Langa township

On Thursday, July 23rd, I got the opportunity to see the other side of beautiful Africa and, more specifically, the poverty of Cape Town. The Langa township was established in 1927 and is one of the oldest Black African townships. It was created under the 1923 Urban Areas Act to segregate and control black labourers. During the 1960s it became the key center of political resistance. Massive protests led to tragic loss of life of many people and severe damages. Until today, the government "promised" better housing conditions for its residents but it may be a neverEnding Story as most of today's residents are still on waiting lists and often cannot afford something better. It really moved me to see how human beings are living here: simple metal containers with leaky roofs. No warm water!!! oO They're getting the water from the nearby hostels and carry it home in buckets. Imagine how cold and wet it can be here during winter times. Up to three families might share one container. To give you a short imagination of the size of one living area for a family of four people: Usually, most of the containers are about 6m long and 2,4m wide. Longer containers, which are very rare, might reach the 12m mark. I had the chance to look into one of those containers and it simple was terrible. One bunk bed for 4 people. One little TV, something that could be imagined as a wardrobe, a tiny sink and maybe a small mirror, and hotplates to be able to cook and heat cold water. No words! :( After the Apartheid regime was abolished, the government tried to get rid of the townships but it seemed to be impossible due to housing shortages, generational ties and the deep cultural roots that lie in here. To say something positive: A lot of African artists and musicians has been nurtured here. We could view some creations ourselves and even got a short drum lesson. It was amazing and however bad it all may be at Langa, I'll never forget the sound of the drums and the smile at the faces of the children who welcomed me so openly and warm-hearted at the end of our tour when we visited a typical township kindergarten. Likewise, I'll never understand while some human beings who are just as valuable and smart as me possibly will never have the same possibilities and chances in life like me.