Experiencing Sophiatown flipping preview

Experiencing Sophiatown

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Experiencing Sophiatown

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Experiencing Sophiatown Conversations among Residents about the Past, Present and Future of a Community

Edited and compiled by David Thelen and Karie L. Morgan In collaboration with Judi Bennett, Thomas Chapman, Natasha Erlank, Yavini Naidoo, Cora Matthysen and Desmond Sheik

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First published by Fanele, an imprint of Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd, in 2013 10 Orange Street Sunnyside Auckland Park 2092 South Africa +2711 628 3200 www.jacana.co.za Š David Thelen and Karie L. Morgan, 2013 All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-920196-88-2 Also available as an e-book ePub ISBN 978-1-920196-99-8 mobi ISBN 978-1-928232-00-1 d-PDF ISBN 978-1-920196-89-9 Cover design by publicide Set in New Baskerville 9/14pt Job no. 002047 See a complete list of Jacana titles at www.jacana.co.za

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EXP E RI E NCIN G SOPHIATOWN

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Contents

Map of Sophiatown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii An Introductory Note

David Thelen and Karie L. Morgan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Chapter 1: Getting Acquainted with Neighbours on the Block. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Block Group Meeting – Good and Gold

Streets – 7 June 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Block Group Meeting – Bertha Street –

24 June 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 2: Visualising a Shared Place and Making a Shared Past. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 3: Making Family around Mealtimes . . . . . . . . 57

Remembering Family Mealtimes:

A Conversation among Sophiatown

Cooking Club Members –

15 October 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Glimpses of Cooking in Sophiatown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Comment – Challenges of Modern

Mealtimes: Reflections by René

Lombardi – 11 October 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Comment – Making Food and Heritage:

Reflections by Tshepo Letsoalo –

13 September 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Good and Gold Streets – Photovoice

Chapter 4: Becoming Neighbours and

Discussion – 28 June and 15 July 2009. . . . . . . . . . 23

Creating Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Bertha Street – Photovoice Discussion –

Raising a Family with Neighbours:

19 July 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

A Workshop – 23 May 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Contents

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Comment – Getting to Know Neighbours

Struggling with Memories of Triomf and

and Choosing a Neighbourhood:

Sophiatown: A Conversation between a

Reflections by Sebastian van Rayne –

Mother and Daughter – 3 August 2009 . . . . . . . . . 136

25 November 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Comparing Sophiatown and Westbury:

Comment – Overcoming Barriers to

A Conversation across Generations –

Become Better Neighbours: Reflections

27 October 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

by Noeriena Hendricks –

24 November 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

New Choices and Responsibilities in the

New South Africa: Conversations among

Keeping your Family Safe: A Workshop

Toby Street Residents – 27 June and

– 19 May 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

4 August 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Encountering and Helping People in

Encountering and Overcoming Shifting

Distress: A Conversation among Young

Barriers through the South African

People – 9 October 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Transition – Reflections by Erica Moumakwa –

29 October 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Comment – Growing Up and Helping

Others: A Conversation between Two

Exploring New Ways of Relating in the

Sisters – 8 November 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

New South Africa: A Conversation with

Comment – Making a Difference in your

a Couple from the Old South Africa –

Community: Reflections by Noeriena

10 May 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Hendricks – 18 November 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Contemplating Ways toward a

Comment – Helping South Africans in Need:

New South African Future: A Visit to

Reflections by Charles Kwasi Asare –

a Mysterious Room – 4 October 2012 . . . . . . . . . . 160

9 November 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Chapter 5: Experiencing Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Living over Half a Century in a Changing

Sophiatown: A Conversation with Long-time

Residents – 8 November 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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Epilogue Pastor Desmond Sheik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

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Map of Sophiatown

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An Introductory Note

by David Thelen and Karie L. Morgan

T

he names of Sophiatown and Triomf evoke

experiences and values in order to face the challenges

images of a storied and unique place in South

of life: raising and educating children, earning a

Africa’s history. Here was the world-renowned,

living, overcoming crime or finding ways to make a

multi-racial birthplace of modern urban African arts

difference in shaping their community. This book,

like jazz and poetry. And here too the new National

then, is at once about a very special place and about

Party government first put residential apartheid into

challenges of making community anywhere.

