The White Slums Reggie Yates's Extreme South Africa

'South Africa, the continent's biggest success story

'and one of the most stunning countries in the world.'

Just being a tourist, don't judge me.

I'm way too cool for things like that.

'But this country has a very dark past.

'As a black man, I wouldn't have even been allowed to set foot

'on this very beach just 20 years ago.'

This programme contains some strong language

'For over a century, a white supremacist government

'controlled the nation and brutally oppressed black people.'

They've got no education, they've only just come down from the trees.

'This system of racial separation was called apartheid, and was

'only abolished in 1994 when Nelson Mandela and the ANC came to power.'

Today marks the dawn of our freedom.

There has been such extreme levels of segregation here,

and knowing that that ended only two decades ago, I'm desperate

to see how that has changed the lives of people just like me.

If at all.

'Poverty is rife here,

'and today people talk of a new underclass emerging.

'It's not black people...' That's the way to do it.

'..but white.'

I can't imagine anything worse than waking up in there.

We are going to take that belongs to us!

'With years of hatred to overcome...'

'..and both sides still playing the race card...'

Most white people learned black people the things they know today.

'I want to find out what life is like

'for the young white South Africans...'

Some of them are really racist.

'..who think they are now bottom of the pile...'

It's not a place to live here, not for the children.

If you are black, you're better off.

If I was a white guy, that would piss me off!

'..and discover whether the nation will ever move on

'from its tortured past.'

Stupid man! We will never agree! Never!

That's why the world is BLEEP up!

'Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city.

'20 years on from apartheid, some people claim that this country

'is still governed by racist policies.

'Only this time, they say it's white people, not black people,

'being oppressed.'

What the white experience of Africa is, for me,

is really, really intriguing.

Some people believe, since the ANC came into power,

there's been a flip because all of the opportunities have been afforded

to the black people, and the white people are now second class citizens

and are being neglected.

But that can't be the case, surely.

'On the edge of the city lies a notorious camp called

'Coronation Park, a place where some of the

'hardest hit white South Africans have made their home.'

Coronation Park fills me with a little bit of apprehension,

and that apprehension is based on the way that they may take me,

the way they may receive me, and the way they may judge me

straight away because I'm a privileged young black man.

It's made me a little bit more nervous thinking about it.

'During apartheid, Coronation Park was a picnic place for white

'middle class families, but it's become something very different...'

This is it.

'..a permanent home for a white underclass.'

DOG BARKS

It's a camp in the middle of a park.

They're living in a rough trailer park.

In the UK you sort of get used to seeing images of young black kids

in poverty and I've never seen those same images but with white children.

I'm really thrown by that, it's...

'Outsiders aren't generally welcome.

'All new arrivals need permission to be here from the camp leader Irene,

'who's lived here for eight years.

'She's agreed to let me stay.'

To see white people in South Africa barefoot,

-in a settlement in a park, that's blowing my mind.

-Yeah.

Because that is not what we see, you know, across the pond.

I mean, we don't see that in Europe. What's the common thread?

What normally brings people here?

I don't know, I think because they've lost everything.

There's no jobs for the white people.

That, understand, means I'm not racist, or...

There's no jobs for our white people.

You're one pay cheque away from this place,

cos something can happen to you and you will end up here.

DOG BARKS

The settlement sort of stretches all the way down.

Can we have a little look? D'you mind taking me around?

Yeah, sure, I will take you around and you can take...

Coronation Park, it's like a white squat again.

It's like, you can stay here and we will look after you.

Do they build their own shacks? Do they have to pay to be here?

-No, they don't pay to be here.

-That's literally a shed.

-Does someone live in this?

-In the back of it, yeah.

Wow. How many people are there in Coronation Park?

Er, 287.

-Hello!

-Hello.

We are running on generators, we haven't got power yet.

'With no proper sanitation

'and dozens of stray animals roaming around, health is a real concern.

'The government has repeatedly tried to shut the camp down,

'and people are forced to do whatever they can to survive.'

So, I found out that these donkeys, which are boilers,

they fill it with water, they heat it underneath it or whatever,

and then it feeds hot water into the...

..into the house.

Which is kind of genius, really.

'The camp is expanding as new people arrive all the time.'

-How you doing, I'm Reggie. What's your name?

-JD.

'27-year-old artist JD turned up last month with his mum,

'two kids and pregnant wife.'

That's absolutely beautiful.

That's what I do, I travel the whole country painting

-and drawing all over the place.

-So where have you come from?

Originally from Cape Town.

How have you ended up here in Coronation Park?

I've been hit by life, you know?

Hit to my knees.

You know, it's difficult for white folks these days, it really is.

We don't have the ball in our court anymore, and we are not

the chosen ones, if you want to put it that way, and it's the truth.

'Most white South Africans are descended from Dutch settlers

'and called Afrikaans.'

'During apartheid, they saw themselves as a superior race...'

We cannot mix with the lower nations unless

they are cultivated and educated and so on.

'..given the best houses, jobs and education,

'creating a super-wealthy white elite.'

