It is understandable that the wealthy feel a certain disconnect from what it’s like to live in poverty. In a world of fancy cars, massive houses, running water and plenty of food, you simply cannot fathom a day in the life of world’s poor.
It can also get boring going on yet another Caribbean cruise or fancy skiing trip to Aspen. You may want to explore more exotic options.
One way to get a clearer picture about the world around you, and in particular the reality occupied by roughly one billion of the world’s people, is to go out and actually visit one. And in fact, so-called “slum tourism” is a real thing and becoming popular. But one South African hotel saw that trend and decided to remove the “real world” aspect to it, and replace it with “real awfulness.”
Welcome to Emoya Luxury Hotel and Spa, the Shanty Town for the rich.
In the promotional video, made and released with seemingly zero self-awareness, the sun rises on a little community of shacks set against an arid and beautiful landscape. A goat, tied up to a post, bleats in the background, nibbling at the grass. The rooms are artfully done up with no expense spared to make it feel “lived in” but also “yours” (for as long as you’re on vacation).
Here is the full description of “Shanty Town” from its website:
“Millions of people are living in informal settlements across South Africa. These settlements consist of thousands of houses also referred to as Shacks, Shantys or Makhukhus. A Shanty usually consists of old corrugated iron sheets or any other waterproof material which is constructed in such a way to form a small “house” or shelter where they make a normal living. A paraffin lamp, candles, a battery operated radio, an outside toilet (also referred to as a long drop) and a drum where they make fire for cooking is normally part of this lifestyle.”
Now you can experience staying in a Shanty within the safe environment of a private game reserve.
The summary helpfully overlooks the fact that settlements containing these thousands of “Shacks, Shantys or Makhukhus,” also contain thousands of people living in desperate poverty. While describing the materials used to build a Shanty, the summary leaves out the part where it reminds potential visitors that these houses are built out of this stuff because the residents cannot afford to use anything else and that not one single one of them would choose to live there if given the option to live literally anywhere else.
If that wasn’t already the worst, the summary refers to all of this as a “lifestyle”, as if this were just one of a kaleidoscope of world cultures in which people live and thrive in every day. Let’s call it what it is: an injustice caused by a system that is institutionally apathetic towards helping those that are shackled by it and wilfully resistant to change the conditions known to cause it.
But at least at Emoya you can rest assured knowing you’re in the safe environment of a private game reserve!
There are other amenities as well: “This is the only Shanty Town in the world equipped with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!”
At Emoya, you can treat yourself to one of twelve freestanding “shacks” made from scrap wood and corrugated metal that looks as if it was meant to be lived in by a family struggling to eke out an existence. How romantic!
[First published at iacknowledge.net/class-warfare-exists.]