practice in the late 1950s by forcibly removing some 65 000 Sophiatown residents, bulldozing buildings

This book records conversations in which Sophiatown

and replacing them with cheap housing for whites.

residents reflected on the challenges they faced as

They renamed the place Triomf to proclaim the

they experienced life in this community as well as

triumph of one people over others.

in the broader world. What was special about these conversations was how richly residents grounded

But the Sophiatown that has been forming since

them in their everyday lives and relationships, on

desegregation in the 1990s is less a unique place

the one hand, and how broadly they incorporated

than a fairly typical neighbourhood where residents

concerns of South Africans and others everywhere

are living out themes often identified with the “new”

on the other. Because Sophiatown’s concerns are

South Africa. Today’s residents are generally familiar

shared so widely we expect residents of other South

with the special pasts of this place – and sometimes

African communities will recognise the challenges

express feelings of anger, pride and shame about

Sophiatown residents described.

these pasts – but they more often depict that history as remote from their lives. For them Sophiatown

Residents reported that what they liked least about

is a place where people from all over the country,

life in Sophiatown was that people had built imposing

indeed the world, are trying to find and make shared

barriers around themselves – barriers policed with An Introductory Note

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electrified fences, snarling dogs and suspicions

of those conversations by a researcher. Each chapter

grounded in past conflicts – that often distanced them

begins with a brief introduction in which we set the

from their neighbours. What many wanted most was

scenes of each transcript and identify what we saw as

to lower those barriers and turn their neighbours from

the main themes in that chapter’s transcripts. But in

strangers to be feared into people who could help

the end residents themselves, not we, identified the

them face their challenges in this place. Many wanted

book’s themes and its words. They did so out of the

to build deeper relationships with their neighbours

needs and rhythms of everyday conversation. They

and, thereby, become participants in nurturing a

were the ones living in and making the community.

richer community life. Feeling isolated in their homes

And so the first word in the title, “experience”, signals

and wanting to turn strangers into neighbours, they

that this is a book about how residents experienced

illustrated through the conversations in this book how

Sophiatown rather than what others have said was

conversation in and of itself can actually help to bring

important about it. And it is the process by which

community into being.

residents themselves shaped this book that makes it an original and significant contribution to such

This book is composed of transcriptions of what

diverse fields as oral history, community studies and

residents said to each other rather than evaluations

civic organising and engagement.

Sophiatown Project Community Meeting, 23 October 2010

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The book models and illustrates how, when individuals

to compare how their experiences and observations

have an apolitical forum in which to engage with a

fit within the reader’s experiences and thereby invites

small group of different people – to discuss common

and empowers the reader to form the final word, the

concerns or meet new people – the act of everyday

conclusions, about the subject. So we hope readers will

talk creates a rich exploration of how people

imagine themselves in the conversation, interested in

nurture relationships and experience community.

pulling up a chair and joining in.

Sophiatown residents engaged in the give and take of conversation as they tried to meet their own and others’ needs, generating a more frank, natural and

Reflecting back on how we came to facilitate a

open-ended exploration of common concerns as well

book grounded in relationships and conversations

as disagreements. Unconstrained by fixed agendas,

in Sophiatown feels like both a natural outgrowth

the conversations flowed from one subject to another

of a project that began in 2008 and an improvised

and back again. People asked about and followed up

outcome of repeated trial and error. The starting

on their concerns. People gained and lost confidence

point was not a book at all but a broad civic

in their observations as they engaged with others.

engagement initiative in which Sophiatown residents

Because everyday talk is so familiar, flexible and

would collaborate with University of Johannesburg

open-ended – “cheap”, as the cliché goes – people

facilitators to explore how, by sharing experiences,

were much more comfortable expressing candid

residents could develop shared and more personally

thoughts and asking politically incorrect questions.

relevant perspectives on what was important in their

When a resident, René Lombardi, arrived late at a group discussion and was asked for her observations on a touchy subject, her mother, Thea Ouwenkamp,

pasts than those offered by political leaders and formal history classrooms. Those new perspectives on history could generate new ways of defining

reassured her that she could speak freely: “It’s just

community needs and of trying to meet them.

talking,” she explained. Talk seemed natural, safe

From the start, the direction of the project was

and free. This book, then, is as much about the art

shaped by collaboration between UJ facilitators and

of conversation – about how conversation feels and

Sophiatown residents. In 2008 two local residents,

what it can do for relating with others – as it is about

Judi Bennett and Clement Baai, encouraged

particular topics.

