SOUTH AFRICA LOW COST HOUSING FOR WHITE FAMILY

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(2 Mar 1999) Eng/Afrikaans/Nat • • South Africa's government is faced with providing housing for (m) millions of homeless citizens. • • Most of these are black. • • But for the first time in it's five-year history Mandela's administration gave low-cost housing to a white family. • • The impoverishment of whites is on the increase since the disappearance of apartheid laws that artificially held them in privileged positions. • • National Housing Minister Sanki Mthembi-Mahanyele has given former bricklayer Harry Swanepoel the keys to his new home. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • For the first time through the single units, we are able to accommodate people on a nonracial basis. You know, we've get the Swanepoels and 29 other families. And secondly it is important in the sense that people will begin to see that we are just not making statements when we say we are deracialising society. But we are actually practically making sure that our people begin to mix. • SUPER CAPTION: Sanki Mthembi-Mahanyele, South Africa's Minister of Housing • • The plain brick dwelling is nestled in amongst similar low cost houses occupied by poor blacks. • • SOUNDBITE: (Afrikaans) • As I say I am very happy that I've got this little house. I am very content and they are very happy with me and I am very happy with them. All my neighbours are very happy with me. I'm very content. • SUPER CAPTION: Harry Swanepoel • • Swanepoel and his family are among 30 white families who have bought homes in the 2,338-unit housing project east of Johannesburg. • • For their 2 thousand 5 hundred U-S dollar government subsidy the Swanepoels received a 30 square metre single-room house with precast concrete walls and a tin roof. • • There is water, a toilet and a basin in the little kitchen. • • Electricity will be added later. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • More and more of the white folk are experiencing hardship: unemployment, retrenchment and what once used to be something that was unheard of, today we have a lot of people in this area who live in homes without electricity. They can't afford event to have lights switched on in their houses and there is very many people in our vicinity who don't know what it is to be assured of one good meal a day. • SUPER CAPTION: Pastor Roy Saunders • • Gertruida Bezuidenhout and her husband came to Resthaven Place of Refuge in December after he lost his job and they had to leave the house they were renting. • • She described the anguish they experienced before they were taken in by the church-run home. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • I said to him 'Where are we going to? I can't live like this. We are getting old now. What's going to happen to us?' And he told me there must be a way out. • SUPER CAPTION: Gertruida Bezuidenhout,Resident of Resthaven • • Harry Lambert spent four years at Resthaven after losing his job. • • The former chef is now the home's Catering Manager. • • Most of the residents are white, given its location in a traditionally white suburb. • • But the management tries to help all destitute people no matter what their colour. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • They come in absolutely destitute and we go out of our way to put a roof over their heads, give them a bed to sleep in and three square meals a day. • SUPER CAPTION: Harry Lambert/Resthaven Catering Manager • • Resthaven residents do whatever they can to raise money to help the home, like collecting newspaper and tin cans for recycling. • • But most of the home's finances come from the money made from woodwork done by residents. • • Egg trays, spice racks and sets of trays are made in the home's workshop and sold to the public at large. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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