The problem of homelessness as old as the hills.   Call them squatter camps. Shanytowns.    Slums .    Informal settlements.    Shacks.     Ghetto’s.   Its all   the same.   Most of us in the Third World started out there and built ourselves up into better dwellings.     Some end up here after loosing everythting.   Some live like this their whole lives.   I remember as a young boy raining down as cold as ice, the shadows of a man.   a face through a window crying in the night.   Morning just another day.   Happy people pass my way.  I look into their eyes I see you  Jesus. And it makes me realise how much you love us oh Jesus.   You came into this world and gave  without taking.   And I need you today oh Jesus. Yes,  stories of the slums in Rio de Janiero-Brazil, Calcutta in India and the Indian people here in South Africa sending money to alleviate the suffering of the homeless millions.   Here in South Africa sprawling shantytowns and very little help.     Government policy to humiliate and dehumanise especially the African Indigenous populous,  thus making their lives unbearable and impossible.      People like Mother Theresa the Albanian nun, who worked tirelessly to help the starving millions of Calcutta.   whole families as well as abandoned babies.   Street kids in Brazil, India and even here in South Africa,  a problem that is going to remain till the end of time,  all adding to the problem of homelessness.   The late Princess of Wales-Lady Dianna Spencer.    Highlighted the plight of the poor and marginalised and trying to organise as much donor aid as possible.    Their human condition one of abject misery and total poverty.   Many philanthropists joining in the fray to raise funds for these poor and destitute. In South Africa too,  we had our fair share of problems too especially the Group Areas Act,  forced evictions and separate development.   Different race groups allocated different areas of the country for their development.   Uprooting communities that lived in certain areas for centuries.   People being relocated repeatedly.   Areas becoming affected daily and zoned for some or other development.   The rich in a certain race group able to live in posh houses in exclusive suburbs.   Whilst others of the same race group had to do with corporation or community development homes provided by the government.   Others too proud to accept, chose rather to pay heavy rents for flats or homes until they can buy their own.   And then in striking contrast the poor African Indigenous people relocated to areas as far as possible from their work.   Living in squalor.   poor housing, roads.   Sometimes no water, electricity. communication lines.   Pit latrines which must be shared.   Virtually no infrastructure.   Such was the plight of the African people but they never complained.   But God did they protest.    Yes they were tenacious.   The townships were on fire.   We couldn’t go in because there was always a state of emergency.   Police escourt required.   The images that came out were mostly censored.   All the world could do  was stand by and watch helplessly.   It was government policy and no one was going to be able to go in and change the plight of the people.   So the people settled under this deplorable condition for shacks in shantytowns.  and the governement let them be.   To protest was treasonable. With the advent of democracy on the 27-04-1994, saw the dawning of a new era.   Yes the late then minister of housing able to deliver his promise of a 1 000 000 houses within a certain time frame.      There was much jubilation and celebration.   They ululated throughout the night.   And rightly so.   The days of protests were a thing of the past.   Today there is a burgeoning housing crisis and the new minister of human settlements as it is now called, has a mammoth and monumental task on hand.    He has to get rid of corruption, tender rigging, poor quality homes, low budgets, rising costs and an ever increasing demand for housing.   Yes we have a very affluent nation and they all want the houses promised by governement.   Few are fortunante to buy the “house that jack built”.    yes the Europeans lived in suburbs and the Non Europeans lived in townships.     Of course once again demand outstrips supply.   This housing crisis is a global problem and in our South Africa people are still fussy as to who their neighbours are. Of course what makes matters worse is the ever increasing global financial crisis which is putting many people out of work.   Repossessions are the order of the day.   Inability to pay the rent.    Thank goodness for the new law whereby you cannot be evicted simply for nonpayment of rent because you lost your job.   You stay and pay what you can until you back on your feet.   Or there is a period of grace.   Other cases  whole families loose everything and end up on the street homeless. They join the millions who were promised homes and are on a waiting list with nowhere to stay.   They either can’t afford elsewhere or are too proud to rent.   So they form groups and move in onto vacant land preferably at night and begin squatting illegally.   Any land- government or private owned.   If you in a posh suburb  and are used to comfortable living don’t be surprised in the morning to find a squatter camp next door to you.   It’s got most residents in an uproar.   There is no infrastructure for the squatters and the fear of disease is particularly worrying.     Also crime could spiral and unsavoury elements could hide in these sprawling informal settlements.   Most of the time these cases go to court as tenants are rarely evicted peacefully.   These people live under the constant threat of harassment and demolition.   Trying to evict them yourselves will be risking your own lives. Well the stark reality of township life is right on our doorstep and it’s not a pretty sight.   In the past it was confined to the townships.   Now as we say in South Africa:” THERE’S A ZULU OP MY STOEP.”   and clearly that just won’t do.   “ONS MOET A PLAN MAAK”   translation “We the rich must make a plan like we always do whenever something bugs us. To be continued….