Dave Thelen and Tom Chapman to launch this collaboration on their street, Good Street. Following

A challenge of this approach is that it places unfamiliar

Judi and Clement’s example in organising a meeting

expectations on readers about how to engage with the

of Good and Gold street residents, Dave and Tom

text. Instead of encountering an author’s conclusions

generated similar meetings for Bertha Street, Toby

about a subject, this book invites the reader to

Street and the police flats. The first block meetings

empathise with the challenges residents are exploring,

in 2009 focused on what people liked and disliked

An Introductory Note

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in common with people around them. Their first activity, as developed in Chapter 2, was to take pictures of things and people that were important to them and then to share their perspectives with others on their block.

The block meetings generated enthusiasm and great questions, but none of us was quite sure what concrete project(s) could fulfil this promise. With support from the Dutch and South African governments, we turned to the Institute for Democracy in Africa (IDASA), an NGO that did creative community organising, to help the residents themselves surface meaningful initiatives. In a series of community meetings in 2010 IDASA worked with UJ facilitators to assist residents in identifying projects they wanted to work on by responding to the question, “What can we do together to create a new history?” At the next meeting residents grouped them into agendas for projects. Some formed a committee which they hoped could make a book that would somehow assist residents in getting to know their neighbours, to identify common fears and hopes and to reflect on the challenges of making a new South Africa, along with a new Sophiatown.

Residents’ objectives that founded the book group, 6 November 2010

Over the next year this loose group tried to figure out

about living in Sophiatown. Those meetings, the

what such a book would look like and how to create

subject of Chapter 1, identified the challenge that

it. At various points the group and its individual

would drive the project from its origins to the present

members carried out initiatives like personal history

book. Participants said what they disliked most was

writing, family tree workshops, a “Tell Your Story”

that Sophiatown was a place where they felt isolated,

day to gather residents’ personal histories, a survey

a place where their neighbours were strangers. They

of residents’ experiences, a group that focused on the

wanted to talk about the habits, fears and suspicions

concerns of young people and a series of workshops

that kept them apart and to explore what they had

about safety and security.

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book group meetings. Because our aim as UJ facilitators was not to collect data but to provide an opportunity for people to hear how others thought about a theme, the actual focus of a conversation often shifted as it unfolded. For example, in Chapter 4, a 2012 workshop designed to map relationships among neighbours evolved into a discussion of how the need to create safe homes and neighbourhoods for their children actually drove their choices of which neighbours they wanted to get close to.

The edited transcripts of these conversations First meeting of book group, 6 November 2010: Dave, Emily, Sam, Yavini, Mbali, Desmond, Gladys

formed the core of each chapter, but in order to

Amid these initiatives, many of which find expression

imagine that they had been present at the original

in this book’s transcripts, developers of the book

conversation and talk about what they might have

began to see clearly by the time of a meeting of the

contributed. At first we further imagined that these

book group in December 2011 that conversation

commentators would evaluate the transcripts for

was the best core for this book. After all, during

possible inclusion in the book. We soon learned,

the block meetings of 2009 we had discovered how

however, that they approached this task not as a call

conversation was what connected individuals to

to criticism but as an invitation to pull up a chair

others and provided a springboard for experiencing

and add their experiences and perspectives to the

and imagining community. And, as residents

original conversation. And so the process modelled

Desmond Sheik and Jackey Klow pointed out at that

how we hope readers will engage with the book,

December meeting, the book’s focus on conversation

testing what participants talked about against their

could draw both residents and readers into further

own experiences.

widen perspectives on the subject we asked others to

conversation. Those conversations in turn would provide multiple entry points for residents and

We have taken several steps to try to insure the

readers to explore their own concerns.