The policy of white supremacy ultimately means

the denial of all civil and human rights

to the Africans in the white areas.

'In 1990, everything changed.

'The leader of the black resistance, Nelson Mandela,

'was released from prison.'

I cherish the ideal of a new South Africa

where all South Africans are equal.

'By '94, the ANC won the first free elections

'the country had ever seen.'

The people of South Africa have spoken in this election.

They want change,

and change is what they will get.

'And white Afrikaners lost their privileged position.'

'While over 50% of privately held assets here

'are still owned by the white minority...

'..Afrikaner charities believe a new underclass has formed.

'Estimates vary wildly,

'but these charities claim up to 400,000 white people

'may have fallen below the poverty line,

'with many living in settlements just like this one.'

-Where shall I put my tent? Where's a good place to pitch up?

-There.

What d'you mean "there?!" I'm not going to put it on that ash!

-Will you guys help me put up my tent?

-Yeah.

Come on, then, what are we doing? There we go.

All right, let's peg this up. I've only stayed in a tent once before.

And, erm, while I was making it

I wasn't getting whipped in the arse by some kid called Winston!

-When d'you do this?

-Look, look, look! Hey!

-Jesus Christ!

'Nearly a third of all the people living here are under 16.

'I'm not sure how the future looks for teenagers like Winston.'

D'you think you'll always live here?

Do you want to move out of here?

Why?

Really? So, if you do move out of here

and people ask you where you grew up,

when you're older, when you're my age,

are you going to say Coronation Park?

Are you going to look after me

and give me some sandwiches and tea before bed?

Can I help out?

'After dark, more young people flood into the camp.

'As well as child benefits, many residents survive on handouts,

'including hot drinks and sandwiches given out three nights a week.'

You ask them how much coffee they want.

Coffee or tea?

How you been, man? You had a good day? What you been doing?

Drinking today?

Hey, evening!

I didn't think about what the rain would do here.

'Unemployment here is very high.

'One person who does have a steady job is Irene's son, Harry.

'He works as a welder.'

-Hey, Harry!

-Hey, how are you?

I'm good, thank you, man. I've not met you before, I'm Reggie, hello.

-I'm Ursula.

-Hello, lovely to meet you.

-Is that your wedding pictures I can see?

-Yeah.

-Scrub up well, don't he?

-Yeah.

-He looks good in a suit. Flowers from the wedding day?

-Yeah.

-You've still got them.

-I don't want to throw them away!

-Yeah, right!

How did you and your husband meet? What was his chat-up line?

-I can't remember!

-Yes, you can! Come on, you know what he said.

-What did he say to you?

-He wanted to come drink coffee.

-It was coffee?

-Yeah.

-Smooth operator.

'Despite Harry working, his wage isn't enough to cover

'rent for a proper house for his wife and three kids.'

Just how difficult is it to raise a small child in a place like this?

It is difficult because the generator is on,

but when you sleep at night and he wakes up, the generator isn't on,

then you must struggle to get light and whatsoever.

And there isn't always hot water

because you must make fire to get hot water.

So, yeah, that's a problem.

Do you worry about, erm, how healthy a situation it is for him,

because I imagine it's probably quite easy for him to get ill?

This place is dirty, you know.

-We've got the sewerage drain, er, right behind the wall here.

-Mm.

When it's full, it comes out and that, that smell stays here,

-it makes us sick...

-Yeah.

..quickly, especially with the small one and Xander,

they get sick fast, you know?

It's not a place to live here, not for the children.

Can't live here anymore.

I tried my best from the start.

I was working since I was 16, you know?

Erm, and from then, I just tried, you know,

build up my education and try to be what I am.

You look quite emotional.

Oh, yes, when it come to my kids and my wife, yeah.

What is it about your family that makes you so emotional?

Er, I think it's because, er, I know I try hard, you know?

Er, maybe I don't try hard enough.

I don't know, but to see them suffer like this, it, it makes me...

Do you think your children are suffering?

Erm, well, they don't have the life, what I want for them,

you know, and I think that, for them, is suffering, you know?

The harsh reality of being at the bottom of the ladder out here

is that that can happen to you.

This is it for them.

It'll kind of keep you awake, won't it?

REGGIE SIGHS

-Wake up!

-Wake up!

-Oh, God!

-Wake up.

-Wake up.

-What's wrong with you lot?

Come out!

-And do what?

-We'll play cricket.

-Play cricket?!

You don't need your fingers!

Ah, come on, bro!

That's the way to do it.

You're going to go home smelling like smoke...

I can live with that so long as I'm warm.

What was your first night like here?

Terrible, cos it felt like there's

a bunch of serial killers standing around.

I'm really glad I asked you this question after my first night.

'Sleeping here as a grown man is one thing, but in a few months,

'JD will have a newborn baby to share his tent with.'

How does it feel knowing that your newborn will be brought here?

Talking to Irene and them, they all know about the baby coming.

And I know, in my heart, it will be OK, cos they're going to help us.

They will help us.

