Sheepishly we park our conspicuously shiny car at the entrance of the white squatter camp in Krugersdorp and head for Irene’s shack – “head-office” for this overlooked community. It’s our second trip to the informal settlement and this time we come bearing potatoes and awkward smiles.
Irene, with her bleached hair and hardened soul, fails to flinch at our discomfort or acknowledge our downcast eyes. Instead she beckons us into her makeshift home to observe her newly assembled shrine, dedicated to the athletic achievements of her talented 14-year-old daughter. Excitedly she tells us of the possible opportunity for her to compete overseas – no small feat considering that her training regime consists of running barefoot around the desolate park she calls home.
The informal settlement in the corner of Coronation Park is currently home to 248 poor white South Africans (77 of whom are children). Shacks, tents, caravans and containers huddle close to one another on the grassy outskirts of this government-owned land.
Irene gushes like a proud mother for a couple of minutes before getting down to business. She knows what we are here for even though our ‘bribe’ came in the form of well-meaning carbohydrates. The people at the squatter camp have been exposed to their fair share of media types and journos, all looking for their slice of the story or the award-winning shot. The wary and accusing eyes that follow our movements around the park tell stories of exploitation and mistrust, an unavoidable by-product of being used as mannequins in the storefront of white poverty.
[For the rest of the article click Link Below]
South Africa Today – South Africa News
