THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING , NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 Issue 1

The Fuller Center for Housing Western Cape, South Africa Newsletter November 2015

BUILDING OUR FIRST WENDY HOUSE IN IN THIS NOVEMBER, 2015 ISSUE REGISTERED AS A NON PROFIT COMPANY FOR BACKYARD DWELLERS, CAPE NPC REGISTRATION: 2014/007443/08 TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Why we selected the townships of situated in CENTRAL CAPE CONTENTS to launch our building TOWN, were forcibly removed Why Fuller Center for Housing Western program for the Fuller Center for from Cape Town by the previous Cape (FCHWC) selected the townships of Housing Western Cape government and were Cape Town – p 1

dumped onto the sand dunes of A short history of Bonteheuwel – p 2 The Fuller Center for Housing several townships on the outskirts of Cape Town. The scourge of rampant crime in townships Western Cape started its work in like Bonteheuwel – p 3 2014 and we selected townships A cooperative policy by the City of Cape like Bonteheuwel, Wes bank and Town to provide Backyard dwellers in Delft for very good reasons. townships throughout Cape Town with basic services – p 4

Our building program in Cape Town – p 5

Our first 9 phases – p 5

Why we use Fibre cement cladding – p 7

The scourge of rampant crime in townships like Bonteheuwel – p 3 Luke Staniland,” aptly describes the socio economic conditions in his Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment Firstly, many of us, who lived in of the PhD at University of before, which was Edinburgh in 2011: THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 2 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

Town to work as domestic workers in the homes of wealthy whites and in the city’s restaurants and hotels, as plumbers and construction workers in the city’s building sites, and as factory workers in the light industry of Epping

Industrial Estate that bordered the township to the North.” Thus the researcher Staniland

A short history of Bonteheuwel

“Bonteheuwel was the first ‘coloured’, state rental township, to house people being forcibly removed under the group areas act. People from the recently declared white areas such as Claremont and District 6 moved alongside people from the many coloured squatter communities that dotted the city at this time.

Thus were created the now wrote: notoriously known crime infested townships of Cape Town, such as “With only three roads in and out Bonteheuwel, , Elsies of the township Bonteheuwel was built around a central shopping River, Lavender Hill, , and many others. area and had three secondary The housing that greeted them schools, Arcadia High, when they arrived was simple, Modderdam High and single storey matchbox housing Bonteheuwel High. In 1980 it had with asbestos roofs, although the The Fuller Center for Housing a population of around 45,000, of township was electrified and Western Cape (FCHWC) has which nearly half was aged 18 or plumbed. identified Bonteheuwel as a key under, and an unemployment area where housing is of a critical rate of around 6%. need. When the township was created in 1960, it was sparsely populated, but now it is critically overcrowded with hundreds of backyard dwellers living in appalling conditions.

From these simple homes workers commuted into Cape THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 3 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

As the population expanded duplex houses were built in the 1970s in the backyards of existing homes, although overcrowding and poverty was still rife. Interestingly, unlike other coloured townships where large numbers of flats were built Bonteheuwel remained a low rise township of individual houses.” The Founding President and CEO of FCHWC grew up in Bonteheuwel. He lived there from 8 years old, until he got married at age 26. Many bright, talented young people who grew up in gangsterism, crime and drug Bonteheuwel, and who attended addiction mushroomed in those any of the three high schools, areas and many of these formerly Bonteheuwel High, Acadia High ‘coloured’ townships are now School or Modderdam High controlled by drug lords and gang School, have done well for leaders. themselves, and have moved on to live in more affluent areas. When the CEO of FCHWC started his church in Bonteheuwel, he The sad thing is that the new After the demise of structural frequented the township on a generations growing up in these apartheid in South Africa, all regular basis, and it was during townships, are growing up in a former ‘white’ areas became his daily visits to Bonteheuwel much more violent community. available to all the citizens of the that he once again became aware Just recently, on June 7, 2015, two country, as well as to foreigners of the struggles of the backyard young people, in the prime of throughout the world. dwellers in Cape Town. their youth, was shot and killed in This resulted in most successful All families in townships like Bonteheuwel. people leaving the townships like Bonteheuwel have children who Bonteheuwel and moving into qualified themselves at colleges, areas with better facilities (i.e. technical schools and universities, former white areas; the natural and who are great role models for process of upward social the children of these townships. mobility). But they are no longer present A scourge of rampant crime in and have moved on with their Bonteheuwel lives. News 24 had the following report on the incident: Those who stayed behind did not have sufficient positive role “Cape Town – Two teenage boys models; with the result have been killed in a flare-up of THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 4 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

