tells a story of resilience, echoing a message that sometimes communities are the answer to their questions. The formation of the Trust demonstrates how a disadvantaged community had the courage to put their needs above that of the Capricorn Business Park. Without knowing that one of the developers would hear their cries and become a direct line of communication and mediator between the community and municipality. Their protests brought them into communication with the municipality, addressing their concerns on land ownership and service delivery (Davies, 2014, p.50), which eventually resulted in the formation of a Trust that put the communities’ interests first. This demonstrates how participation flourishes best in circumstances that allow invented spaces to collaborate and participate in invited spaces.
Additionally, the VCDT showcases the importance of institutions and organisations needing to remain flexible and adaptable with regards to the purpose and mission. In 1997 the VCDT was solely established to overcome obstacles dealing with land ownership and service delivery within the community (Davies, 2014, p.50), however, in more recent years the Trust has taken a more holistic approach focusing on socio-economic challenges that transcend housing and land ownership. The trust now focuses on social development too and the empowerment of the community through institutions such as the Vrygrond Community Centre and the Vrygrond Community Lab, which equip citizens with the correct tools and knowledge to not only increase employability and access to social grants and community care workers (Ultimate Eurythmics Archive, 2010, n.p) but to empower individuals to understand the part they play in the developing community of Vrygrond (VCDT, 2023, n.p; Ndayishimiye, 2018, pp. 50-52). It is this type of empowerment that allows the youth to become agents of change and actively participate in political spaces (Mtimka, 2020, n.p).
Finally, drawing on the idea of Deliberative Democracy, it is important to recognise how thoughtful dialogue and open discussion help shape legitimate and fair political decisions. (Eagan, 2016, n.p). The trust was birthed out of lengthy deliberation between the RPD Forum and the SANCO group (Davies, 2014, p. 50) which made this theory best suited for this case because deliberation took place before the existence of the trust. These deliberations resulted in the formation of the trust and swift service delivery and housing development followed.
However, the Vrygrond case also depicts how deliberation could result in more friction and tension, as the agreed consensus might not have favoured all parties. The SANCO group eventually disassociated themselves from the Trust and led an opposing campaign against the Trust (Davies, 2014, p.51). The reasons being, miscommunication, misaligned visions for the trust and fear of the land being stolen or sold at the hands of the very trust meant to protect their land (Davies, 2014, p. 51). This conflict eventually boiled over into full-blown violence in which trustees’ properties and businesses were burned down, another escaped a petrol bomb and many attempted assassinations ensued, one of these attempts was sadly successful and the man described as the “pre-eminent community leader of Vrygrond” was killed at his house (Davies, 2014, p.52).
Highlighting the critiques on Deliberative Democracy, Jeniffer L Eagan (2016, n.p) notes that if not all forms of arguments are acceptable one party will always be excluded. Exclusion minimises the legitimacy and quality of the outcomes created through the deliberative process, and this is quite evident in the Vrygrond community’s case, the two opposing groups were caught in a power-balance scuffle, in which meetings were continuously disrupted by one of the groups who tried to gain the upper hand in negotiations (Schrire, 2022, p. 47). These powerplay tactics underscore the need for inclusive deliberation to minimise the risk of potential conflict.
Publications
See Also
References
Bezuidenhout, N. (2023). Community Tugged at My Heartstrings: Capricorn Primary Principal Clinches Lifetime Achievement Award. [online] People’s Post. Available at: https://peoplespost.co.za/capricorn-a-beacon-of-hope-20230918/
Bezuidenhout, N. (2024). Faith-Based Crime Prevention Project in Vrygrond Takes Aim at Youth Gangsterism. [online] People’s Post. Available at: https://peoplespost.co.za/faith-based-crime-prevention-project-in-vrygrond-takes-aim-at-youth-gangsterism-20240917/
Davies, C.N. (2014). Participatory Planning and the Global South: A Case Study of Local Planning and Development in Vrygrond (Master’s Dissertation, University of Cape Town). [online] Available at: https://open.uct.ac.za/items/bd5e3b5b-8723-4428-9f1c-696e5b16bbcd
Eagan, J. (2016). Deliberative Democracy. Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/deliberative-democracy
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Mtimka, O. (2020). Empowering Young Voices For A Stronger Democracy. [online] Available at: https://news.mandela.ac.za/News/Empowering-Young-Voices-for-a-Stronger-Democracy
Ndayishimiye, E. (2018) The Effects of Community Participation on Sustainability in an ICTD4 Project: A Case of Vrygrond Community Lab in South Africa (Master’s Dissertation, University of Cape Town). [online] Available at: https://open.uct.ac.za/items/373024db-3c12-441e-84cc-8161064ed274
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SMART Technologies. 2009. Capricorn Primary School, Cape Town, South Africa. Educational Technology Helps Disadvantaged Learners Catch Up. [online] Available at: https://downloads.smarttech.com/media/sitecore/en/pdf/customerstories/k12/capricorn_case_study.pdf
The Crossley Foundation. (2025). Capricorn Primary School: A Commitment to Quality Education. [online] Available at: https://thecrossleyfoundation.co.za/2023/11/22/capricorn-primary-school-a-commitment-to-quality-education/
Ultimate Eurythmics Archive. (2010). Annie Lennox and Elton John Officially Open the Vrygrond Community Centre. [online] Available at: https://eurythmics-ultimate.com/2010/03/annie-lennox-and-elton-john-officially-open-the-vrygrond-center/
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