accuracy of transcripts. Recordings were transcribed by experienced transcriptionists. When we or other

We designed each conversation as an opportunity

participants remembered things differently we

for residents both to get to know one another and

replayed the recording and compared it with the

to compare experiences and thoughts. The actual

transcript to ascertain both the exact words and

topics of discussion grew out of concerns residents

correct identity of speakers. When we completed

had raised either in informal conversation or in

editing the transcript in the form we intended to

An Introductory Note

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appear in the book, we gave speakers the opportunity

residents’ association and community networks or

to look over proposed text and correct their language

by interviewing people for the Sophiatown Cooking

or clarify their intent. Most approved the text, often

Club cookbook. These kinds of relationships, not an

explaining that they wanted their words to remain as

attempt to be representative or to cover particular

they were in the original conversation. A few made

topics, drove the selection of participants.

changes to clarify their meaning. At this time we asked speakers to choose whether they wanted to

In many ways these relationships were like others

be identified by first name and surname, first name

in our daily lives. Over the years participants in the

only or pseudonym. Most chose to include their full

projects became friends who recognised each other’s

names. Only one speaker selected a pseudonym.

personalities and interests. But of course, whatever

In editing the transcripts, we struggled to strike a

residents felt about us as individuals, everyone

balance between the rhythms and words of everyday

knew we were not Sophiatown residents and that

talk – in which people interrupt and complete

we had our own (individual) experiences as white,

other’s thoughts, speak at the same time, start to

English-speaking, American academics. We were

say something and reverse course and signal their

curiosities as well as friends and acquaintances. In

encouragement – and the formal and more legible

group discussions we knew that our self-defined

rules of written language. A verbatim transcript

roles as facilitators rather than as participants

would have been much harder to read.

generated the expectation that we in some way guide conversations. At the same time, coming from a land

The speakers in this book were individuals we

where conversation about race is much less candid

encountered in a number of contexts. Some were

than in South Africa, we were at first worried that

connected to the broader UJ project through

when a conversation somehow became involved with

participation in its steering committee, youth group

racial differences people would withdraw from the

or cooking club. Dave and Tom met many people in

project. We both recall feeling uncomfortable during

facilitating block groups in 2009 and they brought

a meeting of the book committee in 2011 at which

their friends into this project. Another UJ facilitator,

a coloured woman and an Afrikaans woman – both

Yavini Naidoo, practiced as a dentist in Sophiatown

long-time Sophiatown residents – recalled vivid

and invited some of her patients to workshops she

images of white residents chasing non-white kids

conducted for her master’s thesis. In 2011 and 2012,

who might have caused trouble. And yet this served

with several residents, we conducted a residents’ survey

as a learning moment for us to see how residents,

– designed by the book committee – by interviewing

rather than we, should – and did – decide how they

either friends or neighbours or approaching

wanted to talk about or avoid topics.

strangers outside Shoprite or when walking in the streets or working in their gardens. Karie Morgan

In the chapters that follow, residents got to know

met other individuals through participation in the

each other and compared their experiences,

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reflected on how life in Sophiatown has changed over time and considered how to create a community that meets their needs and hopes. In the first two chapters, groups of residents tried to get to know one another as neighbours and individuals by talking about what was important to them about life in the area. In the third chapter, individuals described memories of making and eating food as part of how each experienced family. In the fourth chapter, residents considered extending relationships with and responsibilities to those beyond their families and how to create a supportive and safe community.

Everyone was mindful of the political transformation in South Africa and in Chapter 5 residents reflected on whether, how much and in what ways their lives were changing as a result. The book concludes with Pastor Desmond Sheik’s reflection on what these conversations can contribute as inspiration Jennifer, Cathy, Dirk and Karie at Cathy’s and Dirk’s birthday celebration, 20 April 2013

for making Sophiatown a better place to stay. It is authored by the man whose vision guided and nurtured the book through all its twists and turns.

He wraps up with a challenge to each of us to act on what we’ve learned about the potential power of earnest conversation to bring about the sorts of relationships and community that may allow each of us to better face the challenges of everyday life in Sophiatown or anywhere.