I've heard about it recently, I've read in the papers that the

people around here might qualify for government housing.

-But...

-Why wouldn't you, though? If ever there was anybody

that needed help, particularly with a baby on the way,

I'd have thought that you'd be...

-You'd be perfect for it.

-To me, government housing is a dream.

I don't quite, erm...I don't...

I don't see myself qualifying for a government house.

'Over two million people are waiting for social housing in South Africa,

'so it's no surprise that JD doubts his chances of getting one.

'The wider situation is even more complicated,

'as race still plays a part in some opportunities here.

'I've come to the centre of Joburg to meet an old mate of mine,

'celebrity DJ Sizwe, to get a different perspective.

'What's happening now for young black South Africans?'

-Oh, Reg, what's up?

-How you doing?

-It's been years!

I'm well, thanks, how's it going with you?

I'm really good, man,

I'm glad to be in your neck of the woods, as it were.

-OK, let's go to where you know.

-Take you where the girls are.

You're desperately trying to get me in trouble with my girlfriend.

It's a good start, you know?

'Sizwe is what's known here as a "black diamond",

'a young black guy with a very healthy bank balance.'

-Would people refer to you as a "black diamond"?

-I guess some people would.

I'm a diamond in the rough.

I need some polishing!

'But people like Sizwe are relatively rare.

'Most of the wealth here is still in the hands of the old white masters,

'and they live in lavish gated communities.'

-Is this one property?

-Yeah. The houses, they're just obscene.

There's a huge gap in SA between those that have and those that don't.

Is that why the walls are so high and security's...?

That's why the walls are so high.

-Look, this is barbed wire, there's gates...

-Yeah, electronic fences.

'To try to re-balance wealth and opportunity, the government

'has brought in a policy called affirmative action, AA for short.'

'It's already transformed areas like the courtroom,

'where over 60% of the most senior judges are now black.'

'And the dream is to repeat that across all walks of life.'

In SA, if you are black, you're better off.

-Right now.

-Well, why's that? Because it wasn't the case 20 years ago.

Just cos of everything, man, like,

the odds are stacked in your favour now.

Affirmative action...

If I applied for a job, right,

and a guy my age, same education as me,

applied for the same position, er, but he was white,

I'd get the job, hands down.

I mean, if I was a white guy, that would piss me off!

But you've got to look at it this way, right?

I always use a sports analogy.

If there's been a soccer game going on,

but for the first 45 minutes they've just been cheating,

and then you get to half-time and the score's like, 45-0, right?

And then in half-time, they go,

"OK, wait, wait, we realise we've been cheating,

"we're going to get a fair ref now."

-But they keep the score at 45-0, it's still an unfair game, right?

-Right.

So what you need to do is maybe, er,

nullify the score or give the other team 45 as well.

But does that make it OK?

It doesn't make it OK, but it makes it understandable.

There's Joe's. Let's eat.

Thank you, brother, you all right?

Talking to Sizwe in the car,

you know, one of the things that kept coming up

was the swing of power,

and the white people feeling marginalised

and feeling that they don't get the opportunities anymore.

Reverse racism, I guess.

It's a very different time now, and if you're black you will get

opportunities in a way that you never used to.

'I've grown up thinking equality is about treating everyone the same.

'But here, things are different. Without extra help,

'Sizwe and his friends might have been left behind for years to come.'

'In Coronation Park,

'handouts from charity have become part of everyday life.

'The parents have pulled together to run a nursery.

Most of the toys and equipment are donations.'

Hello, guys. What are you doing? What's all this about?

Well, we're representatives from our group on campus

at the University of Pretoria, called AfriForum Youth.

Bringing some food, some toys...

-Toothpaste.

-And lots of toothpaste.

It's a bunch of the stuff that people take for granted,

but these people, they don't have it,

they don't have the opportunities, they don't have the money to buy it.

Yeah. Thank you.

Hello!

'AfriForum is a right wing political pressure group

'fighting for white rights.'

Why d'you think there's more and more people

struggling in South Africa? White people specifically.

Er, the government has started implementing some policies to,

what they call, adjust the wrongs done in the past.

And they see as the past, er, black people were poor

and white people were rich,

so now they're helping only the black people instead of the white people.

All of two minutes and everything has pretty much gone.

It shows you these people can't even afford

the most basic stuff, that we take for granted.

So you believe the white people are essentially discriminated against?

For me, personally, I would say so, yes.

Would you put it down to something as simple as reverse racism?

It is, it is. It is just reverse from what happened in the past.

It's definitely a struggle for young white people in South Africa,

but in terms of the history for black people in South Africa...

-Yes, yes, mm...

-..it's just not that easy to move on.

We're not talking about the past. We're talking about today.

I mean, this is real.

This is seriously real, this is what's happening now.

And we need to address that.

It's no longer about black and white in this country.

There's poor people from each racial group, there's a lot of them.

We've passed that.

'If I was white, I'd want to move on from my dark history too,

'but white South Africans weren't the ones being brutally oppressed.'

