Beauty and the Beast

Cape Town, South Africa is quite a playground for the adventuresome tourist.  While enjoying its majestic coastline, one can enjoy visiting the penguins and seal lions in their own habitat, and or dive in shark cages (which I didn’t pursue, but based on my last blog entry I suspect I had you guessing).  For the smell of salt air and the wind in your face, individuals could choose to sail the Atlantic, ride a pirate ship, or enjoy a variety of speedboats for chills and thrills.  However, the biggest draw is surfing the wide stretched beaches.  The wave conditions are a surfers’ dream of continual perfect sets with long lines.  There must have been over 300 surfers out riding the waves on New Year’s Day.  Nice way to ring in the New Year!

South Africa is one of the leading countries in economics in Africa.  Yet it has an approximately a 23-25% unemployment rate.  Laced in its beauty is a disconcerting issue with “informal settlement housing” historical know as “shanty towns.”  Government land throughout the country is dotted with these townships that house millions of people.

Since the late 1990’s the SA government has developed a legislative program to systemically provide “formal housing” for needy residents that are living in unfavorable conditions.  It has been reported that in some townships 5,000 individuals share one available water source and toilet facilities are a simple hole in the ground with makeshift walls. Due to overcrowding and unsanitary conditions individuals have resorted to voiding in the streets or fields that abut their properties.

The energy sources are generally candles, paraffin, and or a car battery. These sources will often cause accidental fires and wipe out an entire township leaving thousands of residents displaced.  The government has provided electricity to combat this problem in many townships, but there still remain an increasing number of areas that have not been serviced.

The spread of HIV/AIDS and a myriad of communicable diseases is a troubling concern that plagues these townships.  Unless housing conditions improve dramatically these issues will rapidly increase.  Unfortunately, many of the “formal housing settlements” are developed too hastily and they are fallen to ruin because of the poor materials used initially. 

The numbers are astronomical, and if you were to view one of the settlements you knees would be weak and your heart would be heavy.  It’s a startling example of the “have’s” and the have not’s.”  The government will need to press banks and financial organizations for assistance, taxes will need to increase, aid organizations will need to be enhanced and supported to simple shave the tip of this downtrodden iceberg of despair.  Most importantly, the children of settlements need a strong education.

Reportedly education is the most successful ingredient in combating poverty.

As individuals looking in, it is essential that we too become educated with concerns outside and inside our borders.  It is important that in our search we find avenues to provide assistance.  We must continue to recognize and share our good fortune that we enjoy daily. 

The beauty of Cape Point

The beauty of Cape Horn

A view from the sea cliffs - a surfer's dream - total beauty!

The Beast - an informal settlement