An Introductory Note

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Experiencing Sophiatown

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1

Getting Acquainted with Neighbours on the Block

O

n a Sunday afternoon, 7 June 2009, 13 residents

people liked and disliked about life in Sophiatown,

of the southern end of Good and Gold streets

how they wanted to reshape that life and how they

came together in a park that joined their two

could get to know their neighbours better.

streets to discuss how they could get to know each other better and how together they might build a

When the conversations began, few of the participants

community on their streets that could better meet

knew each other. Some had lived for decades

their needs. Seventeen days later, on the evening of

in Sophiatown. Others had moved there quite

24 June 2009, 13 residents of Bertha Street convened

recently. With Dave facilitating, the conversations

at the nearby NG Kerk to discuss the same concerns.

revolved around concerns about getting to know neighbours better and making a difference in

The two meetings were the first fruits of a

shaping the community’s future. Residents took

collaboration between University of Johannesburg

the conversations in several different directions.

organisers and Sophiatown residents. The initial

Some spoke of their intimate hopes and fears about

meeting was organised by Judi Bennett and Clement

staying here. Others referred to how personal

Baai, residents of Good Street, and Dave Thelen

experiences in the nation and Sophiatown had

and Tom Chapman, then coordinators of field work

shaped their perspectives on life here. They brought

for the UJ Sophiatown Project. Judi and Clement

up experiences and perspectives they shared as well

distributed fliers inviting their neighbours to the

as those they disagreed about. But by the end of

Good and Gold streets meeting. Tom and Dave

both two-hour meetings, most participants said that

approached residents of Bertha Street as they arrived

they felt that the conversations had brought them

home from work in the evenings and invited them

closer together and they looked forward to carrying

to the Bertha Street meeting. The organisers told

this further at future meetings.

residents that the conversations would centre on what

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Block Group Meeting Good and Gold Streets 7 June 2009 *

First meeting of Good and Gold streets block group

Dave Thelen: You’ve been talking with each other in small groups. Can you report now what you discussed in your group about what struck you as important when you were thinking about moving or leaving here, what you like about life here, what is less attractive?

Judi Bennett: Sarel, you and I have just about had the entire discussion without the microphone so we will have to start over again.

Sarel van der Berg: We moved in here about 1973.

Elise and Clement in small group conversation

It’s a beautiful place to stay in. You could go to the shops and leave your door open. We did leave it open

* This conversation happened in the park where Good and Gold streets join. Participants included: Dave Thelen, Tom Chapman, Judi Bennett, Sarel van der Berg, Mrs van der Berg, Earl, Elise, Clement Baai, Mervyn Naidoo, Bashni Naidoo, Bettie Pretorius, Pieter Blignaut, Malie Moodliar and Renate van Gruenen.

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and nothing happened. Triomf was Telkom’s area.

formally introduced each other. Today we’ve met,

Most of the blokes in Telkom stayed in Triomf. Other

you understand. And then through this gathering,

owners were the police and bus drivers.

our children are going to benefit. When I’m not

Elise: Clement and I spoke about how long we both have lived here and what we would like to see in the area, like a community centre – a recreation place for kids, adults, a library, that type of thing – where you don’t have to go out of the area to other areas to enjoy those facilities, but you can actually have it in the area.

Dave: And were there things you specifically liked

here, if Auntie Bettie sees someone standing here in front of my gate, she should say, “Heya, what are you doing here? Clement is not here. Who are you?” I just found out the lady at the corner house passed away a month ago. I only found out a week after. When I went to go sympathise, the man said, “I didn’t know who to tell in the street.” Which is so sad.

Dave: Does that sound familiar to others?

Mervyn Naidoo: As Clement said we feel the same

here?

Clement Baai: We came from different areas. I said to Elise that my reasons for moving here were number one, affordability, number two, the place is very central. It’s quite safe. Look, there are some incidents, we heard about a few incidents, but it’s quite safe. And then also the history of this place.

Dave: What do you mean by that?

way. We’ve got kids in the same class and the same school, but we don’t know each other. There is no communication. Nobody wants to take the time to get to know your neighbour. We are four years in this area. What we found is that a lot of the white folks in the area are unfriendly. When we greet them they don’t greet back. It’s sad.

