Capetown's many faces

Capetown is a land of contrast. As one strolls along the waterfront it is not surprising to catch a glimpse of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's yacht parked in front of a luxury hotel with Table Mountain framed in the background. Along the harbor there are numerous examples of the incredible wealth Capetown continues to attract with its ideal climate and beautiful beaches.

The colorful gardens of Kirstenbosch have been named a World Heritage site for it's unique variety of plant and wild life. It is an outstanding example of ecological and biological biodiversity. It is easy to spend an entire day enjoying the oxygen rich flora and scenic vistas of Table Mountain.

But Capetown has a dramatic other side that most visitors tend to avoid. Well over a million people live in Khayelitsha, a large poverty stricken suburb of Capetown. And Khaylitsha is only one of numerous such areas surrounding this beautiful city. These are the people who commute into to town to work in shops and service positions catering to tourists. Their life is not part of the storybook existence of many who travel to this distant land.

Multiple families live within a tiny shed of used corrugated sheet metal with no running water except at community faucets where any cleaning, bathing or drinking water is obtained. It's almost like traveling to another world when you reach the outskirts of Capetown where such a significant percentage of the population struggles to exist. A visit to any of these shanty towns just might give you pause to consider the inconsistencies that surround us.