On April 27 1994 South Africa held its 1st democratic elections, with each and every person eligible to vote standing in long que’s waiting to make their x next to the political party of their choice who they hoped would lead them to a better lifestyle.Prior to the elections South Africa was known as an apartheid state where only a certain section of the citizens benefitted from the government of the time policies, the other cultures were forcefully removed from the areas they were staying in.This action led to poor independent countries like Ciskei (1972-1994), Transkei (1976-1994), Bophuthatswana (1977-1994), and Venda(1979-1994) and the development of poor Cape Flats and areas like Soweto and Khayelitsha.
With the outbreak of democracy in April 1994 these
independent countries were reincorporated into South Africa and millions of
people became South Africans again. Because of high unemployment rate many
people started flocking to the inner cities in the hope of finding employment. With no formal education or training many
people were not employable and with no money or income they had to find a place
to stay. People did what they felt would
work for them and that was to find an open piece of land and to build a rough
structure in the form of the house.
Today squatter camps are all over the country as people
succumb to the socio economic climate of the time. It is normally the poorest of the poorest who
live in squatter camps. Squatter camps are besotted with all kinds of problems,
roughly put-up buildings next to one another with no space in between the
homes, rough and inaccessible roads, rude and lewd behavior, robberies are
common occurrences. It is not only
