Doom City life barbaric
05.12.1998
Doom City life barbaric
By: KOCH A Source: QNP
The most appalling conditions being experienced by any black people
THE sons of murdered South African freedom fighter Steve Biko yesterday described the living conditions of Aborigines in north Queensland communities as ``barbaric''.
They said the poorest street dweller in Soweto had a better life than a black person at Doomadgee Aboriginal community, north of Mt Isa.
Hlumelo Biko said he would ensure the dreadful living conditions of Aboriginal people were brought to the attention of South African President Nelson Mandela.
The brothers also vowed to draw international attention to the problem by organising a film crew to travel to Australia ``so the world can see the most appalling living conditions being experienced by any black people''.
Their condemnation follows a series of articles in The Courier-Mail highlighting alcohol abuse and violence that is destroying Aboriginal communities in north Queensland.
Earlier this week, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile, Premier of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, ruled out any support for black nations boycotting the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
The boycott call was made by Carpentaria Land Council chairman Murrandoo Yanner, who arranged for the two men to visit Doomadgee _ known as ``Doom City''.
Mr Hlumelo Biko said he had ``never ever seen people live in such atrocious conditions''.
``The fact that the Government knows about it and doesn't do anything about it is really barbaric,'' he said.
``South Africans would be shocked to see what we have witnessed. It is one thing for the older generation of people to live like that, but where do you expect the younger generation to go.
``Soweto is a vibrant community. There are poor people and relatively rich people there. It is the biggest township in South Africa with a couple of million people.
``But the people have work and feed their children, and everything is clean. ``They have work and therefore they see that there is progress and a government that is responsive to their demands.
``Here in Doomadgee, there is no kind of progress.''
Samora, the elder brother, said that when other nations became aware of the suffering of Aboriginal people, they would make their feelings known to the Australian Government.
State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Judy Spence said decades of neglect and a jumble of historical factors had contributed to the situation in Doomadgee and the Government did not pretend to have a quick fix.
``The Biko brothers have a point and it is good to see that international figures of their stature are prepared to visit a place like Doomadgee,'' Ms Spence said.
``There are Third World conditions in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including Doomadgee.
``The communities are deprived and impoverished.''
Ms Spence said the Government had provided funds for water, sewerage and roads, a school vacation and childcare programme and a new women's shelter was being built.
A spokesman for federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Senator John Herron yesterday said the Minister was well aware of the problems at Doomadgee and last March appointed ATSIC commissioner Col Dillon to develop a strategic plan to overcome the social and infrastructure problems.
The spokesman said ATSIC had provided $6.6 million to construct 18 new houses and renovate 45. Continued Page 4 Doom City life barbaric, say Bikos According to Doomadgee council chairman, Clarence Walden, there are 90 houses for the 2000 inhabitants. He escorted the group through the township.
Less than a handful of the homes have any doors or windows. In a typical three-bedroom besser-brick house, more than 20 people reside. The toilets are broken. There is no furniture apart from a couple of foam mattresses on the floors and a few blankets.
There are no cupboards, kitchen furniture, washing machines or stoves. Cooking is done on an outside wire grate supported by bricks.
Mr Walden, who has been chairman for nine months, said he was ashamed of the standard of facilities in the community and was working to get funds to repair the homes.
``But when you have sometimes 30 to 40 people living in a three-bedroom home, this is the result,'' he said despairingly.
Hlumelo Biko said he asked a nursing superintendent why community women were not allowed to give birth to their children at the new local hospital, but instead were flown out to Mt Isa.
``She told me that 99 percent were classified high-risk pregnancies, either because the mother had alcoholism problems or because she had an STD (sexually transmitted disease),'' Mr Biko said.
``Why is this place here? There are people living, for instance, in the northern Transvaal, but they are there by choice from long ago.
``Here there is nothing. My father's Black Consciousness Movement is applicable here. There must be community development and jobs.
``My father would say there is no way a black man can be proud of himself if he is living in conditions that are unfit for human beings. That is what is happening in Doomadgee.
``We have to create an awareness of this and I will be trying to do that in my own way.''