'Until the '90s, on these very streets, the ruling whites,

'or Boers, treated black people as little better than animals.'

I don't like apartheid because in apartheid Europeans go up

and Africans go down.

'They were forcibly removed from their homes to live together

'in massive ring-fenced compounds, which later grew into townships.'

-I don't like it.

-Why do you live there, then?

Because they said we have to.

'Made to work the most menial jobs, denied a vote, basic rights,

'or even the opportunity to walk the streets freely.'

All movements of the black man are controlled, the white man need

not carry his card, but if the black man does not, he is arrested.

'Everything was ruthlessly enforced by the white regime.'

'I want to find out what it was like

'living under white rule on these streets.'

'So I've come to meet 28-year-old Colin.

'He grew up in Alexandria, a township still full of black people,

'many living in poverty.'

As a kid, you were actually, I guess, old enough at seven or eight

-to remember...

-Between that age, yes.

Yeah, to remember some of the things that happened during apartheid.

What sticks out in your mind during that era?

I remember when we called them the "mellow yellow vans",

it was the police state vans.

Immediately, you'd see that yellow van,

you knew you had to run to save your life

because you never knew what would be predicted

from the police or the state police.

Cos at times they would just literally stop to beat you up

or not want you to congregate in the streets in groups.

And even today, you know, police are not the most likeable

people in the townships, for that matter.

People see the police van, they see their enemy.

In the mind of somebody like myself from the UK, when we think

of segregation, the first thing that comes to mind is the US in the '60s

and the struggles of black people in America.

-But this was going on in the '90s!

-In the '90s, yes, I mean...

It's so hard to get your head around, that's unbelievable.

I mean, the last time it happened, it is 1994, which sounds like yesterday.

'Black people who broke the apartheid laws were sent to

'prisons like this one, called the Old Fort.

'Nelson Mandela was incarcerated here whilst awaiting trial.'

The only time you'd find white wardens in this section, it is

when they came to render humiliation towards the black prisoners.

They would perform a strip search dance called the "tausa dance".

Strip search dance? What was the dance?

The dance stipulated you strip naked, you spread your legs,

you spread your arms, clap the hands above the head,

leap in the air making a clicking sound, stretch your legs,

and if no objects had fallen down,

then the authorities would go to the extent of inserting a finger

or a torch inside their rectums to see if there's nothing hidden.

-A torch?

-A torch.

-Men and women?

Men and women, yes.

Wow.

'The most severe punishments were reserved for those who fought

'to change the system.

'These freedom fighters were kept in solitary confinement

'as a warning to others.'

Political leaders were sent here.

It was the most severe form of punishment.

Lying down flat on the ground, you feel like lying down in a grave.

So there weren't beds in here, there weren't desks, there weren't chairs?

There were no beds, no chairs.

They were locked up here for 23 hours

and only released for an hour of the day.

I guess this was where prisoners were chained to.

'It's amazing to think South Africa has gone from official government

'brutality towards black people to affirmative action,

'from just my parents' generation to mine.

There's been so much injustice here that the anger is still so fresh,

and just putting my mum's face

to this environment makes me angry,

and that's just imagining it.

Not living it.

On face value,

it's bang out of order that white people aren't being given

the same opportunities as black people,

but when you think about how long it's been weighed in the favour

of the minority, you can understand why it's been put in place.

I'm not saying that I agree with it, but what I'm saying is,

I get why so many people are still angry

and why they think that it is imperative that it's in place.

'Although black and white South Africans now enjoy

'all the same freedoms, Statistics South Africa claims that

'nearly 16 million black people still live in poverty here.

'On that level, extra help for them makes sense.'

I'm holding the bat the right way, it's a good start.

'But I'm not sure where that leaves the squatters in Coronation Park.

'I can't help wondering what people like Irene make of it,

'after being part of the privileged minority for years.'

Do you think that it's fair? Do you think it's right?

-I think, yeah. You know what?

-You think it's fair?

You know what? That's what I said, and I said it today,

if our fathers and our fathers and fathers

and fathers treated black people like normal people,

and didn't, erm, let them work like slaves

and treat them like dogs, maybe it would be different today.

That's the way, it's life.

Cos it's time now for us to pay for what our fathers did.

And there's nothing you can do about that.

'Irene strikes me as being resigned to her fate.

But her son Harry is desperate to get his family out of here.'

Your mum said that she thinks it's almost a little bit

like a balance now, it's almost more fair for the black people.

Do you agree with that or disagree?

I think that's bullshit.

20 years ago, I still had fuck all, so now I've got nothing, now they,

they think it's balanced out.

What happened years ago with the black people

and the white people was nothing to do with me.

I wasn't there, I didn't fight the battles

with the white people and the black people.

So you're saying your generation have done nothing to deserve this?

-Is that how you feel?

-Yeah, that's how I feel.

Most white people learned black people the things they know today,

especially in my company.

And at the end, they walk out, get a better job with my knowledge,

and we sit in the shadow where we are today.

They feel marginalised, they feel that they're still suffering from...

the people that, that caused the apartheid, you know?

