2.1. The Surburb & Gated Lockdown

When referring to a “suburb” in the South African urban context, one would usually be referring to areas that were historically designated for white residents that were well-serviced, with public amenities and well-connected to economic nodes. In the post-apartheid period, these suburbs underwent demographic shifts – in some areas more significantly than others, with Johannesburg’s historically-white northern suburbs reflecting the presence of a black middle-class (Wray, 2014; Horn & Ngcobo, 2003; Ballard, 2002). At the same time, significant spatial shifts have occurred in the post-apartheid period: wealthy suburban homes became increasingly fortified, older suburbs enclosed themselves with gates, new gated “townhouse” complexes have been built within and close to these well-established areas, and large gated “estate” developments created exclusive suburbs on the outskirts of cities (Czegledy, 2003; Bremner, 2004 Landman & Badenhorst, 2014; Harrison & Dinath, 2014). Although gated communities are not an exclusively suburban phenomenon in South Africa, in Gauteng many gated communities are found in clusters within or close to core suburban areas (Peberdy, 2014), along major transport routes, and in older well-established areas (Landman & Badenhorst, 2014). All but one of our gated community participants lived in suburban areas that were once-white suburbs, or new areas that developed on the edge of these older suburbs – these included Randburg, Bryanston, Pretoria East, Benoni & Centurion. For the purposes of this report, we’ve included these suburban gated community participants within a discussion of a broader “suburban” experience of lockdown.

Proximity to Neighbours & Cabin Fever

Residential gated communities in Gauteng are diverse spaces – they vary from gated complexes of single-storey homes, duplexes and apartments, to the larger and more grand and spacious gated golf and lifestyle estates (Landman & Badenhorst, 2014). Gated communities also refer to “enclosed neighbourhoods”, older suburban neighbourhoods that were enclosed with gates in the post-apartheid period (Landman & Badenhorst, 2014). In Gauteng, the development of privately-governed spaces is clustered along a corridor of development stretching from northern Johannesburg to Tshwane (Peberdy, 2017; Landman & Badenhorst, 2014). North-west Johannesburg, bordering Mogale City, and east Pretoria are also characterised by clusters of these privately-governed residential spaces. Peberdy (2017), in their analysis of Gauteng CityRegion Observatory (GCRO) data, show how gated communities are mostly concentrated within core areas in the province, although high-income estates and cluster development are also being developed on the urban periphery (Harrison & Dinath, 2017).

The City Lockdown Diaries confirmed the diversity of gated communities and the spectrum of middle-income to high-income households within them (Landman & Badenhorst, 2014). Of the seven participants who lived in gated communities, four lived in apartments, and three lived in houses. These apartments varied in size and type, most were in security complexes and one was in an enclosed neighbourhood. Three of the apartments had four rooms or less, while one had over seven bedrooms. Those who lived in houses in gated communities, meanwhile, all had six rooms and above. Some people lived alone, and the largest household had four members. In spite of this diversity of gated community living, the regular participants who shared diary entries of lockdown in suburban gated communities had some commonalities: they used a car to buy necessities and had minimal engagement with the street. For those living in apartments, there was a sense of being “stuck” in space, and regular reference was made to neighbours.

Accounts of street life were notably absent from the diary entries of lockdown from gated communities. Residents drove their own cars to get basic food goods during lockdown. Their observations of the street were made while driving on the way to the shops or work.

The Suburb & Gated lockdown:

Day 3 29 March 2020 Bryanston

“...I went to the shops today; the roads were completely empty. I mean, I drove over William Nicol2 and I saw maybe two cars.”

- Kirsten (30)

Diary entries from gated communities were almost exclusively about life in their homes, or within the walls of their complex or estate. Individuals rarely left their homes, and mainly did so in their private vehicles to go to the shops, take a drive, or, in the case of one essential service worker – to go to the hospital where she worked. Those living in homes with four or less rooms described feeling “stuck, “claustrophobic”, “stifled” and experiencing “cabin fever” within the first two weeks of lockdown. These feelings were connected to mental health struggles – such as anxiety, nervousness, and depression - as the lockdown continued (these will be discussed in Issue 3 of the City Lockdown Diaries).

Day 2, 28 March, 2020 Bryanston

“I’m starting to feel … I don’t want to say stir-crazy, but it would be nice to be outside of the confines [giggles] of this complex.”

