10 July 2020
Day 106 Lockdown: Masiphumelele’s ills stem from it being grossly overcrowded. Many years ago adjacent ground was purchased by the City of Cape Town for “future development”. People were violently removed from settling there several times, but all the residents of Site 5 have to show for it are the scars (and a fire station and a taxi rank). Environmental officials, human rights organisations, even the Public Protector have spoken out about the inhumane living conditions, but to no avail. When you tell the people in the photo that they cannot live there, it’s crazy, the response is simple: We know, we don’t want to, where else can we go?