Zonkizizwe (Zulu; Eng: All Nations) is one of many informal settlements located
South East of Johannesburg. Zonkizizwe has been founded in 1989. Today, it has an
estimated population of 150 000 people. The majority of its residents are Zulu speaking
people who migrated from KwaZulu/Natal to the metropolitan area of Johannesburg.
The main forms of housing in Zonkizizwe are informal dwellings. However, people have
access to electricity, sewerage system with outside toilets and tap water in their yards.
Zonkizizwe has 2 primary and 1 secondary school and one police station. Existing
health facilities comprise of 2 Primary Health Care clinics. Four nurses and two security
guards work in each clinic. In Zonkizizwe, general health problems include TB,
HIV/AIDS infections but also diabetes and hypertension, especially amongst older
people. There is no fixed oral health care clinic. Dental patients have to travel 50 km
to receive dental treatment in Natalspriut hospital. The prevalence of active caries and
subsequent need for restorative dental care amongst the black population in major
metropolitan areas, like the Johannesburg region, is high. Amongst adults (age groups
20-64 years), caries prevalence and restorative treatment needs range between 61,8 -
80,0 percent and 31,0 - 73,6 per cent, respectively (Du Plessis , Hodges, Pienaar and
Oosthuizen, 1994).