gang violence in Bonteheuwel in Our own research (read our the Western Cape, community extensive research report on this) forum members said on Sunday. indicates that the amount of average income families looking “There were two killings on Friday for decent, affordable homes in night… definitely related to gang Cape Town are closer to 500,000 violence,” Bonteheuwel Joint and the numbers are increasing Peace Forum member Soraya daily. Many back yard families do Salie told News24. not even bother to apply to the We want to make an impact and for a council She said one of the boys who had to create a positive presence. We house, because they know that been killed was aged 16 and the want to contribute to improving people wait as long as twenty other 17. The older teenager had the living conditions of Cape years to receive a dwelling from been shot 14 times. Town townships and the City Council, hence the communities like Bonteheuwel. Salie said the situation in mushrooming of back yard Bonteheuwel over the weekend One of our greatest challenges in dwellings in townships and had been “very tense”. Cape Town, is the lack of land for squatter camps throughout Cape Town. On Saturday, the funeral of one housing. Even the governing of the teens, as well as those of authorities of the City of Cape three alleged gang members, had Town had to accept the ‘illegal’ taken place. mushrooming of informal dwellings in the backyards of the However, Salie said there had existing families. been a very strong police presence over the last few days, with raids taking place and helicopters flying overhead. Salie said that the community

feared the upcoming Youth Day Building our first ‘wendy’ wood public holiday. framed house in Bonteheuwel

“Four youths were killed last year. Of particular concern for the FCHWC We don’t want a repeat.” The official website of the City of was the back yard dwellers living in Cape Town indicates that there Cape Town townships. Meanwhile, Salie said that a 13- “are approximately 280 000 The researcher Staniland writes: year-old girl who had been shot in applicants (for housing) on the the face when rival gangs opened database, although this figure “The back yards of many formal fire on Thursday, was recovering. fluctuates daily”. houses house people living in shacks The child was apparently hit by a made of corrugated iron and wood. stray bullet while walking down Democratization also brought with it the street.” an explosion of crime as, particularly in the late 1990s, gangsterism took a It is within this atmosphere and deep hold on the community and led within these conditions that the to many deaths. Drug abuse and FCHWC is rolling out its alcoholism are also commonplace developmental program in and the coming of crystal meth to the Bonteheuwel. THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 5 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

Cape Flats was a particular concern On Wednesday, Mayor Patricia de whilst I was conducting my Lille conducted an inspection of fieldwork.” backyard dwellings in Parkwood as part of the city’s project aimed at Our intervention in townships like improving basic services for 483 Bonteheuwel, is the realization that families in the area. the challenge of informal dwellings in townships are not going to disappear “We use the same infrastructure, the overnight. same water meter. We connect three more people to the same meter with By providing these basic amenities It is a problem that has been created their own card that they can buy their for backyard dwellers, these families more than 50 years ago by the own water with. With that they also realize that such concessions are not previous regime; it has been qualify for the free 450 litres of water necessarily legitimizing informal inherited by the present provincial a day; they also qualify for the free 60 structures in backyards by the City governments, and will still probably kilowatts of electricity,” she said. Council, but it is a concession made be around for the next 50 years or due to a caring, humanitarian even longer. Parkwood resident Debora Coll told the Cape Argus that she was excited approach to alleviating the suffering Our response to the problem is: when the city fitted her structure of homeless people who are on the “What can we do as the FCHWC with with an electricity meter.” waiting list of the City Council for a our limited resources to alleviate the fully approved council home. suffering of underserved families? Our building program in Cape Town starting in Bonteheuwel, We cannot save the world, but we Wesbank and Delft can do something for at least one The FCHWC used the following family each month. phases to build its first ‘wendy’ We can start small and build one wooden framed one bedroom house decent, affordable, well-structured in Bonteheuwel: backyard dwelling that is safe and fire Our first 9 Phases proof, using fiber cement cladding for The FCHWC commends Councillor Phase 1: A needy family was selected the outside of the building to protect Ernest Sonnenberg and the City of based on the criteria decided by the families against the harsh winters of Cape Town for accepting the reality Board of directors of the FCHWC; the Western Cape and to ensure that of backyard dwellers and for creating no candles are used which cause fires a policy to provide them with basic in squatter camps. services such as electricity, water and A cooperative policy by the City sanitation. of Cape Town to provide Backyard Many councils throughout South dwellers in townships throughout Africa ignore the reality of backyard Cape Town with basic services dwellers and refuse to provide services in fear of lending legitimacy to backyard structures that have not On June 19, 2015, IOL News reported been formally approved by the Phase 2: An agreement is drawn up that: “Cape Town - Nearly 500 Council. families living in backyard dwellings between the family and the FCHWC, in Parkwood will benefit from a R23.4 This ostrich mentality creates more whereby FCHWC commits itself to million investment by the City of hardships for families that are provide the material and technical Cape Town into services such as struggling with the basic need for guidance to construct the ‘wendy’ electricity, water and sanitation. shelter. house and the family members agree THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 6 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

