The football World Cup is coming to South Africa in June this year. It is set to focus the eyes of the world upon the country once again. What they will see is the return of a practice closely associated with apartheid South Africa – the forced removal of black people from their homes.Huge shanty towns are being set up as dumping grounds for the urban poor, forcing them out of the way of the massive stadiums and other construction projects. Thirty kilometres from Cape Town city centre is a place locals call Blikkiesdorp – the “tin can town”. Here there are row upon row of three by six metre tin shacks, housing whole families in one room. They’re made out of zinc so thin you can cut through the walls with a pair of scissors. The shacks stand on a vast dust plain without electricity, lighting or washing facilities. One toilet and cold water tap is shared between at least four families. It is miles away from any work and there are poor transport links. Many of the occupants have HIV/Aids, but can’t get to a clinic. The South African press has labelled these areas “concentration camps” because they are fenced in and patrolled by police.
SociaistWorker online February 2010 | issue 2188