Thousands Protest Over Poor Housing Conditions

Township residents in Soweto are protesting over their living conditions, barricading roads and demanding better housing options. More than 1,000 Sowetans participated in the recent protests, which many say are exacerbated by the country's large World Cup-related expenditures.

The protests have spread. This week, they reached Pretoria where demonstrators demanding better housing, schools, roads and sewage systems threatened to disrupt the World Cup.

Nthamaga Kgafela, a researcher at the independent South African Institute for Race Relations, said the protests had escalated since the election last year of President Jacob Zuma, whose pro-poor image had raised hopes of change.

Protests spread ahead of World Cup
Independent Online
March 10, 2010