The time when it was like the Boer,

when they called themselves Boer, had the country in their hands,

there was more food in our country, more job opportunities...

That was also the apartheid, though, right? When the Boer were in charge.

Yeah, but they still, still the black people had jobs,

-and they were still...

-They had no rights, though.

Yeah, they didn't have rights, but even the white people,

what rights do we have?

-But then, at that time, it wasn't anything like now.

-Yeah, it wasn't.

I can't say because I wasn't there.

It feels the same way, the way that they have, er, er,

had by the time that we're apartheid or whatsoever.

OK, well, we'll agree to disagree on that one,

cos I think that it's a very different situation.

But how? It's a black government, it's a black country.

They don't want white people here, that's what I think.

'Some of the stuff that he said made my blood boil.

'I don't agree with his views,

'but he wants a better life for his son

'and he feels that the way things are,

'that's just not going to happen.'

Being in this, and this being your world in its entirety,

I understand why you might feel that way.

'It may sit uncomfortably, but at least part of the reason

'Harry is stuck here could be because of affirmative action.

'And if it continues, I worry that Coronation Park could keep growing,

'creating more race resentment for young people in South Africa.'

Mad how different this place is in the dark, isn't it?

I just think it's a bit more intimidating.

Cos you just don't know...

where you are, what's around...

and, erm, what you're walking into, you know.

Definitely is a different vibe here.

-Hey, guys.

-Hi-aye!

What are you attending to?

For the true camp experience you have to sit on the stump.

There's a very dangerous spider around.

If he calls, you call it a suck spinacle. That thing can kill you.

Why are you saying that before I sit down on the stump?

I don't want a suck spinacle getting in my bum!

With the way things are set up here,

there are so many hurdles for you to get back to where you were.

There are things in the way that aren't your fault.

And that just makes me angry.

I can't really say it's not my fault.

I ended up here for a reason.

Nobody comes in here just because the country's screwed up.

Nobody comes in here like that.

They come in here because THEY screwed up.

You can't blame everything on the system.

That's the first time I've heard ownership since I've been here.

LAUGHING: Ownership.

It's the first time I've heard ownership.

Even a rich guy can find himself here...

in two weeks.

Ask me.

I've lost everything.

I lived the dream.

I was a rock star.

In my head, I still am.

I used to sign...

..boobs for a living, you know?

And I had a selfish life, but I lived the dream. I did.

And everything, it went wrong.

I had it and I lost it in a couple of days.

'Just a few years ago, JD was living in his own house with a pool,

'but since his music career ended,

'he struggled to find his feet in modern South Africa,

'and has been moving with his mum from place to place.

'This camp is full of people who've left their homes

'but don't know where they'll end up.

'Coronation Park isn't the only place

'that poor whites are squatting.

'Local newspapers report there are now over 80 camps

'dotted around Pretoria.

'This was once the spiritual homeland of the Afrikaner Nation,

'but, in modern South Africa, the idea of a nation

'where white people are in charge clearly has no future.'

It's not like a block of flats in its most traditional sense.

But it definitely looks run down.

There seems to be both black and white here as well.

'This settlement is an abandoned care home.

'As well as the poor Afrikaners,

'it's home to lots of recent black immigrants

'from all over the continent.'

'Black or white, this place really does feel like the end of the line.'

Hello?

-Hi.

-Hi. Can I come in and talk to you guys? Is that OK?

-Sure.

-How's it going, man? I'm Reggie.

-How's it? I'm Hardus.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hello. Can we come in?

-Yeah, come in.

-Is that all right? Hello.

-Hi.

-I'm Reggie.

-Vivienne.

-Nice to meet you, Vivienne.

Is this your little one?

-Is that your youngster?

-Yeah.

This is my first one, this is my second one.

Wow. Congratulations.

-So is this your family in here, yeah?

-Yeah.

-How old are you guys?

-I'm 20 and he's 25.

How long have you guys lived here?

We've lived here for basically four years now.

Who else lives in here, cos there's doors all

the way down the corridor, and they're all sealed?

It's only whites. There's no black in these rooms.

There's three or four other buildings here.

-Do the blacks keep to themselves?

-Most of the time.

-Yeah.

Why do you think that is?

Some of them are very racist.

And inside here, they're also very racist.

-Yeah.

-Most of the people, if they do know you, and they do have

respect for you, they actually just intentionally leave you alone.

You leave them alone and they leave you alone.

The only other place where I've heard someone

speak like that is prison.

That's the only other place where I've heard people speak

about looking after yourself. Is that how you see it?

That's how it works here.

I'd love to see the rest of this building.

-Is it possible for you to show me around? Can I see some more?

-Yep.

-It's a bit dark down here.

-Yeah, no kidding.

My grandmother's staying here. Vivienne's grandmother, actually.

-Wow, so it's the whole family...

-Yeah, well, it's the...

Your little one's just here.

It's the grandmother and Vivienne's mother that actually got us here.

What's this through here? Is this shared?

Everything's shared, but unfortunately,

not everything works either.