Judi: Well, Sarel and Bettie were talking about the old

Clement: Look, we know how Sophiatown happened.

days when this park was a place their children played,

We know it was Sophiatown first, Triomf, then again

with the little cars and etc. and what I noticed here is

Sophiatown. We know about the Miriam Makebas,

you don’t see that any longer. Inherently we are very

the Desmond Tutus. We know that this was the area

similar and we would like to live our lives as they lived in

where all the races lived together. And I just found

Triomf and the areas I lived in. We have similar things

out a few years ago that my house was a photo studio.

in common. It seems that because we lived in different

We never knew, you understand. I was saying that

areas we have not found the common ground we have.

you guys are walking on holy ground here. We know

I would also like to see the children play safely. I would

that Meadowlands people are coming from here.

like to see the children play in the street; and in the

A certain part of Westbury and Newclare was born

same way, I would like to see what Sarel saw in the past

out of Triomf/Sophiatown. So I was saying to Bashni

happen all over again, irrespective of the colour of the

that a gathering like this is good in a sense that one

child. It just has to be the community that you want to

of my daughters is in her son’s class. We’ve never

see, the way you remember it.

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can’t allow people to come and sit here. Look at this thing. Someone was sitting there and drinking.

Mervyn: We see it all the time. My neighbour, the pastor, gets his boy and comes and cleans up and it’s not right.

Judi: Whose responsibility is that in a sense? Firstly it’s against the law to drink in public, so we could have called the police. We could have had people make sure this is a no-go area. This is a park and Sarel and his wife, Malie Moodliar and Judi in small group conversation

this is what is allowed in a park. I think sometimes we tend to see things but don’t take responsibility. I want to stress the aspect, until we got to know each other,

Dave: How do you remember it? The same way?

we didn’t know who was going to do it. Now that we

Bettie Pretorius: The same way as it was. We lived

do know each other we need to take responsibility for

here now 28 years in this house. To me it’s still the same except the children can’t play outside. And now

our own area, be a bit more proactive. These things don’t need to happen. I believe if those children know

they can’t play rugby in the field.

there is an area that those aunties and uncles are

Mervyn: The kids are scared of the hooligans. I

it. We take ownership of it. As adults we shouldn’t

wouldn’t allow our kids out of the gates if I’m not here. They play with the bikes on the road and it’s safe, but if we see the hooligans on the road we take them back in.

Clement: I was just saying to Elise about three weeks ago I came past here and there was a group of 15 school children sitting here. Boys and girls and they were drinking. I chased them away. The thing is they

going to give you a hard time, they are going to avoid neglect our responsibility to teach children that what you are doing is wrong. Whether they accept it or not we still have to try.

Mervyn: I have actually tried to do that once when they abused the swings and they told me, “It’s not yours, go away.” You don’t want a confrontation because the parents can shoot you.

are not even from this area. So our children can’t

Judi: Now you mention something about someone

come and play here. And then they have the audacity

going to take out a gun and shoot you; and we

to say to me, “It’s my money. I bought the liquor with

carry on living in this particular mindset. We also

my money.” But the thing is, they won’t be allowed

pass that on to our children. We become more and

to go and buy. They get someone else to buy it for

more drawn in, blocked in, and we are always afraid.

them. I believe that it is the car guards. These are

Besides, if the guy came with a gun, ons moer and

the type of things that we must come up against. We

bliksem and donner. Take the gun away.

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Mervyn: At the same time the neighbour doesn’t

Bashni Naidoo: So we can stop at least half of the

want to take a chance either.

traffic from Westbury.

Judi: That’s why we need to get to know each other.

Judi: Okay, we will probably choose to do that as a

It’s not a matter of you just getting to know your

community at another meeting and see what we can

neighbour. It’s sometimes a matter of seeing another

do with that.

person in the same way that you would see yourself and treat each other in the same way that you would want to be treated. And you find the old fashioned

Dave: So, what other things did you talk about in

cliché, respect breeds respect. By knowing each

your groups?

other, we get to understand each other. Let’s go a

Sarel: Sophiatown has the Helen Joseph Hospital.

little further.

