Not Without a Fight: The Battle for Affordable Housing in Cape Town

This article focuses on the cost of affordability of housing in mainly Cape Town but also across South Africa. The harsh contrasts between the shacks and the mansions are ones that many don’t seem to pay attention to, especially the tourist that go to South Africa for its wineries, beaches, mountains, etc. This African Utopia, however, costs the average Capetownian three times the average salary simply to buy a home in the city.

With the market prices constantly rising, many middle-class residents, including some of  Nyasha Kadandara’s friends, struggle to survive, with some even finding themselves homeless. Their “Reclaim the City,” movement is a political one dedicated to fighting for affordable housing, turning an abandoned wing of Woodstock Hospital into a habitable space for families and individuals. Explaining how these individuals, gathered in the Cissie Gool House, Cape Town’s “Joan of Arc,” as part of this political movement, could fight for themselves and against the injustices of the housing system.

Laundry Day – Shaneekah Abdullah washes he children’s clothes in one of the washrooms in Cissie Gool House. PHOTO: Nyasha Kadandara. Used with permission.

This article is targeted not only towards an educated and interested audience, but also towards individuals that simply may not understand or acknowledge the existence of this issue. The author uses multiple modes of persuasion to appeal to its audience. From sharing viewpoints from individuals like Shaneeka Abdullah, who was evicted from her previous apartment by her landlady and stranded in her car with her family for three nights before discovering “Reclaim the City.” To individuals like Jennifer Williams, a 58-year-old woman, who has been waiting for a house for over 30 years and has been lost and seemingly forgotten in the national housing database.

The use of media/imagery as an appeal to pathos, all while using the different testimonials/stories to appeal to the ethos and logos of the reader, makes the article very effective and informative. However, although effective, this article only shares the struggles or stories of individuals negatively affected by the housing system in South Africa and not of the few who may be thriving in it, which could be considered a one-sided story.

Citation:

Kadandara, Nyasha. “Not Without a Fight: The Battle for Affordable Housing in Cape Town · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 16 Oct. 2017, globalvoices.org/2017/10/15/not-without-a-fight-the-struggle-for-affordable-housing-in-cape-town/.