to commit their time (sweat equity) Phase 4: The building site is marked to complete the ‘wendy’; out with profile planks to indicate the size of the ‘wendy’; in this instance of our first home it is an 8 x5 m building (i.e. 40 square meters);

Phase 3: A Project Plan with the plan of the ‘wendy’ house are drawn up and a project and construction manager (who will supervise the building program) is appointed in Phase 5: Involves on the job training consultation with the needy family. of our volunteers when construction starts. We collect all building rubble The Project manager and all other in people’s yards and use it as filling expertise are volunteers (who donate to prepare for the cast of a concrete their time) who have day jobs with slab at least 75mm thick; big construction companies in Cape Town. Phase 6: We order the building material (sand, stone and cement) The building site is then cleaned and and hire a concrete mixer to cast the leveled with the help of FCHWC floor slab under the guidance of the volunteers and family members; construction manager. Several volunteers and people living in the same street come to lend a hand for the day. We do not pay any wages The wooden frames are bolted to the because the success of the project is concrete floor with anchor bolts. based on volunteering. However, the project provides a well cooked meal for every volunteer during lunch break. 80% of project funding is allocated for the cost of building materials. Phase 7: During this phase the outside walls (perimeter) of the ‘wendy’ are built plumb and square with construction timber 38 x 114 x Phase 8: During this phase, we clad 8000; and two sides of 8 meters, and the wooden wall frames with thermal 2 sides of 5 meters. plastic, and the frames are covered with fiber cement boards up to roof height, which is an ideal covering for THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 7 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

protection against the harsh winters Phase 9: The building of roof trusses: of the Western Cape. We are presently busy with this phase. The roof, like the foundational WHY WE USE FIBRE CEMENT slab, is a critical part of the house. CLADDING If the roof is badly built, the entire Fibre cement is a composite material structure will deteriorate quickly. The made of sand, cement and cellulose FCHWC believes it is critical to build a fibres. It is very durable and is ideal to roof that would withstand the high use when a solid colour is required for winds in Cape Town. We will ensure the surface. that the roof is safe, sturdy, and is The ORANGE ANGELS is a well- hurricane resistant. organized group volunteers of builders, general labourers, electricians, plumbers, construction workers, carpenters, on the database of FCHWC and, who mainly, have full time jobs, but who volunteer their labour to the FCHWC, when we call upon them to donate a few hours. They undertake not to bill us for their time donated and from time to time In appearance fibre cement cladding they are willing to train our most often consists of overlapping unemployed volunteers. horizontal boards, imitating wooden Our organizational colours are cladding. In our next newsletter, we will share orange and black and our first T-shirt with your our challenges with and cap was designed by Dawn completing the roof structure, and Green, the volunteer media and the steps taken to finish the rest of promotions head of FCHWC, who is a the house. graphic artist, and who owns Queen Pin Graphics and who is also an We trust God that we will be able to ORANGE ANGEL. Boards are installed from the bottom finish our first house before this of the wall with a 25mm overlap. Christmas. Conclusion: Our building project is not state funded. We rely on private A 40mm Galvanised ring shank nail is funds from our individual donors, used to fasten the board. If fixing churches and international support. close than 25mm form an edge pre- drilling is required. Meet the Orange Angels of the Fuller Center for Housing Western Cape (FCHWC)

SUPPORT OUR PROJECT

We would greatly appreciate a donation from any individual, THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH 8 AFRICA NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015 | Issue 1

company or organization that would Branch Code 200910 like to support our cause. Bank address: This newsletter has been produced Our banking details are: Civic Centre Bellville by the Fuller Center for Housing Western Cape. Bank: First National Bank P O Box 127 Address: 26 Bree Street, Peerless Name of Account: The Fuller Housing Sanlamhof 7532 Center Western Cape Park East, , Cape Town, All donations will be acknowledged. South Africa. Business Account #: 62504435290 Phone: +27 21 987 8639