The toilets, they're permanently blocked.

These tubs, they don't work at all.

They've got water, but only cold water.

Showers.

Look at that.

Needles, drugs.

So, that's everywhere now?

Yeah, too many drug dealers moved in, too many junkies moved in.

We all know that it's not safe for the kids.

'Crime is rife here. But that's not the only danger.'

These buildings are so old.

If these roofs catch fire, it's over, it's done.

'Two months ago, a resident built a fire in their room to keep warm.

'Unfortunately, it got out of control

'and tore through an entire building.'

This is awful. Do people actually live in here, still?

People still actually live here.

There's at least a roof over their heads.

I can't imagine anything worse than waking up in there.

I think in, what, 20 minutes, it was the whole wing.

This is the hardest I think I've seen it in South Africa.

What's the future look like for your little girl, then?

In South Africa, I wouldn't say too good.

'Neither Hardus nor Vivienne have a legitimate job.

'To get by, they run an unlicensed shop out of their window.'

It's difficult for us to get work in South Africa, especially me.

When I just moved into Pretoria in 2010,

I had 60 CVs that I actually gave out, resumes that I gave out

to places, and it's difficult to find work in South Africa.

Not even one says, "I'm going to call you back."

-Nothing.

-Why do you think it's so hard?

Working places are racist as well.

Not racist. You need more black employment than whites.

It's how they work. If your skin colour is not correct,

unfortunately, you're not going to get it.

'With no job, the family lives hand to mouth,

'so tonight's dinner depends on the little money the shop makes...

'..which, today, was nothing.'

Unfortunately, there's no money to buy anything tonight, but I've still

got some macaroni left and soup, so that's what we'll be eating tonight.

Macaroni and soup. That's what you have here, yeah?

That's what I have here for now.

I don't want to seem judgemental or anything,

but it almost feels like this isn't...

This isn't a life.

'Like anyone, I find it hard to witness poverty,

'but here in South Africa, it is very common.

'Their Institute Of Race Relations claims a staggering 45%

'of black South African's also live below the breadline.

'But that doesn't make the plight of poor whites any easier to stomach.'

I can hear some music playing. Who's playing that music?

-All the rich people.

-What?

Do the rich guys come round here, park up their cars,

-play music and hang out?

-Yeah.

When I was like these people, I was exactly the same way.

Can you believe it's two different worlds?

Can you believe it?

-Can I be completely honest with you?

-Yes.

When you spoke about rich people, in my head, I had white people.

-Yeah, not at all, eh?

-They're all black guys.

They're all black guys.

Look, most of them are young people.

So...they're getting what they deserve now.

Fairness.

-Is this fair?

-Their mums and dads wasn't treated this way.

They wouldn't have been allowed to come here,

so them enjoying their freedom, there's nothing wrong with that.

You should go and ask THEM what they think about Coronation Park,

-and you'll get your answer.

-I'm going to do that now.

LOUD URBAN MUSIC PLAYS

Hello, guys, how you doing?

Brother, hello. Where have you guys come from tonight?

-Soweto?

-Yes.

-So you guys are from the township?

-Yes.

-Nice.

-And you come out here to enjoy yourselves for the night.

-Yes.

'South Africa has come a long way.

'Some middle class black people live in Soweto now,

'with cars, jobs and money.

'And whilst it's strange to think this party

'wouldn't have even been allowed 20 years ago,

'it's even stranger that it IS happening

'right next to the tents and shacks

'of hundreds of impoverished Afrikaners.'

There's a group of people living just over there.

Permanently staying, living there or what?

You didn't know that they were there?

No, I didn't know anything, because this is a park.

-I'm living in that camp tonight.

-You won't get white people here.

-Understand?

-You won't get white people living in the park?

-You won't.

-Well, I'm staying there tonight and there's a lot.

-OK.

-There's over 100.

-White people aren't living there.

-They are three days, then they are going home.

-No, eight years.

No, you're lying.

You don't believe there could be that many white people

-living that way over there? Why not?

-I don't believe.

-Why not?

-I'm telling you straight. You're lying.

-No.

I came over this hill expecting, sort of, arrogant, rich white kids.

It was quite the opposite.

'White families still earn six times more than black ones on average,

'so I can understand the stereotypes. I hold them too.

But if black people can't even accept white poverty,

I can't see a way out for JD and Hardus.

Johannesburg isn't totally divided.

Throughout the city, there are pockets of integration,

like here at Neighbourgoods Market,

where being black or white simply isn't an issue.

Are you guys actually a couple?

Yeah, we are. Getting married in a couple of weeks.

Congratulations! Wow.

I want to be honest with you.

This is the last thing I expected to see here,

because of my experience of what South Africa is.

Couples like us are few and far between.

There's some challenges that come with it in South Africa.

There's a lot of people who look at you

and think "Why are you with this person?"

There are cultural challenges involved.

I'm hopeful that things are going to change.

You know, just look around here.

The only way you can evolve is by having people mix,

by having people be together.

The worst part of apartheid was physically separating people,

because people live in different areas.