That was a number one hospital. The first angiogram

Elise: It’s safer not to get involved but then you are

I had was there, R45 and they kept me there for a

going to let things happen.

Judi: But if you teach that to your child we’re going to eventually live in communities where everything is bricked in. We are going to have to press our fingers to open the gate. We will be bricked in. You might

week.

Bettie: Die was a skoon hospitaal gewees.

Sarel: It was the heart transplant place, the best.

Judi: Incidentally, has the clinic finally opened?

as well close down the park area and we’re not going

Sarel: There seems to be a new building.

to do anything about it because we’re not getting

Judi: So it has.

involved.

Bashni: We also talked about the schools in the area.

Mervyn: But the thing is we can’t do it alone.

There is an Afrikaans school here and I think that’s it.

Judi: No, I agree, and that is why we have to do it as

Judi: That school has only recently introduced

a forum. He spoke about so many things that we’re

English instruction. They started at Grade 0. They’ve

not aware of. We didn’t know there was a committee

now reached I think Grade 4 with English but the

in this area. So basically what those people are doing

rest is Afrikaans.

is absolutely nothing. We live in this particular area.

We can try to do something because they can’t. We can try.

Judi: Yes, we can. If that’s what it takes we can.

Sarel: One of the best things they ever had in those years was a dual medium. I never knew Afrikaans.

Judi: The West Rand Primary, the English medium school, is a Seventh Day Adventist private school.

Bettie: They closed that one alleyway there and it’s

Now you see a lot of people may not want their

safer when it’s closed.

children to go to West Rand because it’s a Seventh

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Day Adventist school and they have chapel. It’s a

matter. And no one wants to take the time to help.

different thing depending on your religion. We did

Which is sad. We are building a community.

let my nephew and niece go there because we had no affiliation with any church and we thought this would serve both purposes. They could go to chapel and school. But once that was finished then we had to take them to other high schools.

Judi: I was speaking to your mother-in-law because I know the kind of community you come from. I was talking to her and asking her just how lonely you must be, because in your community you tend to live a lot as a family unit. You are gregarious, you talk

Bashni: As you said, it wouldn’t work for our family

constantly to each other and live together as a family

because of cultural differences.

and eat together so she must be feeling exceptionally

Mervyn: Another annoying thing is the quad bikes

lonely.

in that park. They abuse the place, make a loud

Mervyn: Not only for her but us as well in the sense we

noise and damage the grass. You can’t believe it: you

don’t know our neighbours. Some of the neighbours

look at the TV but you don’t hear what is on the TV

don’t take the time to greet, yet we greet them. We

because of the guy on the stop street and his music.

don’t even know if we see someone loitering who we

That’s terrible really.

should communicate with.

Judi: And you’re right on the corner and you get it

Judi: Even if we did think there was something odd

on both sides. My mother told me wherever you go

about what we see someone doing, we don’t want

you don’t want a house on the corner. She told me

to get involved. That’s our problem. We don’t get

straight.

involved.

Dave: So did other things come up when you thought

Mervyn: You are creating your own home and you

about coming here, or when you think about leaving

are comfortable living there. There is too much

here? What do you find attractive or what did you

invested now. Even if we win the lotto, we will still

find unattractive about this earlier place?

stay there.

Bettie: It’s central. Plenty of schools.

Clement: When we told our friends that we are going

Sarel: It’s peaceful.

to move here, some said, “Ja, you are moving into

Mervyn: It’s home, in the sense of family, the community and I think security as well.

an old, poor-white area.” Some of them were saying that and I told them, “Look, number one, it’s my money that I’m going to pay. I don’t care what you

Mervyn: What I would like to see is for a lot of the

guys think,” but I tell you three months after moving

neighbours to come together. Have a picnic in the

in some of my friends came and visited and the very

park. Get together and get to know each other. We

same ones that had these comments asked us to look

don’t know each other. We’ve got a lot of older folk.

for houses for them. They wanted to move into this

Anything can go wrong with them or me for that

area. But if you look at it, it’s central. You may hear

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about odd incidents, but it’s not like in the North

have a couple of youngsters to defend us. You need

Rand, Randburg, where you hear about hijackings,

all aspects of a community.

break-ins every day. It’s really a place where your children can grow up and you can get old.

