I am in South Africa for the next couple of weeks – in Johannesburg and hopefully Cape Town for a few days. I recall reading Ethan Zuckerman’s post on his recent visit to SA where he stayed in the same area I am in, Melville, which he described as
one of the ritziest corners of Johannesburg, each house is a compound, complete with mechanized gates, coiled razor wire and dogs.
I am not sure about the “ritziest corners” – I am in a two roomed “cottage” formerly the servants quarters of a smallish bungalow – the only house on the street without an electric fence at the front. Very scary these electric fences. The house next door has one and I am so tempted to touch it just to see what would happen and if it really works. I am not sure which is more scary, the fence itself or me having this pushing desire to touch it. I am still here so no I havent done it yet. Coming from Nigeria the gates, bars, fences and wild dogs are no big deal. The only thing is we do not have electric fences since the electrity supply in Nigeria is so erratic that it would be a waste of time.
The most annoying thing for me is not the fences, locks and gates but having to take taxis everywhere after 7pm in the evening. Everyone keeps telling me not to go out even in Melville at night, not to carry my laptop on the Kombi bus – basically not to go anywhere at night without a taxi. A Cameroonian colleague who lives in downtown Joburg takes a taxi to a bar 10 minutes from his apartment and back! Coming from sleepy Granada where no one even goes out before 10pm and you can walk home on your own at 4am in complete safety this takes some getting used to. I realise I no longer have a sense of personal security.
As Ethan said in his post, South Africa is a vast and complex country and I am sure we are seeing it from different sides. Where I am based is a long way from Blogging Indabas in Grahamstown in terms of race, gender, class and sexuality. But more on that another day. Yesterday I went with members of the Forum for the Empowerment of Women and Behind the Mask to Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) on a demonstration in Pretoria protesting civil partnership for LGBT people and calling for same sex marriage to be legalised.
A visit last Saturday to “Anywhere Shopping Mall” (Rosebank) led to an amazing exhibition of recycled art and later on to Market Square in so called up and coming NewTown – I would describe it as a crazy place with crowds of drunken youths, fights and noise from 40 band concert taking place. Pretty scary for two non Zulu speaking females – ah but we came home Ok!
PHOTOS UP AT
FLICKR – MORE TO FOLLOW
Other items in the news this week:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu celebrated his 75th birthday in a huge bash in Cape Town. He ends his speech…..
“We imagined that because we had this noble cause, the vast majority of people were altruistic, were idealistic, and we thought we were going to translate that and transfer it automatically to the time when we were then free; it’s not happened.”
Silence is no option for the Arch.
Violence – its everywhere here. In schools which are described as “Sites of War”. The Sunday Times reports on the brutal knifing murder of Nkosana Mbhele 18 last Monday by a fellow 14 year old pupil.
On a slightly lighter note, the Sunday Times had an interview with Busi Mhlongo who having survived cervical cancer and had a hysterectomy 30 years ago now has breast cancer and faces the possibly of loosing her left breast. Biography of pain. She has also lost 6 of her closest musicians to death in the past three years. She sees her breast cancer as
Ag, I told myself this lump would pass. Nothing serious. And now just see where I am. It’s so painful. Even if I were able to I would not have stopped cancer from attacking my breast or any part of my body. I think, though it sounds terrible, it was coming……
“I am not surprised I have cancer. It reflects an unfulfilled care. My breast is telling me: if I am a symbol of affection, then you have not loved me for a long time, mate. That means I have not loved myself for a long time. It all piles up.”
Tags: South Africa
