Poor and Rich - Protests in the slums near Port Elizabeth

On our South Africa trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg via the Garden Route, we cover nearly 3000km by car. We encounter beautiful landscapes and places where one could imagine living. On the other hand, we also experience the difference between rich and poor. And most of the time, this also means the difference between 'White' and 'Black'. Almost every city has slums on the outskirts, mostly consisting of simple shacks surrounded by unimaginable amounts of garbage. And in the midst of it all, children grow up in this environment, trapped and possibly without access to education. As a German, it is unimaginable to live under such conditions without access to clean water, electricity, and sanitation. Without prospects for a fair future. Although 'Whites' and 'Blacks' may be legally equal, the reality unfortunately shows something else. Everywhere, we see black homeless people and beggars asking for money or food.

On our way to Addo National Park, we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a protest by the people living in the huge slums. Along the main road we are driving, a riot breaks out. Burning tires are everywhere, and cars are being pelted with stones. We quickly realize what is happening and turn around immediately. The police arrive, and a few minutes later, we hear on the radio that this main road is being cleared, closed, and cannot be driven on for an indefinite period of time due to the protests. We, especially our seven-year-old Fa, escape unharmed and are very relieved when we arrive safely at our destination, the Dung Beetle House. We had planned to stop along the way to buy baby food, but we no longer dare to do so. We have enough for the next few days. We talk openly with Fa about what happened there. At seven years old, she already understands a lot.

12 years ago, we were already here, and we do not feel that much has changed in this conflict. Back then, we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Johannesburg, where a butler was supposed to serve us from start to finish. He was assigned to us, never looked us in the eyes directly, and moved around in a completely submissive manner. Even back then, I found it terrible and felt very bad about it. And today, unfortunately, I have the feeling that the difference between rich and poor and 'White' and 'Black' still exists to a great extent. This also explains the high crime rate in this country. Where the rich live behind high walls, barbed wire, and alarm systems in secured zones. Trapped in their 'golden' cage. And the poor live on the outskirts of the city in unimaginable poverty.