- Kirsten (30)

Day 4 30 March 2020 Pretoria East

“Whilst I was looking forward to escaping the 4 walls of my small apartment which had now become somewhat of a prison for me in the last few weeks... I was also thinking about what I was leaving behind as I drove out the estate...”

Day 15 10 April 2020 Randburg - Dr. G (29)

“I also went to the store today. I didn’t necessarily need to go the store, but I felt like I needed to get out of the house just for my own mental, like, health perspective. You know, I’m stuck in the house and its week 2, getting a bit nervous about going into week 3 and basically starting the whole process again. Ja, it’s going to be quite tough…Ah fuck, I don’t know, I just hope this thing ends soon. Ja, it’s just, I don’t like feeling trapped and unable to do certain things that usually make me happy and just getting out of the house.”

- Anonymous (31)

Confined to their homes and in close proximity to their neighbours, entries from gated complexes made regular reference to neighbours and their activities. Mokoena* wrote about helping her neighbours with homework and an emergency, while Kirsten wrote about hearing the neighbours talking, shuffling, on zoom calls, or taking out their rubbish in her quiet complex.

Two participants wrote extensively about a heightened sense of proximity to neighbours. Dr G*, writing from a gated apartment complex in Pretoria East, became increasingly frustrated with the design of the complex, and the noise.

Towers Above (2020)

Day 16 11 April 2020 Pretoria East

“ If there’s one thing I’ll never do again its live in a stacked housing complex/security estate. Never again!

This Rona business has forced me to reconsider my life choices in terms of housing and this right here - is nooot it!

The walls are paper thin. The rooms are too small and the neighbors are too loud.

Lord knows how this place has also converted me from a child lover to that bitter aunty who hisses and shooshes at loud kids on a trampoline. But I mean... those trampoline kids are driving me mad. Seriously.

They have a schedule that starts horrifyingly early at 9am and it will be the tweaking of that damn thing the whooooooooooooooooooole day until they fatigue and pass out.

Then the other neighbors take the reigns with their stereos and house parties....

Lockdown routine is the pits.”

There were also positive reflections about the proximity that came with lockdown in gated communities. Anonymous, living in his own in an apartment in a gated complex in Randburg, was struck by how the lockdown had brought the neighbours in his complex closer together. As the lockdown progressed, he wrote about increased interaction between neighbours, with people engaging with each other in ways that they had not done previously – across race and age groups. In one diary entry he described with some humour how an elderly white neighbour took a selfie with her younger black neighbours –an occurrence he would never have imagined happening before.

One participant lived in an apartment building in an enclosed neighbourhood. She, like those living in gated complexes, made regular reference to the sounds, actions and appearance of her neighbours. Like the participant from Randburg, she found herself interacting with her neighbours in a new way during lockdown. She joined in on communal clapping that happened at 7pm to support essential service workers, including nurses living in their apartment building.

Day 11 06 April 2020 Randburg

“ Um, ya nothing in particular interesting happened today. Except for my complex now - they seem to be having this exercise routine like, by like a grass area. They all spread out so it’s not like anyone is within touching distance of each other. I think it’s one of those where, you know, um, as people are staying in their homes by themselves, there’s need for human interaction and, you know, they are getting it from their neighbours. Even though, these are people let’s say twelve days ago they wouldn’t necessarily talk to one another on a regular basis. So it’s quite interesting to see that.”

- Anonymous (31)

Day 10 05 April 2020 Observatory

“…There were a lot more people on their balconies in my building today. I saw a man who I’ve seen around but could not have told you which unit he lived in, but I saw him now. And I saw a woman who looked around my age but I’ve never seen her before, but also she was far so I could have been mistaken about the age thing. Um, Nicola was on her balcony. Just everybody was out. I guess also because it’s been so rainy all along and, and we can’t go anywhere so we kinda feel trapped so I’m glad everyone was taking time to appreciate the sun coming out today. Um, quiet. Um, but there was the sound of the kid playing basketball behind us and kids in the front of our building like running around. The woman who lives on the property right in front of us um, was working out. Uh, her routine was a bit lack lustre. Like the running she was doing, just seemed like she wasn’t really in it. Um, also I’m being jealous that she has the space to do that outside.”

- Tshiamo (30)

Day 15 10 April 2020 Observatory

“We gave two hot cross buns to our direct next door neighbour and then the guy down the corridor, I don’t know if they didn’t hear us ring the bell, or if it doesn’t work, but anyway we left it and then I made dinner and then we took hot cross buns down to our friend. But before that we had the whole clapping thing and I went down and clapped. And I think I got really into it…it’s just not the kind of thing I’d get involved in, but it feels really nice to clap along with everyone and just a sense of community and camaraderie and whatever other c-words that are positive come up. So I think I’ll participate whenever they do it.”

