Random Thoughts

Clarkes Estate is bordered by Owen Road to the north, 35 th Avenue to the east and the non-operational railway that goes to Bellville and the city “round the back”. It is directly beneath the flight path of planes landing at Cape Town International Airport when the south Easter blows. It also has the reputation of been one of the most dangerous little suburbs in the Elsies River area. It too is afflicted by poverty, unemployment, drug addiction and violent crime. I went early. Purposefully. The morning sunlight was going to give good light. The residents had not quite awakened yet and I was going to meet up with a City of Cape Town solid waste cleaning crew. Why. Well the whole thing about illegal dumping has been a curiosity for me. No matter where you drive through predominantly impoverished areas you will encounter dirt and refuse that has been dumped on open fields or on the side of the road. Main roads through Elsies River, the strand road through Eerste River, an area like Dunoo...

  Unbeknown to me I was standing on the spot where Dumisani Joxo died. The spot where he fell after been shot by a twenty two old cop. Even as we were led down the path next to the railway line and over the river the overarching question was how did this all happen here and why did it all happen so fast. To get to the site one has to cross the river bridge and walk down a pathway and along the railway line. The spot is halfway down the lane that is a dead end. The nearest flats overlooking the lane is about twenty to thirty meters away. There are gaps in the metal palisade fence that one can walk through to either cross the railway tracks or get out of the alley. We were told by a Clicks employee that the little community has been there for a long time and that Dumisani and the little group was very well known in the area. He described them as a peaceful and quite group that never caused any disturbance and Dumisani was known for keeping the peace in the area and worked as a car ...

  I am not really sure one can use beaches as a measure of how unequal our society is or how people are treated by a city that carries a very loudly proclaimed slogan as "The City that WORKS for YOU." Before I get into the stuff that concerns me, some context. I love my city. Cape Town will always be home. I live in an area that, on a good day, is fifteen minutes’ drive from the city centre. The nearest shopping mall is five minutes’ drive from home. Driving the wife to work is, on a good day, a seven to ten minute drive. The nearest beach is also at best a twenty minute drive and I have choices. So in the bigger scheme of things I am, I guess, privileged. Over the last few weeks I've been out driving to places to take pictures. I did the south peninsula on one day and days later went a little further on the False Bay coast to Monwabisi, Macassar and the Strand. Couple of days ago the wife and I went around the Deep South again and after a stop in Kalk Bay and Hout ...