Blikkiesdorp

Blikkiesdorp gives glimpses of the rough realities in a newly built government housing settlement near Cape Town’s airport. Remote, exposed to the elements, hazardous: no one really chooses to live there. People living in town were forcefully resettled there in 2009, shortly before the 2010 World Cup. They were promised all services, which they didn’t get, and their stay was supposed to be temporary. The camp-like aspect of the place is reinforced by the regular rows of the uniform building structures, the sterile and dusty, sandy environment, the fence surrounding it and the police station surveilling the entrance. Each structure is 2.5 x 6 metres in size. Some have a concrete floor but none of them are equipped with insulation, running water, sink, cooking facilities, or toilets. One toilet must be shared by 4 units. Each unit can host whole families up to 8-10 people.