- Tshiamo (30)

Porch Invitation (2020)

Uneventful & unbothered

Only three of our suburban participants lived in areas that were not gated. These participants lived in free-standing houses with six rooms or more in the established and former-white suburbs of Florida Park, Akasia and Melville – all of which are connected to major transport routes, shops and public amenities. Like those living in gated complexes, estates and enclosed neighbourhoods, diary entries of participants living in these established suburbs indicated that they spent most of their time in their homes, and only left their homes when they needed to drive to get essentials from the shops. The experience of going to the shops, as it was for participants across Gauteng, became an “event”. For suburban participants going to the shops meant getting into a car and required minimal interaction with other people or the street. One participant, who did not have her own vehicle, described difficultyinaccessinganUberduringlockdownwhensheneededtopurchase something at the shops:

Day 6 01 April 2020 Florida Park

“But one thing I can like say is transportation…there was no Uber and it was a hassle for me to get transportation. I had to ask a friend of a friend to transport me and that person acted as my Bolt or Uber. But yeah, it was just quite surprising because the images that you see on TV, with the roadblocks, uhm police presence, it’s not really a reality this side, you know? Yeah, that was quite interesting”

Diary entries from the established suburbs with free-standing homes of Melville, Akasia, and Observatory made reference to seeing people contravening Level-5 lockdown rules: meeting on the street, jogging and driving with many people in one vehicle. They rarely, if ever, saw any form or security or police.

Day 6 01 April 2020 Akasia

“The people of Pretoria North were out in full force like a normal day and there was absolutely no checkpoint whatsoever, no police visibility at all, no SANDF visibility at all. It looked like just a normal day with people in their cars in fours and fives…”

Day 13 08 April 2020 Observatory - Buhle (33)

“...This morning I saw a group of five woman, like, young, but like, in the late twenties, early thirties was the youngest of them. Like, middle aged…But anyway they had gone out for a walk I guess but they stood at the corner of our building for a long time. Not standing far from each other, like far enough from each other, and just chatting. Like you could see their hand, they weren’t doing anything other than going for a walk and um, chatting, which really annoyed me today. I feel like we would all like to get out of our houses, but the situation is that we all have to stay home. And if more and more people are just being lawless, then they going to have to extend this lock down, like [sighs] fine then. Be lawless and go for a walk, but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t still distance yourself socially”

- Tshiamo (30)

Day 29 24 April 2020 Melville

“After the President’s speech it sounds as if people walking and congregating already in some areas today…so messaging obviously not clear. People seem to think we’re thro it now! …Also, a few cars on the road – think people think everything is over, and we haven’t really begun!”

The experience of the lockdown in these areas sat uncomfortably with two suburban respondents, Zion* (28) and Buhle* (30). These respondents saw their suburban experience as being starkly different to the images that were circulating on social media of people being harassed by police and the military – particularly in some of the country’s townships.

- Anonymous (66)

Day 11 06 April 2020 Akasia

“…we decided to do some gardening... I think I’m grateful for the fact that there’s no soldiers outside chasing us back inside while we cut shrubs by the gate. Um, I think it’s, it’s – the lockdown – I’ve always been aware of my privilege - but because I don’t fall within a certain tax bracket I never really saw myself as someone who is middle class but uh, this lockdown is ya, it’s revealing a lot I guess. One can see I’m lower middle class. Um, I certainly am very privileged. Um, my experiences here are nothing in comparison to say, the experiences of my cousin in Pietermaritzburg ko [in] Kwa Zulu Natal, in a township called Sobantu.”

Day 4 30 March 2020 Florida Park

“…There was just a video circulating of one [where] some police officers [were] assaulting people and people justifying that and also soldiers finding people on the streets and ridiculing them because they’ve got no valid reason for being outside. But what I noticed about those videos is that, uhm, they would stop people who were walking and uhm, people in cars were not stopped, there was no road block and obviously the videos are like in Alexandra and your Hamanskraal and all of that because I have never – well even the police presence here is not – I only saw the police when I went outside yesterday, but, I haven’t seen the military here at all….when I was walking here outside, nobody asked me anything…

But I am very uncomfortable with the fact that our military roaming our streets and we are literally celebrating them [for] assaulting people and ridiculing people. And the fact that some people are subjected to that presence while others are not, you know, [sighs] it’s just exhausting just also hearing, uhm, some of the comments [that] advantaged and privileged people are making and I guess for me, now, I see how advantaged I am, you know...yeah. It’s been a wake-up call as to say that where I am situated and the means that I have allow me to have a certain level of being comfortable, you know?”

