Christian Kowalski
So many accounts our class have heard are centered on the significance of property. The District Six Museum, Slave Lodge and various Townships have highlighted the actors involved in the relocation of black bodies. Each individual person we’ve spoken holds onto the memories of the spaces they previously occupied. Some can drive past the remains of district six or look at the empty plots of land not designated for them; but none of those experiences can be relived. We’ve encountered those who fight for their land through the legal system.
Two moments that highlight that are in Bo-kaap and with Noor. Bo-kaap is considered the “San Francisco” of Cape Town, holding a multicultural and progressive populace. Yet this neighborhood has struggled to maintain its identity against an onslaught of corporations and businesses trying to profit of its people. One such instance was when Mohammed, our guide during the Bokaap tour, told us a story where companies were trying to build bars next to the historic mosque. According to Muslim tradition, alcohol is prohibited and the very thought of a bar in close proximity to a mosque is problematic. So what Mohammed and other leaders did was fight for their right to the land. The land was historically a part of Bokaap and shouldn’t be tarnished by opportunists. This isn’t the only instance where institutions challenged the properties in Bo-kaap. A historic graveyard has always been repeatedly in contention with the law. Today, no more people can be laid to rest in those burial grounds, once again impeding on the religious rights of the Muslim community. These legal battles highlight the importance of property as a means of identity. Corporations and government seek to erase the culture and heritage of a community for the sake of profit. Yet, the acts of Mohammed and others stand as a form of resistance against the systems of governance. Their work and struggles are keeping the identity of Bokaap alive.
Noor, the District Six Museum co-founder, is another individual directly affected by institutions claiming and redefining his property. As Noor recounted the story of losing his family home, we could see the longing he had for what once was. It’s as if he transported all of us to a more peaceful and simpler time, where the threat of excommunication was nonexistent. An image of Noor playing in the street with his cousins as the parents converse on the patio is one such moment I could picture. Or it could be something completely natural; a family enjoying their community and the security of their home. Yet, despite the dreams and memories, District Six remains in limbo; it’s been liberated in part but the government is taking slow action. Families are left waiting for the homes that belonged to them for generations. They fought to reclaim their land through protest and the legal system yet most have been able to truly return to what once was. Noor is an old man and is still pushing to have his home returned to him. Even worse, he has to settle for a fraction of the property his family originally possessed. There is such a personal attachment to that physical space; Noor’s family walk through those streets and made their livings in District Six. Yet the ghost of Apartheid subtly remains and redemption has not been achieved. But like Mohammed in Bo-kaap, Nor will keep fighting and resist the urge to settle with the meager deals of the political elite. Property will always carry significant weight for South Africans. The land one owns carries so much value. It identifies your place within a broader community. It demonstrates to the outside world that you belong in this contained space of history, culture and family. When you are at home, everything is ok. However; the system of Apartheid destroyed the history, culture and families of those communities. The land with which these non-white communities established a connection with was broken. The government took the land they thought was rightfully theirs and separated those who belonged. The scars of those decisions remain as apparent as ever, which is the most tragic of all.
With this in mind, it’s important to reflect on what makes home so valuable. After a month in South Africa, most of us will have some longing for the familiarity of our homes. This is a privilege someone like Noor can’t fully experience yet. The security and warmth of our homes is something we can look forward to. So we must remain thankful for the blessings and hold our systems of governance accountable for their stealing of the land.
