Township Tour

We know the jetlag is cured when Dad awakes at dawn to do yoga as he did today.  Dad says yoga before school work and everybody stays happy.  Once again, the boys rocked out their work.  

After we had breakfast and the boys finished their work, we decided to take a tour of the Township of Langa.  Townships originated in the 1920s when the government and private industry of South Africa wanted to bring low cost labor from the rural areas of the country which were populated by black South Africans to the urban commerce centers.  However, the government and private companies did not want families to come and settle in the cities. They did not want the resources of the cities to meet the needs of the large groups of extremely poor South Africans scattered throughout the country. This was the reason that they built the Townships.

The Townships were designed to support migrant laborers but not their families. The men lived in small hostels just large enough to hold workers.  The accommodations were cramped and quickly became very difficult for those who lived there.  Eventually, the government allowed the families to join the male workers.  While this brought some comfort, it also increased the population and the living conditions became extraordinarily harsh.  By the time apartheid ended, the Townships had suffered through several generations of extreme poverty.  

Langa is the oldest and best known Township.  The residents mostly originate from the Xhosa Tribe and Xhosa is the spoken language of Langa.  The hostels still remain and often more than a dozen families share a very small living space.  Many families have erected shelters using old shipping crates in an attempt to gain more privacy from the group living.  

In recent years, there has been a push to create a better infrastructure in Langa and other Townships.  New structures have been erected for families who have spent many years living in hostels and converted shipping crates.  In addition, residents of Langa who have achieved economic gains through business and education have elected to remain in the Township.  A small area next to an informal settlement has become known as the Beverly Hills of Langa because of the houses built by residents of Langa who continue to live in the Township rather than move into other areas of Cape Town even though they could afford to do so.  These residents are afforded particular respect from the community.

We arranged our tour through Siviwe Cape Town Township Tours.  http://www.townshiptourscapetown.co.za/home

Our tour guide was named Gladstone and he was born and raised in Langa.  He was knowledgeable about Langa and very proud of his heritage.  Gladstone explained that the tours are a wonderful way to share the history of Langa while educating the world about the difficulties that still remain.  Gladstone encouraged us to interact with the people of Langa and share our experience with friends and family so that others will visit and support his community.

This sign greeted us as we entered Langa.

 

Gladstone was gracious enough to allow us to visit his childhood home. He lived there until he was a teenager.   The small hostel was shared by as many as 16 families with up to 40 children.  Gladstone's brother and several other families still reside there today.  Below is a picture of the common area where 40 children fought for floor space to sleep.

The children sleep on foam mattresses.

Roman and Mabret with Gladstone in his childhood home.

Below is a room that is shared by the adult members of several families.

When Gladstone was in high school he was unable to focus on his studies because of the crowded conditions so he used the money that he made working in a bakery to purchase the small trailer shown below which he parked outside his family home and he lived there while he finished school.  Gladstone is seen in the photo.

Below is a picture from an informal settlement in Langa. 

Below is a picture of a home in the "Beverly Hills of Langa" which is directly across from the settlement shown above. 

The children of Langa enjoy interacting with visitors.  They were incredibly sweet kids. Roman and Mabret came armed with candy for the children.  Below is a photo of Kathy showing pictures to the children.

 

We also visited an outdoor market which prepares and sells a delicacy enjoyed throughout Langa (and other areas of Africa).  Sheeps head is eaten during times of celebration and reserved for the eldest members of a family as a sign of respect. 

The message from the residents of Langa is inspirational.  While there remains much work to be done, they see their glass as half full and their community as moving forward. 

Once again, we finished the day with dinner at Catch 22 and fun and games on the beach.

Roman doing a front flip.

Mabret diving into a giant sand crater. 

Dad airplane spinning both.

Tomorrow we leave Cape Town. Next stop is Hermanus.  The whale watching capital of South Africa.

To Ms. V's and Mr. K's  classes and all of their friends who are in other classes, grades and schools, Roman and Mabret say...Peace Out.