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December 3, 2005 - Joining Xolile for a tour of Graaff Reinet Township


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Some days I cannot believe my good luck. We joined Xolile for a tour of Graaff Reinet Township, when his phone was ringing.
He asked, “Is there a Shiffy in the group?”
On the other side was Jacqui from the Tourist information office who invited me to her home to use her computer again. Her boys are not thrilled, since I get them off their favorite pastime, playing computer games. However, both her sons are true gentlemen, 14 and 16, and offer me tea as soon as I get in.

So I have a computer, but I am writing in Word, so that I do not use the Internet, since they have to dial for a connection and they pay by the minute.

We met Xolile (click your tongue on the X) at 9:00 am in the tourist office and got a triple handshake, a traditional handshake for the Xhosa. There were two other couples in the group. One couple came from Holland, the other from Germany.
We are walking toward the Township, a short three-minute walk, but worlds apart. It is on the other side of the railroad. Before 1990, white people where not allowed in this area. The only whites that came in were policemen and soldiers with big guns. Xolile pointed to very tall large streetlights, the kind that you would see in a sport field. He said that whenever you see these lights, you know that you are in a township, the lights were put in 1986 by the British government so that they could search the area and to make sure that there were no political protests. Today the lights are used for socializing.

We see a variety of dwellings. We see many boxes that were put together with metal sheets, cardboard boxes, rocks to hold the roof down and whatever material that was available. We also see some nicer homes, where people were successful but prefer to stay and live in the township where taxes are very low and they can keep with the traditions of their people. Our first stop is at the barbershop where we are greeted with smiles and hello. There are a few stores, some Afghanis set up shops at the entrance to the township. 8000 Xhosas live in this township. Most Xhosa live in the Eastern Cape. There are 22 different kinds of churches in this township, Methodist, Anglican, Roman, Presbyterian, Scions, and even Jehovah’s Witness. We heard beautiful singing coming from one of the churches. We peaked in and were invited to sit in. All the black people in this township are Xhosa. Their language is distinguished by the many clicks. Their tradition is a mixture of Xhosa and Christianity. The Xhosa culture worships the spirit of their ancestors. They worship four generations back. Xolile took us to his home where he lives with his grandma. He calls her Oma. She raised him. His father died and his mother was not present. His Oma and Opa never went to school. His Oma does not know her age. Her mother told her that she was born after the Great War. Giving respect to ones ancestors is the base of the Xhosa tradition. When a relative dies, their tradition is to slaughter a goat or an ox and invite everyone for a feast to eat the goat, and the horns are put on a long stick that serve as a shrine to the ancestor. In the backyard of his Oma’s home, there is a long stick and attached to it are ox horns and goat horns. This is in honor of his grandfather and whenever he is upset, that is where he finds comfort. He leans on the wood and talks to his forefathers. Every family must have two sons to carry the family’s name.

People over 60 years old get 700R per months from the government. Mothers get 180R per month for every baby. $1= 6.6 Rand. We went into a house where 14 people live in a small space and the only income is the grandmother’s allowance. I talked to some of the young men. Do you work? No, there is no work. In this township there is 60% unemployment. Work depends on agriculture. Most people have no education, no training. Minimum salary is 800R, but most employers pay only 500R per month.

Up on the hills were a few tents. That is where a group of 19-year old men are staying for four weeks after the circumcision. All Xhosa men must have a circumcision at 19 years. They cannot marry or be considered to be men without it. In order to be circumcised they must have a goat. They have to save their money to buy the goat. The surgery is done by one of the town’s elders without anesthetics, and they use herbs to heel. Most of them eat their foreskin after the surgery. After four months they return to the town where they are washed, and a goat is slaughtered and there is a big celebration.

They admire Mandela who was also a Xhosa. They refer to the era before his release from prison and after. Xolile tells us that in 1786, black and white people lived in the township. In 1860, during the British rule, there was discrimination, but in 1948, the National Party won the election and Apartheid was official. There were the whites, the colored and the blacks. They could not wear green or black shirts, the color of the ANC, African National Congress. The job market was divided to white, colored, Asians and blacks. There were very few opportunities for black people and the pay was minimal.

We greet everyone with Molo or Oba for an older person. Many kids follow us and hold our hands. I skip with two kids on my sides and when the men went to observe the circumcision camps, I got all the kids into a circle and we danced together. The kids love to be photographed and Xolile asked us to mail him the photos, he distributes them to the kids. Xolile points at some ladies, the one with the long dress and covered hair is married, she is not available. The ones with pants and uncovered hair are available for marriage.

They all have English names in addition to their Xhosa name. Xolile is also Speelman, his friend is Johnson. They got the English names in school because the teachers could not spell or pronounce their names. During Apartheid, they had to carry a card, passes that were called, dam-pass. Passes of dam people. They could be arrested for not having a card. When Mandela and others burned their cards, they were arrested.

Since 1994, Mandela’s presidency, school is mandatory for kids aged 7-14 and the kids get daily meals at school, bread and milk. 95% of the kids attend school. The others are on the streets begging for money. In school they study in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. We walked into the classroom and I saw books in English and Xhosa.

Today every “home” has a toilet outside the home, running water and electricity. We visited a few homes. It was very warm inside.

AIDS is another problem here. There are now health clinics in every township, but many people do not want to use them. 9% of residents were identified as being HIV positive in this township.

At the end of the tour we treated ourselves to a great lunch at Die Kliphuis Guesthouse that was established in 1857.

Talking to people here, we hear so many stories. The country is in transition and everyone has a different experience according to where he has been and where he is now. Many people and businesses left the country and the new predominantly black government is accused of corruption.

The owner of the restaurant used to work in HR for the government. After 1994, 60% if the jobs went to black people. Everyone had to reapply for their job, but only 40% could come back.

Another person used to work as a food and beverage manager in a large hotel. That job was now assigned to a black man. The black man was not able to perform, so the white person continued working for less money under the black man. Frustrated, he finally left for Australia.

Another person, who has a trucking business, must now take a black person as a partner and give him 20% of the business.

Jacqui from the tourist office was talking about how amusing it is that most black people have no anger. They look forward and want to move on. There is a lot of talk here about heeling, creating a rainbow nation, do not look back, do not point fingers. I was looking at the German couple who look about our age, thinking: your parents killed my relatives. Time to move on and forgive.

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