Empty out office blocks for the homeless
REPETITIVE articles in Cape Town media: (a) Transportation (b) Affordable accommodation in city centre (c) The distance between home and work of displaced persons of colour.
All of these subtitles can easily be expanded into various other relative challenges. Let us be honest, the municipality has no clue or will to change the situation, so we the ratepayers must think for them and then apply force or we will remain in our starting blocks. Transportation is deteriorating instead of improving, so just park getting people to work, but take the work to them.
How? We are constantly bombarded with various means of marketing, the banks, chain stores etc. Right. Who is their target market? No need to answer that. Where is the bulk of their income generated? There is only one answer and that is the displaced persons who work for them and battle to get to work. Oh yes, they have a branch on your doorstep to rope in your business, but what about the palatial head offices? That is where the up-and-coming educated disadvantaged are employed and battle to get to on time.
Here comes my proposal. Big business should move their HQ’s or regional offices and warehouses to the people. In this way, buildings in the city centre and surrounds can be converted into living units. We will not only eliminate the travelling of the poor, but at the same time balance out some of the past injustices. Yes, the haves will see what happens on the other side. This process will kick-start many other developments closer to the people eg. hotels will be required for business persons and tourism and pounds will at last reach the people. The people will be able to share in the lucrative tourist industry.
Now obviously this cannot happen overnight and I am not saying we empty the city, but if you feed off black money then surely they must be factored in. And the first to lead the move? How about the municipal buildings in the city centre and their utility services office blocks or large stores like in Ndabeni? After all, it belongs to us.