In the Vaal, Bedworthpark was a quiet leafy suburb of some 800 families. Today it has swollen by over 15,000 students. The residents are up in arms.
Landlords are cramming students into houses. Illegal partitions have gone up, with no regard for council by-laws.
Some landlords even have kids living in the roof. This kind of overcrowding puts lives at risk. Faulty electrical connections have resulted in houses going up in flames.
Properties are said to house up to sixty students. These are young people with very different priorities to the conservative residents. Every weekend the suburb is rocked with the noise of pumping house parties. With them residents believe comes crime, drugs, prostitution and illegal shebeens. Landlords are saying the residents are racists and are denying students their right to education.
Special Assignment investigates what has developed into an ugly conflict over democracy, constitutional rights and progress.
Drums down Cassandra Drive is produced by Sasha Wales-Smith and was filmed by Roy Freeman and Meggan Raubbenheimer.
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