So we're lucky, because we live in an affluent area,

so we are exposed to different cultures,

and people have embraced it.

I mean, are you aware of a place called Coronation Park?

-Have you heard of this place?

-Yeah.

-They feel marginalised.

They feel that as the working class,

they are a direct result of AA,

as it gets in the way of them

finding the work that they believe they deserve.

You know, some white people struggling right now

is a normal part of any country.

If you go to Europe,

countries have as many white people as black people that are unemployed.

Maybe not exactly, but everybody faces the same economic conditions.

I think that's a fair state to be in as a country.

'Meeting these two has been refreshing,

'as their outlook for South Africa is positive.

'Hopefully, it'll become the norm.

'I'm on my way back to see Hardus.

'I'm surprised to hear he's been given a last-minute job interview.

'It could be good news, but I'm finding it hard to be positive.'

I see these kids walking around barefoot

and I see used needles in the gutter and drug dealers hanging out,

seconds from his open doorway.

It just really gets you down. It just makes you think "Jesus".

That's interesting. There are police.

Ah, lots of police. I'm going to find out what's going on.

-Excuse me, officer.

-It's inside that building.

Did something happen in that building?

I don't know if something's happened,

-but all the people are inside there.

-OK. Thank you.

Something's going on.

-Hey, Hardus.

-What's up?

-You all right?

-Yeah.

-What's happening?

-They're busy doing a raid.

-For drug dealers?

-Drugs, cigarettes.

If you've got a shop,

if they find any cigarettes on you, they're going to confiscate it.

What about you guys?

Well, luckily, I'm a smoker, so I'm just going to say I smoke.

Vivian, I noticed that your shop sign's come down.

If they'd seen the sign, what would have happened?

They would search the room.

If they find anything, they would open it up,

or they would give me a fine.

'Vivian and Hardus have been lucky. But escaping arrest

'isn't how I would choose to prepare for a job interview.'

-It's going to look like the rainbow nation today.

-Why?

-Blue shoes...

Crazy colours. Do you not have any blacks and whites? There we go.

That'll work.

No matter where you are in the world,

there's wives still dressing their husbands.

Bye-bye, Sienna!

'Hardus is interviewing for a door-to-door sales job'.

Looking sharp. Look at you!

Let's go and do this.

'It's a massive opportunity that doesn't come around very often.'

I applied for this job two years ago.

-Wow.

-Two years ago, and they finally invited me.

This is a good 30-minute drive from your place.

-How are you going to get here, should you get the job?

-Walk.

It's going to be a long walk, isn't it?

-I get those nerves.

-You'll be fine. You'll be fine.

So what's the situation with AA?

I'm hoping that there's no such thing in this opportunity.

Even if there is, I'm still hoping

that I convince them to give me a chance.

This is the first time I've seen him

appear unsure about something, you know?

In any scenario, you'd sort of understand,

but in this one, there's so much more on your shoulders.

It's not just someone trying to get a job

to earn some money to pay for their satellite subscription.

I really hope Hardus can get his dream job,

but competition is tough.

This is just the first of three interviews

he will have to face to stand a chance.

Even if he does succeed, his ultimate goal

is not just to leave his home,

but to take his family out of South Africa.

Like many Afrikaners I've spoken to, he's fearful for the future.

I've come to a rally for a popular movement called EFF

that's taken South Africa's poor black youth by storm.

The red berets think affirmative action hasn't gone far enough.

They're demanding more extreme measures

to help black people out of poverty,

like taking back farmland and nationalising lucrative mines.

We are going to take what belongs to us!

They've become controversial

for singing an apartheid rebellion song,

Shoot The Boer - Kill The Farmer.

Viva EFF!

From old women to little kids,

they're all screaming for the EFF.

'Just because there's now a black government,

'doesn't mean poor black Africans aren't still suffering or angry.'

It has been 20 years of so-called independence.

I might be free to sit next to a white person on the bus,

but I've got no income. I got no money.

I cannot buy anything for my children.

They just watch life going by.

Talking to people like Hardus,

you get an idea that he feels like

he's not part of what is happening in South Africa.

It's no different to the people here.

They feel just as marginalised,

just as not listened to and just as ignored.

People here want change, and there's a militancy in the air.

Look at that, look.

When their commander-in-chief, Julius Malema, turns up,

he gets a welcome that David Cameron could only dream of.

SINGING AND CHANTING

The whole time I've been here,

I've heard about this Kill The Boer song.

Clearly, Malema has become hip to that,

because it's something that's really sensitive

to the Boer Afrikaner population out here.

He's now changed the words of the song to Kiss The Boer.

The funny thing is, that's quickly followed

by people going "pow-pow".

Different words, pretty much the same meaning.

Shoot to kill!

I've never seen any politician in Britain...

when they sing, they sing traditional songs.

He sang the Kill The Boer song,

but he changed the words to Kiss The Boer.

-Do you think it's a fair song?

-Yeah, it's a fair song.

We are kissing the knowledge. We do not want to fight.

