But not just any houses. These houses are the houses to which slum dwellers and homeless people in South African World Cup cities are being reallocated.
Or, better put, reallocated by force.
In a country with the history of South Africa, the forceful reallocation of homeless people and slum dwellers to “Tin Cities” feels like a step back into apartheid.
And the games continue…
Just out of curiously, where were homeless people living before the tin houses?
I know what you mean, and I know that those tin houses can be considered great when compared to other kinds of slum housing or living on the streeets.
However, I think we need to consider the political implications behind forcing a certain and targeted group of people in this way. Are the homeless less citizens than the rich? Why do we keep hiding and criminalizing poverty? What is there about being poor that makes the government feel that it can treat these people as it likes, forcing them to relocate to places that are very far from cities – which by the way are the only place where they can work and access basic services and thus have a chance out of poverty.
This is bad enough to see in Vancouver, but imagine the political and racial statement that this action is having in South Africa.
Can we really decide who gets to be part of the urban space with it’s benefits and services and who gets to live from the will of a -probably corrupt- government in “concentration camps”? Because that’s really what they are, camps where certain classes and social groups are concentrated.
Look at this – http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/01/south-africa-world-cup-blikkiesdorp
kinda reminds me of the Three Gorges Dam in China where they forced out 1 million or so people. Unfortunately the governors in the affected districts were very corrupt and kept all the relocation funds to themselves. I fear that South African governors will be no different.
Valentina, have you thought about what you’d like to major in?
Hahahaha
I’m thinking of doing Human Geography and Latin American Studies. Why?
Because I think you have a big heart and a sociological imagination — Tuum est!
Awwww :)
Just to give another side of the story, do you know how much money is given to organizations to organize sports. The benifit you recieve from sport. Its not for nothing sport is used as a tool in almost any of societies problems- integration, self-confidence, health, awareness, and the list goes on and on and on. In the internship I’m doing, i’m in the development branch. The amounts of money that are used to target the grass roots level and help the impoverished, the disabled ect is huge. And of course that countries have to find a way to find a balance, organize huge scale events and not go broke or have your people suffer the consequences but realize that sport is an amazing tool as well. Not just a corporate world out there.