Saturday, February 24, 2007
Squatters face key South Africa Court Date
The city of Johannesburg has appealed a court decision blocking it from evicting downtown squatters. High Court Judge Mohamed Jajbhay had ruled that the city first had to find alternative accommodation for people being evicted and said the city had a duty - in terms of the constitution - to have a proper housing policy in place before people could be removed. The city claims the buildings the squatters occupy are hazardous and a health threat. The case has now been filed with the Supreme Court of Appeal and could affect squatters in many South African cities. The Star has details.
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Hi Robert
Your articles and talk on TEDTalk on the 'Cities of Tomorrow' is an eye opener for the priveleged...those who blissfully ignore the billions of homeless people on our planet. In South Africa, there are millions of people living in extreme poverty in shanty towns - I'm in the research phase of putting together a plan to build low-cost housing developments in SA using digital fabrication technology and construction automation, hopefully with the help of our government. Care to assist?
Andre:
I'd like to know more. My worry about using the bold new technology you mention is that it will produce houses that, while wonderfully designed, may be too expensive for the very people you seek to help. Are you working with any poor peoples groups that can assess (and perhaps veto) your designs as you move forward?
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