We want to fight spiritually, not physically.

We don't want to fight with guns and whatever,

we have to fight knowledgeably.

And we have to fight with knowledge.

'I don't want to believe

'that everyone here wants to take violent revenge on white people,

'but chanting a hate song isn't building any bridges.'

A few years ago, Julius Malema was tipped as a future president.

But he's not someone many people in Coronation Park would vote for.

Why do you think that so many black people in townships

are supporting of Malema?

Because they want to kill us. It's a shock, eh?

I definitely don't agree.

It says "Kill the Boer, kill the white one,

"kill the Boer, kill the white one." They're going to kill us.

As soon as he comes in, we're going to be killed.

Our fathers before our fathers treated black people very bad.

They did. And I think Julius Malema wants to just turn it around.

He wants to give us

the same medicine that our fathers, before our fathers, gave them.

That's what I think.

But it's wrong. It's wrong.

Why do you want to treat us like dirt

because of what happened at that time?

It was a long time ago, but it's not that long ago.

The fact that people are still alive who remember apartheid is a problem.

The fact that there are still people alive

who are holding on to feelings from that era is a problem,

and that is why there are some people, not all people,

some people who feel a level of resentment,

and why there is anger between blacks and whites.

Blood is blood and flesh is flesh, so just leave it.

It is history, but, but... You can't forget.

It's irresponsible to forget.

Come on, it's a new life. It's new.

So go forward!

You've got every right to be angry,

but so do black people in the townships.

There are lessons in what happened,

and I think the only way you move forward

is learning from what happened, as opposed to forgetting.

Stupid man!

That's why the world is like it is, because they can't forgive

and forget what happened in their lives.

That's why the world is a fuck-up. Straight talking.

That's why the world is fucked up.

But to forget what happened would be completely irresponsible,

because then you can't learn from what went wrong.

Hear me out...

I've told you what I think.

I've told you everything that I know,

everything I want to say to you, and that's that.

-We're not going to agree on it.

-We will never agree! Never!

Let me tell you one thing, my friend. We will never agree.

Forgiving and forgetting is not the way I live my life.

I've got a tattoo on my arm

that says "Never regret, never forget", you know?

I think it's important that you don't forget.

It's definitely important that you forgive,

and that's the only way things are going to change, if people forgive.

But you must never forget,

because if you forget, what the hell are you going to learn?

There is no quick fix

for the divisions and inequality in South Africa.

The poor Afrikaners I've met

are undoubtedly getting a rough deal now.

But if there is a price to pay for decades of oppression,

perhaps this is the least worst option.

In Pretoria, Hardus has asked me to meet him

after making it through to the final interview for his sales job.

-So today was the big day?

-I've got some bad news and some good news.

-OK, bad news first.

-I need to wake up early tomorrow morning.

Best news, I get to start working on my birthday, which is tomorrow!

Oh, my God. That's incredible.

That's unbelievable! Congratulations.

-What a birthday present.

-Yeah, it is. I really didn't expect this.

-What does this mean for you and your family?

-A better life,

which is what I've been hoping for, what I've been dreaming for.

-Does Vivian know yet?

-No.

Congratulations. Big news.

What's the first thing you want to do?

Just get out of this place. Move to a flat or something.

I can't let them grow up here in this place.

When I got the yes after I left the office, it was...

It just felt like I was taking a huge load of stuff off my shoulders.

So it's a big change for me.

I'm still going to make it, I'm still going to do it.

It's been a pleasure meeting you.

-Take care. Best of luck.

-Thank you!

-See you later, little man.

-Bye-bye!

Do I get a hug? See you later.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Bye, monkey.

'I'm really pleased that Hardus at least has made a positive change.

'I'd come here hoping to see a rainbow nation,

'but there's clearly some way to go.

'Integration is happening, but only in pockets.

'I'm surprised that it's the poor Afrikaners

'who feel they don't belong in South Africa.'

Essentially, black and white people are victims of apartheid,

and they're still feeling the effects of it.

It's a problem that's affected poor, rich, white and black.

Do you think that you're a victim of apartheid still?

Definitely, my generation are paying a price.

Paying a price for our forefathers.

South Africa's past is still haunting it.

But it won't be like that always.

Change takes time. It really does.

-Happy?

-Very happy. I look ten years younger! That's amazing. Nice work.

-Bye-bye.

-See you later, guys.

-Bye.

Always look to the trees and to the sky. Remember us then. Do.

It's a bit weird, um, seeing them react the way they have to me.

And it's...

If I'm going to be really honest, I feel strange leaving.

Not that I want to stay here, but...

You know, I'm going home, and I know what I'm going home to.

And they're staying here. Staying here in this.

This is how kids play here. This is the reality for them here.

And they are good people. Really good people.

My time in Coronation Park and Joburg has come to an end.

The people I've been living with are in a very difficult position,

but they still have made me very welcome, and that's important.

Thank you so much. Take care.

'During the years of apartheid,

'I wouldn't have even been allowed to set foot in this park.

'And that is progress, at least for me.'