Dave: So can we go around the room and each person give one or two words that describe Sophiatown to you. When you think Sophiatown, what one or two

Bettie: Dis ’n lekker area.

Judi: One thing that we talked about when we moved here is that this area is close to the hospital. We needed to be in a central area. We also didn’t want to be too far away from where we came from. So we didn’t mind that we were a street away from Westbury.

We lived in the Western area for ages, so we were just a street away. When you talk of crime we’ve got a lot

words do you think of?

Clement: I think Sophiatown is based on family values.

Elise: I think still a degree of security here.

Judi: I see Sophiatown as the future. My future. This is where I’m going to stay.

of petty crime here that might escalate. But I think

Monica: In my opinion, I’m just a few months here,

the first thing that I noticed when I moved here was

well, it’s a nice place.

that there was only one bottle store at the centre. In areas where I lived before there were shebeens on every street and a bottle store next to every church.

There were usually more bottle stores than churches.

Sophiatown I noticed had a lot of churches and one bottle store. The crime here is all petty crime. It’s got a lot to do with school children. This is not a major

Sarel: When I was working, before becoming a professional loafer, this was really a central area for me. I worked in Randburg. From here it was 20 minutes each way to get to work. It was very central for me and it was cheap. I only paid R1350, which was a lot of money. It was half my salary in those years.

crime area. As you say there are areas where they

Bettie: Vir my is dit huis. Dis veilig. Ek is tuis. Ek is

break into the cars and some people have been shot,

geanker.

but in the areas where I come from, gangsterism was

Bashni: Despite the quad bikes now and then there is

common but there was a rule: you didn’t go out of your territory. You didn’t even mess in your territory

peace and quiet here.

and based on the way people always live, other

Earl: Central, peace and quiet.

people stay out. It depends on how you handle your

Mervyn: Home and security.

territory and if our young children grew up in this area and became proud and took ownership of this area, and we allowed them out in the street, to sit in their own park and become comfortable, it would

Renate: I would say change. We would all get to know each other so there should be a lot of challenges.

Judi: That is one thing that people say. I forgot that

become theirs as well. We are never going to get rid

there are not many parties in this area. It really is

of my territory, your territory but at least we would

quiet.

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Clement: At the same time you’ve got to accommodate

Judi: From what I gather the ages of the children fit.

people.

I’ve a nephew of 16, you’ve got 16 and 14, and then

Judi: The unwritten rule in this area is that music

you’ve got 14 and 11. The age groups fit very well.

ends at 12:00.

Bashni: All they do now is just confined to the TV.

Clement: The respect is there.

Bettie: Hulle het al square eyes. Hulle is te bang om

Judi: So, guess what’s going to happen. All the neighbours are going to get to know each other, all the neighbours are going to be invited to the party and then we can party until 5:00 am the next morning because there’s nobody to complain.

Mervyn: That’s the nice thing around the festive time; it’s nice if everybody gets together to have a

uit te kom.

Judi: We also don’t let them out.

Renate: But if we have a fun day…

Mervyn: To socialise. That would be nice if the community would get together to socialise.

Bashni: I think having a sports day would be fun. We

party in the park.

could have a three-legged race.

Bashni: You don’t even see anyone to wish them

Judi: Egg and spoon.

Happy New Year.

Bashni: Thread and needle.

Judi: I agree. We used to make a point of walking

Judi: You know what will happen on sports day,

out at midnight to greet everyone irrespective of who

right? The adults will have more fun and the kids

you were.

will amuse themselves at us.

Mervyn: We’ve got the facility right here. We need to take the initiative.

Dave:

Would

there

be

interest

in

thinking

Judi: We need to. And a lot of people have the most

about memorialising places in Sophiatown or

beautiful Christmas decorations in this area. Some

commemorating?

of them are stunning.

Judi: Yes I think there would be as we want the

Clement: I think we should have a five-a-side soccer,

children to know, but also as you’ve discovered we

some fun.

know very little of the history ourselves. We know

Mervyn: The kids need to have fun. We had fun as kids.

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Sarel: It’s true.

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