Housing policy biased against the poor, preventing full integration
POLITICAL discourse makes us aware that the national government ostensibly aims to bring about integration, equally, in all areas.
Unlike the mandate of the national government, the DA – as evinced in its actions – concentrates much of its political influence on overcrowding “coloured” populated areas by suffocating them with underdeveloped, low-cost housing 940m² in size – rather small.
The problem, however, stems from the fact that the DA will not advocate for such low-cost, underdeveloped houses to be built in white, upmarket areas such as Sea Point and Camps Bay.
In retrospect, the DA creates opportunities for “affordable housing” in the aforementioned areas.
The question to be posed, however, is: “To whom are those houses affordable?”
Since it can be deduced that the houses built are not affordable to the masses – people of colour –integration fails to manifest.
Another problem we have with the low-cost housing built by the DA is that they are erected between bonded houses – without consulting the homeowners. Is the DA practising democracy in Blue Downs?
Furthermore, the councillor of Blue Downs (Ward 17) also fails to deliver as per the manifesto of the DA. In segments of political theory, it is believed that in order to gain strength and influence for any movement or uprising, the peasants, the low-class people, should be targeted and given a place in the movement because they might not have much to lose.
This is exactly what the councillor is doing. She invests much of her attention on non-ratepayers – perhaps not for an uprising, but to ensure votes.
What a tactic. Moreover, this tactic, or action adopted by the councillor, is divisive in nature, turning non-ratepayers against ratepayers.
Lastly, after experiencing years of such poor service delivery in our community, under the leadership of the DA, we would like to highlight that the DA is at stake of not receiving many votes of citizens for the upcoming elections. We will further encourage such a movement. Jenny van Rooi Blue Downs