Our guide was Mzukisi Lembeni ("Mzu" for short), a 30-ish man who grew up in Khayelitsha, and has had the wherewithal to set up his own business giving tours. Driving into the township, we noticed a sea of shack-like structures with corrugated aluminum walls that stretched as far as the eye could see. We got to visit inside one, and although is was relatively comfortable, the roof had holes in it, and the owner relayed to us that anytime it rains everything gets wet. The house had a working kitchen, running water, and a kerosene heater, which made it a bit more deluxe than many other places. This family also had a car. Mzu said about 35% of the families in the township own cars, and 95% have cell phones. We also saw a lot of satellite dishes. Another area we visited had no running water to the houses, and a row of outhouses for bathrooms. The human waste winds up in 10 gallon plastic containers, and is removed later. A common water source supplies water to these homes.
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| Khayaleitsha |
Pre-fab corrugated aluminum shacks for sale
Another great encounter was with the local bike builder. His mission is to build bikes for the local kids. For about $0.20, he will build a bike out of spare parts. He also teaches the kids basic bike building and repair. He relayed to us that as a kid, he always wanted a bike, and as he got to be a grown man he vowed to make as many bikes as possible for all the other kids. He had about 10 kids hanging around his shop, and some were helping him. We left him with a bag of chocolate for his kids, and a small donation.
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| Outside the Khayaleitsha bike shop |
There are power poles throughout the township. People are supposed to pay for electricity, but many just attach a wire to the nearest pole and then to their home. Mzu called this practice "spiderman".
Some of the houses are built more like real houses. Mzu told us an Irish man has come to the township and helped build about 20,000 houses over the years. He also teaches the locals how to build. The Irish government, as well as the local government sponsor him, and the homes are free for those lucky enough to get them. Most of the people who upgrade from the shacks to these homes are grateful, but Mzu told me some sell their houses and return to another shack instead. Some people also erect a shack outside their new home to handle overflow family members.
About 75% of the population is officially unemployed, but there is an unregulated economy. Coca Cola signs were everywhere, as some people set up little mini-markets. Other people cooked chicken and sausage. Surprisingly, a lot of hair cutters and beauty shops were to be seen. As a part of our tour, we visited the main supermarket, which was much like a Costco or warehouse store, and bought biscuits and bags of chips for some of the kids we would visit later.
The most fun was our interactions with the local kids. We visited a preschool, and gave out lollipops, chips, biscuits and pencils. The kids sang us a song, and they were so cute and grateful getting gifts. Following that, we went to Mzu's neighborhood, and a bunch of local kids were playing in the street. We had pencils and some snacks for them too. I noticed some of the kids doing a Gangnam style dance, and coaxed Bryce and Laurel to dance with them, and they were all dancing together. I showed off some poi moves, and tried to teach the kids some basics. It was priceless.
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| A happy little girl from preschool, with her new pencil |
A young boy playing with the poi
When we returned to our flat, I asked the kids what they thought of the tour. "Better than Disneyland" was how they put it. And indeed it was.
Update: You can contact Mzu at 021 824 8976 or 073 507 3622 to arrange a tour. Or email him at info@imizamoyethu.co.za
Update: You can contact Mzu at 021 824 8976 or 073 507 3622 to arrange a tour. Or email him at info@imizamoyethu.co.za
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