I’m sitting in Heathrow Airport, London waiting on the last of three flights home to West Belfast from South Africa. So, I’m going to type a few words to pass the time and help me digest ten inspirational days spent with activists driving international movements for social change.
Having just spent one of the most thought provoking weeks of my life in Boschendal, undoubtedly the most picturesque place in Cape Town, I am feeling somewhat inspired and enthralled by the stories and the experiences of some (in my opinion) of the world’s most amazing activists.
At the convening of Social Change Initiative fellows there was such a wealth of information and a lot of what we thought we knew was all unpacked and most of it ‘unlearned’ in that week...
"Could I request a 5am wake up call please?"
"Certainly Miss Mc Mahon have you an early flight to catch?"
"No I have a very important meeting with Premier Zille"
DEAFENING SILENCE......."5am it is mam"
Thursday went as follows:
Last night I got a real insight into how occupied life in the Cissie Goul house was forthe residents. They took great pride in showing me around this place many now call home.
After a quick look around GreenMarket early this morning it was back to the NU offices for various interviews the first with Hopolang. She gave me a brief on Tafelberg and Bromwell Street, Reclaim the City and the current occupations at both Tafelberg and Woodstock. Believe me when I say a 100 page blog would NOT do the amount of work NU, Reclaim the City and the residents have put in over the past six months, I am however, going to try and give you a quick brief time-line of what has happened since Sean and
I arrived at the offices of SADSAWU this morning, Cindy greeted me with the tightest hug imaginable and like the first time round I instantly felt at home. Cindy was joined by Christine a domestic worker who also volunteers at the office on her one day a week off. Myrtle had just left for a meeting in Hong Kong and Gloria would be joining them later.
I have arrived in Cape Town albeit in the late afternoon and missed all the workers day marches! So I took full advantage of the sun and free time and set out to see Hout Bay. Situated 20km outside of the city it is a fully functioning fishing village with spectacular scenery and a beautiful beach.
I spent the first half of my Sunday lunching with some of the Shia Ismaili community (a branch of Shia Islam) who were celebrating the diamond jubilee of their leader Aga Khan. Sali, Phumi's wife, is part of the congration here in Johannesburg and today completed a weekend of celebrations to which she very kindly offered me along to.
I had the pleasure of spending the day in a township of Kew-Thema located a few miles outside a district named Springs. Phumi explained Kew-Thema was named after an anti-apartheid activist Selope Thema and was established in 1951. Black Africans were 'resettled' from Payneville because it was considered by the apartheid government to be 'too close' to a white town. It is where she and her family grew up, her mother Regina and auntie Samelia still live there and gave me an insightful history to the South Africa they have known for over 70 years....