- Zion (28)

In the same vein, a participant from the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Melville noted that the lockdown concerns of her middle-class neighbours were privileged problems.

Another observed spatial privilege that characterised suburban experiences of lockdown, whether in gated communities or ungated suburbs, was access to greenery and outdoor space within the premises of where they stayed. Seven out of 9 suburban respondents had access to a yard or garden. Only 2 of the 4 respondents who lived in apartments in gated communities had access to a yard or garden. Those who did have a garden, mostly those in houses, made reference to activites in their garden – having a braai3 , taking a break, doing some gardening, or exercising in their personal gardens.

Day 3 29 March 2020 Melville

“Opened side door to the street to check if Pikitup had been (they are short staffed, so a day or so late in doing rounds, but we’re lucky they’re collecting at all) and spied a runner running up the deserted street. Then all the people in Melville complaining on the councillor’s issues WhatsApp group that they hadn’t had their bins collected yet, so I had to comment that we should be grateful in a National Disaster to get a service at all! All middle class/first world problems and stop complaining!”

- Anonymous (66)

Day 2 28 March 2020 Centurion

“So today I decided to create a home obstacle course for cardio workouts over the next 20 days, using existing garden fixtures, steps & the like. Also heard a funny story about a resident caught playing golf on our golf estate course, contrary to the ban on all such activities. When asked, his response was that he thought it was fine if he played by himself. ”

- Anonymous (59)

Day 3 29 March 2020 Florida Park

“…Uhm, I just first went outside, and I walked around the yard, you know? To just to clear my mind…”

Day 5 31 March 2020 Melville - Zion (28)

“…Managed to just about walk 5kms today round the house – the dogs wouldn’t come with me all the way, and it does involve going thro’ the odd bush!”

- Anonymous (66)

A resident in a gated complex without a garden, meanwhile, observed how the limited space and restrictions on common areas was taking its toll on people.

The lockdown diary entries from gated suburban communities and ungated suburbs shared some important insights on the spatial and social organisation of post-apartheid suburbia - a combination of today’s suburban archetype of the gated complex, and the historical whites-only suburban neighbourhood. One of the most distinct themes of lockdown in suburbia, whether in a gated community or not, was that people rarely, if ever, walked to access services or goods. This was evident in people’s experiences and observations of life during lockdown. Street life was rarely mentioned in diary entries, and observations of the world beyond the walls of where they lived were often made from the window of a vehicle. These findings were supported by data from an open online survey we conducted in May 2020, in which the majority of participants were suburban and gated community residents. Over 70% of the 112 suburban and gated community participants said that before lockdown, they used a car to get to the shops. During lockdown, 77% of these participants used a personal vehicle to access essential goods and services. There were, however, some important distinctions in suburbia which point to differentiated experiences based on the kinds of space people lived in.

Our diary entries showed that those in suburban houses, in ungated areas and in gated areas, had access to private outdoor green space. This gave some people the freedom to be outdoors for leisure, without contravening lockdown rules or fear of the consequences of doing so. In contrast, it was notable that some diary entries from apartment buildings and townhouses in gated complexes saw participants write about feeling “trapped”, or “stuck”. This heightened sense of confinement was also accompanied by a heightened experience of their neighbours. The sense of proximity to others in the gated complex was intensified for a few participants – not only in terms of sound and shared space, but also in terms of new social

Day 21 16 April 2020 Pretoria East

“…The neighbors have started meandering around the complex... I don’t blame them. They feel as stifled as much as I do. Stifled and claustrophobic.

Its adorable though that most people have started devising unique ways to exercise on their tiny balconies / in their limited space. I even spotted the dad at the trampoline kids house using the baby as an arm weight during his exercise routine...

That was something. ”

- Dr. G (29)

interaction. Finally, diary entries and corresponding surveys of participants from suburban gated communities and ungated suburbs indicate that people rarely saw the police, and never encountered the army, during lockdown. However in gated communities, there were other forms of surveillance which limited people’s movement. Almost all gated community participants reported seeing private security guards every day. As we note later, this absence of police and army contrasts starkly with the CBD where our smaller group of participants reported a disproportionately larger presence and activity from the police and army.